“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). All accountable people have been guilty of sin in their lives, so we all must deal with it in some way. How we choose to deal with our sin will have eternal consequences, so we must be sure to handle it correctly. The correct way to deal with sin is to be obedient to the gospel of Christ, which includes recognizing our own sin and repenting of it. Unfortunately, too many people (including Christians) attempt to deal with sin in some other way. Consider some of the mistakes people make when dealing with their own sin.
Ignoring sin. Some people choose to ignore problems in their lives, thinking that the problems will go away. This is rarely ever true and is never true when it comes to sin. Untended sin is like a cancer that destroys the body from within. Consider how David tried to ignore his sin and how it weighed upon him: “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4; see also Ps. 38:1-8). Ignoring sin did not heal David, but rather it grieved him to exhaustion.
Denying sin. It is common for those who are caught in sin to deny any wrong doing and lie about their sin. This serves only to provide some false, temporal comfort when one deceives himself into believing that he is acceptable to God. Sometimes a sinner can successfully deflect blame or hide his sin and get away with his evil deeds for a time. However, when he stands before God in judgment, all things will be known by God (Heb. 4:13). Notice Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Any method of dealing with sin that involves denial of the truth only leads one to eternal destruction.
Brooding over sin. Some people believe that if they are miserable enough, God will forgive them of their sin. When they do this, they are trying to pay the price for their own sin, which they cannot do. In Mark 8:37, the Lord asked this rhetorical question: “For what shall a man given in exchange for his soul?” If a man had the whole world, would it be worth his own soul? Of course, our souls are worth much more than the world to us, but we, having much less than the whole world to give, are unable to redeem our souls once they are sold into the bondage of sin. Thankfully, Christ paid the price for everyone because we could not. Therefore, no amount of brooding can take away sin, but faithful obedience to Christ does.
Minimizing the significance of sin. The world finds comfort in believing that sin is “no big deal.” The progressive, creeping influence of sin moves our attitudes about sin from initial opposition to tolerance, from tolerance to acceptance, and from acceptance to participation. When we begin to believe that sin is “no big deal,” then we have given up all resistance, and Satan has won. Notice that Proverbs 14:9 says, “Fools mock at sin.” Sin of any kind is the most serous of matters, and only fools take sin lightly. Sin is an offense against Almighty God that provokes His wrath. If we take the attitude that sin is “no big deal,” we risk our own condemnation.
Procrastinating about sin. Sometimes even those who intend to deal with their sin correctly are not swift to do so. They wait because they think that there will always be time to take care of it later. However, “later” may never come. Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” A procrastinating sinner may never have another chance to have his sin forgiven before he takes it with him to the grave.
Dear friends, if you have sin in your life that you have not handled properly, take care of it today. Deal with it correctly, and God will forgive you of it. Those who have never obeyed the gospel of Christ must do so: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Those who have once obeyed but have since become disobedient must heed the words of 1John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Do not make the mistake of attempting these other false methods of dealing with sin, or else it will cost you eternity.
Stacey E. Durham