I read this quote in My Utmost for His Highest: Jesus Christ hates the sin in people, and Calvary is the measure of his hatred.”
Someone on my Facebook wrote a post with a headline that read, “A List of Lessons Jesus Taught Us.” It was an essential list of loving others and taking care of those who have strayed, for whatever reason, from a life centered around Jesus, faith, and truth.
However, left off that list was, “Go, and sin no more.” So, I added sin in the comments section. It was met with angry face emojis and replies that countered how I missed the point. And, a few days later, the same person wrote another beautiful post explaining why she believes sin doesn’t need to be on that list. (Even saying that makes me cringe.) She was clearly coming at me with a rebuttal that I completely disagree with.
Here I am. Explaining, in my opinion, why the lesson of sin shouldn’t be left off the list of ‘lessons Jesus taught us‘.
Here goes..
We cannot intentionally leave the lesson of sin out of our conversations about Jesus. It’s a crucial aspect that, when acknowledged, enlightens us about the depth of Jesus’s teachings and the path to spiritual growth. I am surprised anyone would feel comfortable doing this, when Jesus made it so clear.
Jesus lived his life for one purpose- the tremendous tragedy of the cross and the rising to come. He was our Savior. How do you convey this fact without explaining our sin? I dare you to try.
In my humble opinion, if there is one lesson above all that must be taught, and indeed, came from Jesus, it is in HIS own words,
“Go, and sin no more.”
Without acknowledging our selfish, broken, and rebellious ways, how do we ever teach people about the gift of mercy, forgiveness, and redemption? Without those essential lessons, the Cross of Christ holds little to no value and is just words that convey nothing. You can’t express His entire purpose without explaining humanity. It is not possible.
God forgives us and redeems us because of the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the lesson this world needs to combat man’s sinful nature.
If we don’t confront our sins and surrender to God, we live for ourselves. Look around; selfish desires lead the world. The Almighty doesn’t need us to sugarcoat His truth or leave part of it out to settle and coddle the emotions and feelings of humanity.
His truth, which encompasses the reality of sin and the need for redemption, is enough- ALL of the truth.
Jesus taught us repeatedly about sin. He also taught us faith, grace, mercy, and tremendous sacrifice. Jesus is love- his actions were the ultimate example of love, from his birth to his death to his ascension. No one debates that.
The more folks ran toward the emotional belief that God loves us all and ended the lesson there, without acknowledging the reality of sin, the more people found no reason to turn to the cross.
Yes, He loves us. He sent His Son, the living sacrifice, to atone for all humanity. For all who believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, there is forgiveness and eternity to come.
When people are living in their sin, they take offense to the truth of Scripture and the reality of disobedience to God. The measure of the sin does not matter. Anything that comes before God in your life and takes priority in your heart and mind is sinful. This includes the very private thoughts we never share. Whether we like it or not, our actions show God our allegiance to the world or our surrender and obedience to Him.
When confronting sin on a conversational level, it may offend. It’s supposed to! The very word should be felt and not just heard. This confrontation empowers us to overcome our struggles and grow spiritually. Just because we want someone to recover from a destructive lifestyle, doesn’t mean we leave out the truth in fear of pushing them further into destruction. They need to hear it just as boldly as the rest of us.
Our freedom is found when we say enough and throw off the chains of the devil. That’s his way- to use sin to keep us separated from the God of hope, reconciliation, and healing. Sin is cleverly disguised to look inviting, feel good, and lift us to these pretend places of euphoria and intoxication. It is all lies, because at the end of sin is death, long before we die.
I won’t leave off part of the truth because it hurts people’s feelings to talk about sin. You don’t have to be ashamed, friends, because we are all sinners. We all fall short, and it was always known. But there is a way to freedom, hope, unending love, and acceptance.
That’s why we have Jesus.
We ALL need Jesus.
Thank you for being here today, and I look forward to seeing you next time.
♥️Lisa
Authentic Truths 