Don't Get Confused About Sin

For many of us who have been outside the institutional church system for a number of years, it can be perplexing to see some of those who have seen some things concerning why that is so, turn so completely away from some of the basics of the faith because they don't understand what the emphasis of the Lord really is and why many of us have heeded this call.

Over the last eight to ten years or so, an unfortunate side effect has happened, as politically motivated socialists or progressives, have moved a lot outside of the institutional church way of doing things, but have almost completely thrown away the basics of the faith in an effort to create a new gospel which isn't so much centered on Christ, but on liberal teachings coming from radical feminism, environmentalism, immorality and socialism, among a number of other things.

Part of that has resulted in the idea that those of us outside the church system are there to promote these political agendas rather than Christ. The so-called emerging church has migrated this way, and what has been held for decades by many of us is in danger of being overshadowed by those who have an endless array of agendas that have nothing to do with Christ. We'll talk more on that in the future.

In this article I just want to remind us that even with the idea of liberty in Christ, that doesn't mean license, which is to simply be nothing much more than living by animal instincts rather than by the Spirit of the Lord.

Even though Paul was talking about liberty and salvation through grace in Galatians, in the same letter he adds this so he isn't misunderstood as he was so many times throughout his life when promoting the new birth in Christ which had been offered as a gift and new creation for those willing to call upon the name of the Lord and truly believe in Him.

Here it is in Galatians 5:16-25:



I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.


Those of us looking for new ways to practice our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ practically in the Church need to throw away the idea that this includes some type of new morality or lax lifestyles which do nothing to honor Jesus and are not of Him.

The scriptures above confirm this in what is the first writing from the New Testament period we have.

You may attempt to get cute with what it means when Paul says those who practice such things won't enter the kingdom of God. But however you may wish to interpret that, there is great loss, and taking part in those things are deeds or works of the flesh, and don't come from Jesus or heaven.

This may seem basic to many of you, but to read and listen to those who are new to the ways of God in practicing Church life are throwing away much of that which isn't meant to be thrown away, to the point where they are in hardy agreement with how the world asserts their world view.

One example of that is the agreement and support of the homosexual lifestyle, along with even agreeing they should be allowed to marry.

Not only does no Christian have any authority to make such statements, they can be destroying those living in that sin who are given false comfort by those who should be warning them to repent, rather than settle into it.

As the scriptures also teach, we are to bring every thought into captivity to Christ. If the scriptures say it, then you need to adjust to that reality, not the other way around.

Just remember that sin is always sin, and nothing has changed that. If you're leaving the institutional church because you're living in sin and/or promoting sin, you've got a big problem, as that's not the reason Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God have been moving people to practice being the church in a different and expanded way.

Neither does it give us license to tell people it's okay to live in sin when the entirety of the scriptures from the beginning to the end say it's not so.

There are a lot of things to learn concerning the practice of the church and living in liberty in Jesus Christ. Sinning and condoning sin isn't one of those things we have to learn anything new about, as it's the same old thing it's always been, and we're not dealing with that, but the practice of the Church is what we're trying to learn and change.