Real Sins

Awhile back I read a biography of a man who preached against real sins. By that, I mean the sins that are called sins in the Bible. He preached against immorality and homosexuality in the early 1980’s. The Spirit of God attended his preaching, bringing conviction to the hearers. Revival and awakening often followed. It seems that since this man’s era of ministry and the reshaping of original Fundamentalism into the present day version of Fundamentalism (see Fundamentalism: Original and Reshaped), there has been more passion about preaching against what some call sins, even though they are not clearly mentioned in the Bible.

In the past couple of years, several preachers have said to me that the real issues of the day for churches are, and then they name two or three issues. Interestingly, as I pondered these claims, it occurred to me that though the issues named are certainly not unimportant, none of them are included in biblical lists of sins. The issues named are several steps removed from biblical precept or principle. That far removed from the explicit words of God, I had to wonder if Christian subcultures have in some cases raised traditions (which often are good traditions) to the level of God’s commandments or perhaps in other cases unwittingly created fake sins. 

The Bible provides various sin lists. If you believe in biblical authority, you cannot argue or fudge on these lists. They can and should be preached on, and there is plenty to preach. God blesses Spirit-anointed preaching that is true to the Word. We need this kind of bold preaching in the power of the Spirit. Tragically, some who have reacted to the overreach of others have hedged on what the Bible clearly warns as sin. The enemy wins in both directions when this is the case. 

The most obvious biblical sin list is the Ten Commandments, which prohibits idolatry, making idols, taking God’s name in vain, dishonoring parents, murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting (see Exodus 20). There is debate about the Sabbath in the New Testament era.

The Pauline epistles include several lists. For example, Paul states, under inspiration, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [lewdness], Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance [contentions], emulations [jealousies], wrath, strife, seditions [dissensions], heresies [schisms], Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” (Galatians 5:19-21; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Ephesians 5:3-5). Plenty to preach on here. 

The phrase “and such like” indicates that more could have been named. With the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and a brain, we should be enabled to come to right conclusions about other similar sins. Sins that are on the level of the biblical sin lists. This is valid and even necessary. But this does not validate going beyond the germane issues into the realm of applications several steps removed from biblical statement and making that level of extent the issue. When overreach in applications is emphasized as biblical, then sectarianism follows. Interestingly, sectarianism is named in the explicit sin list in Galatians: “seditions [dissensions], heresies [schisms or unbiblical divisions].”

Isn’t it interesting that in these explicit sin lists, you don’t find the things that many call the issues of the day? Not that what is mentioned by some today doesn’t have any bearing. It certainly does. But it seems that if what some emphasize today is truly as egregious as is maintained, that the Holy Spirit somehow missed the mark and left it out. Of course, this is not the case. We need to yield to what the Holy Spirit emphasizes. 

It is time to preach on real sins, trusting in the Holy Spirit to convict, and it is time to preach on real life—the holy life of Jesus accessible through the walk of faith. When the Spirit attends this combination, revival ignites. 

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