The Weight of Sin
Have you ever spoken with someone who was living a life of sin and told them what the Scripture says about it, and then been accused of judging them? I think most devout Christians have encountered this situation at least once, and probably many times.
I have encountered everything from “Don’t judge me,” to being shunned, and even profanity-laced tirades. After a time, I came to realize that it was not anger towards me that caused the reactions but it was the guilt of sin.
The Scripture states that “the wages of sin is death” and whether or not the mind understands it, the soul absolutely understands. It is the guilt of the soul that causes the reactions we get when we point out God’s Word.
The truth is we must tell them, according to God’s Word. Ezekiel 3:18 states, "If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade the wicked from their evil conduct in order to save their lives, then they shall die for their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their blood."
As Christians, it is our duty to let the sinner know of their sin. Of course, this must be done in kindness and compassion, but it must be done! It seems the majority of the time we will be met with some pushback or even fierce opposition.
The Scripture explains that we will be hated for our belief and service; that comes with a life that is dedicated to Christ. We will find many that, when told of sin, will shun the Word of God. Paul wrote of this concerning a man named Demus.
Paul stated that Demus left the ministry because he loved the world. A Preacher friend of mine and I have discussed this many times—all we can do is tell people, the rest is up to them, just as it was to us. We ourselves could have shunned the prompting to surrender but we did not.
The choice was ours. The Scripture teaches us that if they will not listen, we are to dust off our sandals and walk away from them.
People react negatively to the Word when they are sinning because it is the soul that inherently understands the cost of sin, and the lust of the flesh opposes the spirit.
Selfishness and the desires of our flesh will temporarily conceal the burden that comes with sin. Sin is like a huge weight hanging on the neck of the sinner, much like a millstone.
When someone is made aware of their sinful ways they become reminded of just how great the weight of sin is and they react according to their flesh. Ephesians 2:1 tells us we are dead in the trespasses of sin, and it is the soul within that confirms this to us when sin is brought to the forefront.
I’ve heard it said that the best math we can learn is to calculate the cost of our decisions, and I absolutely agree. 2 Peter 3:7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
It is because of the coming destruction of the ungodly that we attempt to warn them and make them aware. But in the end, the decision belongs to them, and we cannot allow ourselves to sour their minds towards Christians further than it may already be. Compassion should be our motive, and if it isn’t, then we should search our heart until it is.
Surely we understand the burden of sin ourselves, just as David stated in Psalm 51:3 “My sin is always before me.” We should approach others from a position of experience and understanding, letting them know we were once where they are now.
A good reminder for all is Isaiah 64:6, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. The Scripture clearly explains that “none are righteous, no not one.” We should keep this in mind as we attempt to make others aware of their iniquities, or we run the risk of trying to pluck the splinter from our neighbor’s eye instead of the log from our own.
The next time you feel prompted to speak to someone of their sinful ways, remind yourself (as I do) that I was once a person that led a sinful life and I still sin from time to time, and consider what would be the best approach for someone to speak to me of such things. Just do not forsake the prompting!
“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.”
-George Orwell
Kenneth Kellar
A Man Called by God to Teach and Disciple