TAKING A STAND AGAINST SIN?

Does God Stand Against

Sinners and Their Sins?

I was having a little conversation with a fellow Christian about taking a stand against sin.  I certainly appreciate anyone who is willing to stand up for what is right.  But I have to question the motivation for standing against sinners and their sins.  

Let me say very quickly that I hate sin.  Sin kills, steals and destroys.  The end of sin is something I desire with my whole heart.  We know from the Bible that ending sin is among God's greatest desires.  There is no way to make peace with sin.  We either accept the free offer of salvation and Lordship, of Jesus Christ or we remain enslaved to sin. As a Christ follower I cannot accept the sin the people of the world God sent Jesus to save.  

What I am questioning is how we Christians approach and deal with the sins of others.  The popular thing to do has been taking a stand against sin.  It looks good and sounds good to take a stand against sin, but does God stand against sin, and does he expect us to take a stand against sin?

John 16:33

"I have told you these things so that you may have

peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many

trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have

overcome the world."

What Jesus is saying is he has utterly destroyed the power of Satan and his world order.  So does God stand against sin or does Jesus overcome sinners and their sins.  See, here's the real deal:  Jesus doesn't merely stand against sin, but he overcomes both sinner and sin.  If we stand against sin, then we do nothing for sinner.  And maybe, just maybe that is the real point.  Maybe we don't want to actually deal with the sinner at all?  

There is a story in the Bible about a righteous man who stood against sin:  It's the story of Abraham's nephew Lot, in Genesis 19.  I'm sure you know the story.  Two strangers enter the city of Sodom and Lot convinces them to stay the night in his house.  At night the men of the city come to Lot's house demanding Lot send his house guests out so the men of Sodom could have sex with them.  

" Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door."

Genesis 19:6-9

Lot takes a stand against sin, and even offers to lay down his own eternal life for his house guests.  (Revisionists like to point to Lot's offer of his two virgin daughters as evidence of how evil Lot is.  What revisionists don't get is that Lot's family is counted as part of his own body.  Lot's daughters are his only hope of eternal life.  It is through his children's child bearing that Lot's life and line continue.  Lot was offering his own life and future.  Lot offered a great sacrifice and it is likely that Lot's gesture would have been understood by the men of Sodom, at least at some level).

In 2 Peter 2:7, the Apostle Peter tells us that Lot is a righteous man delivered by God from unrighteous men.  righteous Lot certainly did act righteously, but what was the end for righteous Lot?  After escaping from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, with his family, how does life end for righteous Lot?

In Genesis 19:29 Lot's wife looks back to Sodom she is overcome by the destruction of the two sinful cities and we are told becomes a pillar of salt.  In Genesis 19:30 to the end of chapter 19 we learn Lot's fate after he has been delivered by God from Sodom.  Lot's two virgin daughters, on separate nights, first get their father drunk and then rape him.  Lot's future life is carried on by his grandsons Moab and Ben-Ammi.  Both of Lot's grandsons will become enemies and thorns in the side of Abraham's line Israel.  Both of Lot's grandsons will become nations cursed by God.  What a terrible legacy for Lot.  

Lot didn't have Jesus.  Lot had only his best efforts as a mere man to stand against sin.  Opposing sinners today won't have any greater effect than when Lot did it.  We have Jesus who overcomes the world.  We have the cure for the sin sick world around us.  We are called to be winsome, offer the love, mercy, and grace of God, and walk with sinners toward eternal life in Jesus Christ.

18 Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

19 Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

Matthew 28:18-19

Jesus has all authority and power, so why would the Church need to stand against what Jesus has already defeated?

If you want Lot's lot in life, then by all means, continue standing against sin.  If you want Jesus lot in your life, then do what he teaches!!

Just Some Thoughts,

Lonnie