One of the most important teachings in the Bible is that people need to repent of their sin. If we deny that someone is living in sin, then we deny the power of the gospel to save the person from their sin. Do you remember when the Pharisees became upset at Jesus for attending a meal with tax collectors? They asked him, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32).
What would you say to a physician who never told his patients the truth about their physical problems? Would you say the doctor was helping the situation or making it worse? Common sense tells us that there is great danger in withholding information from a patient. The patient is required to know the truth of the situation so they can understand the problem and look for a solution.
The same principle is true regarding someone’s spiritual health. If their soul is in danger of serious, eternal consequences for their sin, then they should be able to learn the truth of the situation and seek a solution. Hiding the reality of sin from people would put them in a serious disadvantage. The Bible lovingly communicates the reality of sin in the context of God’s holiness. The bible teaches that God is holy and just and thus he must judge all sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It only takes one sin for someone to become sinful. It doesn’t matter if it is lying or stealing or lustful thoughts. It is all sin in God’s sight and must be dealt with.
There has been a lot of discussion about homosexuality and I have noticed there is confusion about whether it is a sin. The Bible addresses the issue at the thought level (Matthew 5:27-28). It doesn’t matter if someone is having lustful thoughts in a heterosexual or homosexual way. If they are indulging in thoughts and actions that only belong inside of marriage between a husband and wife, then the person is in sin and needs to repent.
A person struggling with homosexual thoughts might convince himself or herself that everything is fine because they heard someone say the Bible allows for that behavior. Aside from that being a misunderstanding of the Bible, I would have to ask “How could the person be washed clean of their sin if they never admitted they are in sin?” Paul wrote, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Jesus is referred to as the Great Physician because he is able to save people from their sin. One of the vital aspects of His saving work is that He requires that people acknowledge their sin and come to repentance. The word repentance is incredibly powerful! It means to feel a deep sense of remorse and to acknowledge you have done wrong and that you need to be saved from your sin. If you deny that you have sinned then you cannot be saved. It would be like a patient who is not willing to acknowledge the presence of a sickness. The patient cannot be helped until they admit there is a problem that needs to be cured.
Admitting that we have sinned is an important part of understanding the Gospel, the Good News, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners like you and me. If we deny that certain thoughts and actions are sinful, then we are denying the power of the gospel to save people from their sin. In fact, Scripture says “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10) Those who reject the clear teaching of Scripture, will be punished for their folly. They will lose the moral foundation needed to navigate the trials and difficulties of this life and more importantly, they will be in danger of sealing their fate for eternal life as well.
May God give us the humility and honesty to recognize our sin so that we may cry out to God to be saved!
