The New Norm: Accepting Sin

Please remember that I lay my heart out on my sleeve for you. I never suggest that I am perfect or sinless. Quite the contrary. I have my past, my present, and my future sins ever before me. What did Paul say about himself? I am the chief of all sinners? I would like to believe that my future holds much less sin than my past or present but that would be totally up to me. And I pray that God has forgiven (and forgotten, Hebrews 8:12) all that I’ve laid at his feet.

Before I go further. I want to quickly touch on the subject of judging. Yes, we can judge what is sin and what is not. In fact, we must. God gave us lists of named sins. And if we see someone active in those sins we know they are not in a saved place with God. If we are not to judge, then there would be no need for missionaries for we have judged those people to be lost and in need of the Word. But we must remember that whatever measure we judge by, we will be judged by the same, Matthew 7:2. So judge righteously and accordingly.

I heard something yesterday in a conversation that disturbs me. When discussing an atrocious, active sin of someone close, a third party said we just need to accept it.

Those words we just need to accept it echoed through my mind all night long. Accepting sin. How do those words come out of the mouth of someone who professes to be a Christian?

Romans 1 is packed full. God spells it all out in that one chapter. This is what sin looks like. He doesn’t include this chapter in the Bible just to take up space and give Romans a first chapter. No. This is a warning. I suggest that you read that chapter. My focus here is the last verse. After God discusses sin in depth, He ends with that last warning. Verse 32. And that should be enough to squall the judging debate and realize the gravity of accepting sin.

Romans 1:28-32

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

What does verse 32 mean? Well…even if you do not practice the sins mentioned but accept or give approval to those who do, you are as guilty as they are.

I didn’t say it. God did. I’m just repeating it.

Accepting sin has become the new normal and it’s no wonder God seems to have a deaf ear to our prayers. Our homes, our country…we are falling apart at the seams.

I watched video of what hurricane Ida has done to New Orleans and what she is currently doing as she barrels northeast leaving a path of destruction. Buildings peeled apart at the seams. This is what is happening to our homes because of sin. I’m not talking about the physical structure of a building. I’m talking about the people within. The spiritual and emotional well-being of each of us. We are opening the front door to sin and welcoming with open arms. I’m okay. You’re okay.

No, we are not. We are the furthest thing away from being okay.

Accepting sin. This needs to stop. We need to call sin out by it’s name. We need to repent as a people and as a nation if we want God to hear us.

Praying for innocent ones whose pain is the direct hit of an unrepentant person. I will not simply accept sin and move on with my day. Romans 1:32. No, I won’t be giving my stamp of approval.

My heart is heavy but there is often much growth in pain. God is my stronghold, my refuge. I will find comfort in Him. ♥️

Andi