Sin

Following Jim Burgen's message this past weekend (“Full of It” – April 6/7, 2013), our good buddy Trent Culver wrote the following blog to share. Very thought provoking...and convicting.

—Dan

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There are two things common to all people: All have sinned—all fall short of the glory of God and God has placed eternity in the hearts of men.

Our world is broken. Satan opposes God and all that He loves. As a result, satan opposes humanity. He calls our attention to the things of this world. Materialism, power, distorted sexuality, substance abuse and un-numbered other distractions all fight for the love of God. Pride is our coping mechanism. At our core, we know that we are flawed and finite. Pride covers up and numbs us to our sin and sense of eternity.

In pride we deny God's truth and in doing so, we deny God.

As Christians, we live in the light. We are strangers in this world. As such, we should expect opposition from it. When done right, Christianity's roots are grace and truth. Humanity's adversary hates both. He is a destructive liar bent on preserving the chaos, confusion and disorder of this world. His lies are so effective that many people accept them as truth. As a result, many of the lies are written into our cultural fabric. When general acceptance of these lies is combined with human pride and insecurity, intolerance is born. The results are polarizing. As a result, people desperately in need of both grace and truth are duped to believe that they need neither.

The level of opposition that Christianity receives from the mainstream provides evidence of two truths: Satan has powerful influence in this world and Jesus Christ is truth. I know of no other belief system that is opposed by the world in the way that Christianity is.

To preserve worldly chaos and humanity's detachment from the divine, satan strives to keep those lost in darkness. Satan's tactic with the believer is similar. With us, he also exploits our insecurity and fills us with pride. In observing the sin of this world, our error is to target the sin and sinner and forget about our enemy who is the real source of the problem. 

The pride and self righteousness of Christians and Christian religion has done immeasurable damage to the cause of Christ. As believers, we have to be different. Because we know Christ and have received His spirit it is up to us to greet the cold intolerance and opposition of this world with grace and love. If we are to be like Christ, we have to be willing to "turn the other cheek", to be spat upon by the world and love the spitter just the same.

As Christians, we will be opposed by this world.

—Trent