On Page 4 of Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline,” he offers some wise insight into the inner workings of engrained sin our lives.  That it is just natural.  That left to or own, we will stir and kick up dirt and mire, and expunge it out into the world.  Why?  Because those are the kinds of things that are inside a person by nature of being a person.  In a sense, it can’t be helped.  Like the sea, so are we.  That is, apart from the battle that rages once we become a Christian.  At that point there is more than just your inner dirt maker.  You have the divine Spirit of God.  This is about what is, not what should be or how to get there.  Simply what you are, apart from divine grace.

“Isaiah 57:20 says, ‘The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.’  The sea does not need to do anything special to produce mire and dirt; that is the result of its natural motions.  This is also true of us when we are under the condition of sin  The natural motions of our lives produce mire and dirt.  Sin is part of the internal structure of our lives.  No special effort is needed to produce it.  No wonder we feel trapped.”

“But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.”  (Romans 7:8).  I was reading through and studying Romans 7 today and it occurred to me that sin is the greatest of opportunists.  What is an opportunist?  Here’s a good definition; “One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.”  Have you ever thought of sin that way?  This passage says that sin does just that.  This underlies the importance of being vigilant in not allowing sin the opening or crack to creep in and exploit our weaknesses.  I’ve found in my personal life that the most opportune time for sin to take advantage of is right after a mountaintop experience.  I do not know why, but I’ve heard enough from others to believe this is common.  After a victory.  After the Lord has worked powerfully in our lives.  That is the time when the temptation will be at its height.  When are you most tempted?  When is sin most apt to be the opportunist with you?

Mark Driscoll says things from time to time that I wish I thought of, says things in ways I could never get away with, but things that just downright resonate. The Church he pastors in Seattle is currently in the middle of a sermon series called “Religion Saves and 9 Other Misconceptions,” based on the top 9 questions that people submitted and voted on at their website. Last Sunday dealt with a question on Sexual Sin. At the end of an hour long sermon which was a complete home run, he took randomly text messaged questions from the audience. One of the questions was about “tolerance” (post-modern buzz word that means “You should accept EVERYTHING as equally valid and true”) and judgment. Something like, “Isn’t God the only one that has a right to judge me for my sexuality?” The answer was stark raving crazy and oh so true. I’m going to attempt to transcript his answer. “Ultimately you do not pass eternal judgment, heaven and hell. Jesus says in John 5, ‘The Father has entrusted all judgment to me, and I will judge.’ But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5, regarding those that claim to be Christians and are in the church, he says quote, ‘Make a sound judgment.’ Judge. Make a decision. If somebody walks up to you and says, ‘Hey can I get naked and break commandments,’ you should say ‘No.’ And in so doing you’re just reminding them of God who has already laid down certain judgments.” Great first part of the answer. The question continues with “Isn’t God the only one righteous enough to do so?” Mark continues, “Yes and He has in His word and He’s entrusted it to us to make a sound judgment. See you, many of you are single and perverts. Let’s just bottom line this. Were you parents, you would not ask this question. Let’s say you had a 16 year old daughter that you loved, and cared for, and raised, and encouraged, and blessed, and led to Jesus, and prayed for, and read the Bible with. And some 17 year old boy knocks on your door, ‘Can I get her naked?’ What you wouldn’t say is ‘Who am I to judge.’ What you would say is, ‘Sweetheart get my shovel. We gotta find a way to hide the body, that’s what you would say.’ See people only don’t like to judge when they’re the sinner, not the victim.”

That my friends is classic Mark Driscoll. He hits the nail on the head in so many ways. The last line is probably the most important. “People only don’t like to judge when they’re the sinner, not the victim.”

Is Gossip.  I hate it.  I despise it.  I want to kill it.  I want to chew it up, swallow it, and then spit it back out.  I want to step on its head.  I don’t hate people.  I hate gossip.  It dresses up in other clothes and convinces people that its name is something else.  ”My name is Deep Concern for Other People.”  ”My Name is Sincere Prayer for Other People.”  I see it and have to say, “My you look like someone I’ve met. Are you sure your name isn’t Gossip?”  ”No, no, I get that all the time.  I look like Gossip, but I’m not.” And we believe it.  We call our friends and introduce them to it.  We buy the disguise and tell people “This is my good friend, Deep Concern.”  I preach against gossip frequently because it is a cancer.  I mention it every chance I get because it spreads.  It destroys.  It tears down.  It does the opposite of everything the Christian is supposed to be about.  Rather than restore sinners, we talk about them. Rather than love them, we grab their legs and pull them down.  If you gossip, please consider repenting. If you listen to gossip, please consider that you are gossiping yourself, whether you spread it or not. Please consider exposing its true identity when you meet it.  That may mean calling someone out.  It may mean walking away.  It may mean directing the conversation somewhere else.  DON’T BITE when someone approaches under the guise of “Deep Concern and Prayer for Someone” when you know all they want to do is spread the disease.  

James 4:4 says essentially that friendship with the world is enmity with God (hostility or opposition). So being the world’s friend is to act in opposition to God or hostility to God.  But that’s exactly what we do with our sin.  We make friends with it.  We engage in sexual immorality and rather than repent and condemn it, we justify it.  We call it by other names.  We become comfortable with it.  We make it a friend.  And like other friends, we will defend it if someone points it all.  ”Your sexual impurity is sin,” someone says.  And we’re quick to come to its aid.  ”You don’t really know me.  We’re in love.  It’s not sin if we’re married in our minds.  Don’t you talk about my friend!”  The Bible tells us not to get cozy with our sin b/c our sin is a “friend” who’s trying to kill you!  That’s not a real friend.  Instead we’re told to put our sin to death.  There’s nothing more final than putting something to death.  Romans 8:12-14 is the classic text on “mortifying” to use an old word, the sins of the flesh.  We’re told to use the power of the Holy Spirit, which brings life, to kill the sins of the flesh, which bring death.  So we’re called to be sin killers not friends of sin.  Our church is looking from a biblical perspective at not wasting our lives this year.  There are few things that lead to a wasted life like unrepentant sin.  It lives and grows and takes over and before we know it we’re slaves to it.  The Christian must daily kill sin.  Taking the axe to the root of our “lusts” as John Owen puts it.  The axe that can take out the root of lust is Jesus.  Everything else is just lopping off the top, leaving the roots.  So we’re sure to have it sprout back up in little or no time.  I want to be a sin killer.  I’m too frequently not.  God help me put to death the desires of the flesh.

Tonight we looked at what is popularly known as the “unpardonable sin.”  We looked briefly at what average Joe thinks constitutes a sin that will not and cannot be forgiven.  You know it…right?  What is the unpardonable sin according to average Joe Christian?  Suicide.  Why?  Because you do not have an opportunity to confess it.  Then we saw why that is wrong.  Which is, Scripture.  There are two passages from the Bible that speak to a sin that God does not forgive.  The first is Matthew 12:32, which says “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”  The second is basically the same from Mark 28, 29.   There is nothing in these verses nor in the immediate context that remotely speaks of suicide.  The verses in context are Jesus performing signs and wonders.  These aren’t the tricks of a traveling magician.  They are pointers to a greater reality, namely God’s Kingdom and Salvation have arrived in the person of Jesus.  His miracles, including especially here the casting out of demons, point to this new reality.  The Pharisees have experienced these signs and wonders.  They’ve heard the teaching of Jesus. In addition, the Holy Spirit was present throughout Jesus’ ministry and beyond to testify of the truth of Jesus’ claims.   And in spite of all of that, the Pharisees claimed Jesus was in league with Beelzebub.  Yes, Jesus worked with demons according to them.  Jesus pointed out the inconsistency of a house divided.  And in this context, Jesus mentions the sin that will not be forgiven.  What is that sin?  A rejection of the testimony and work of the Holy Spirit who bears witness to Jesus.  Ultimately a rejection of Jesus is a heart that’s set against the work of the Spirit.  The outer evidence of this hardness of heart and rejection of the Spirit is the Pharisees’ claim that Jesus worked with the devil.  Only a hardened heart of unbelief, which has rejected the Holy Spirit could make such a claim.  And that is the sin that won’t be forgiven. Scripture tells us there may come a point where the Spirit won’t strive with us anymore.  When our hearts have become so hard that we will not listen to anything of the Spirit’s conviction.  Then we die.  And when we die, we face judgment.  On that day, the sin that God will not forgive will be that rejection of the Son, testified about by the Spirit.  No other sin we commit here on earth will damn us forever.  Only this one.  This is actually a great comfort.  Many Christians worry they’ve possibly committed an unpardonable sin.  A good rule of thumb is that if you’re very concerned you may have sinned beyond God’s forgiveness, you probably haven’t.  While the Spirit strives, while He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment, respond.  Respond by repentance and faith.  You need not fear the unpardonable sin if you are God’s child.  You are safe already.  Eternally. 

Whoa, not me. Not literally anyway. It’s the title of a song written and released by the 90’s rock band Nirvana. Their lead singer reportedly would answer “How are you doing” questions with this line. Kurt Cobain went on to commit suicide in 1994 by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. It’s a tragic end to a strangely troubled life. Whether in a sarcastic tone or not, anyone who would answer “How are you?” with “I hate myself and want to die” is a troubled man. Plagued with strange demons (not necessarily literally).

Yet in a strange way it is not altogether uncommon to experience self-hatred. The enemy uses that to his advantage, including those who follow Jesus. Ask yourself a question. Have you ever had feelings of self-hatred when you sin? Even as a child of God? Feelings of such strong guilt that you feel like you’re beyond the love of the Father? So much so that when you look in the mirror you’re so disgusted with what you see that you’re not sure you want to see yourself again. (Ol’ Faithful Internet Monk explains this phenomenon well here. Read it and prepare to have your mind read to you).

The enemy would say to you “Run and hide from God. You’re so very dirty and God wants nothing to do with you.” Not unlike Silar from the TV show Heroes in last nights episode. He induces so much guilt on the part of the Mya character (actually quite a bore of a storyline), that he has her believe she wanted to kill her brother’s wife and that he hates her for doing so (an act she had NO control over at the time).

The Gospel says to us rather than “Run and hide, you’re far too dirty for God,” “Run TO God, you’ve already been forgiven in Jesus Christ. Nothing you can do will cause God to love you more or less.” We struggle mightily with this. It’s easier to allow self-hate to cloud and consume you than it is to rest in God’s forgiveness of you in Jesus. When we betray God, which happens on a regular basis, our flesh lets us know and believe that we now sit in infinite guilt. It’s hard to explain the difference between guilt and conviction in a saint of God. Conviction is the Holy Spirit’s way of getting us to repent. When we once repent and turn, any guilt is induced by the enemy and not by God.

So when you sin, child of God, don’t run away from God. Don’t hide your face in shame. Take the conviction as an opportunity for repentance and restoration. Take the guilt then, and throw it away. Claim the precious promise of God that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You may have to tell yourself that again and again. But please don’t answer God’s conviction with “I hate myself and want to die.” Answer it by repenting and then resting in forgiveness.

Is the time of greatest urgency…
Is the time of greatest danger…
Is the time I need Him most…
Is the time I want Him least…
Is the time I don’t want discipline…
Is the time I feel I deserve it…
Is the time I am most desperate…
Is the time He is so willing…
Is the time He is still waiting…
Is the time His blood was shed for…
Is the time I am still His child…
Is the time I became alive for…
Is the time that I should go to Him.

There are times in every believers life when we sin a particularly “sinful sin.” These are the types of sins that make it difficult for us to even go to God with confession and repentance. We think to ourselves, “That sin is too bad for even God to deal with.” When we think thoughts like that and act on them by listening to ourselves we are exactly where the enemy would like us to be. The whispers in your ear that accuse you of guilt are not the whispers of God. The ones telling you “That’s too bad to go to God over” are not the thoughts of God. The New Covenant we are part of in Jesus Christ tells us that our standing before God is now and always based solely on the blood of Jesus. That it is Christ’s sacrificial death for us that allows us to stand before God as sinners and be looked on as saints. Anytime we fall prey to the lie that we can’t go to God with one sin or another we’ve let the enemy gain a foothold and said the New Covenant isn’t enough for us. That there’s something we need to add. We have nothing to add. God knows that. Do you? When you feel especially guilty, that is exactly the right time to go before God and repent and confess. You have nothing else to give. Before you confess and repent you feel conviction from the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, you feel guilt and that guilt is not from God. It’s from the enemy. Listen to conviction. Shun post-confession guilt.