The Invisible Sin
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 126 viewsNotes
Transcript
There is a sin not talked about much, yet mentioned frequently, in the new testament and old testament alike. While there are several sins that could fall into this category, lust, unholy anger, etc. but when I really began to study scripture this word kept being highlighted. What was so interesting about it. I had never heard a dedicated sermon on it. Sabbath school lessons hadn’t spent much time addressing it. I’d never had a small group Bible study talking about it. For all intensive purposes, this sin, is listed frequently throughout the Bible and yet somehow it appears invisible. This might be why it is a sin many of us are guilty of.
Before I tell you what this sin, is Pastor Josue and I happened to be talking about something this week. We were discussing the spiritual extremes we can easily fall into. The ALL or Nothing mentalities. The ultra conservative, or extreme liberalism. Neither of us have ever felt fully embraced by either of those sides. Not conservative enough for the conservatives or liberal enough for the liberals to effectively be labeled.
Take for instance the word guilty. There are ditches to this word. There is an abusive form of guilt, a wallowing shame (never fully able to accept forgiveness, or those in your life beating you down with guilt and shame, never letting you move on from your mistakes)…There is also another ditch, which likely surfaced as overcompensating for this other experience of guilt, that the feeling of guilt should be shed altogether, with that comes no need of remorse, and certainly no need of repentance. The theology is as I understand it, Jesus’ victory at the cross covers all our sin, therefore we shouldn’t ever feel guilty or remorseful over sin and don’t need to ask for forgiveness because of Jesus. (Sadly this is a ditch with a current influence that is invading the minds of some of our people). Don’t get me wrong, Jesus is enough. He is our champion over sin. He is enough. But when Jesus meet us where we are at, He never leaves us. He leads us to a better life in Him.
I do not side with either ditch. Abusive shame or a no repentance theology have no place in the Gospel.
The truth though is as I understand scripture telling it, is that There was a victory at the cross, and it certainly is not my works that save me. Salvation is a gift, but there is two parts to gift giving. The act of giving and receiving. We must accept the gift God has offered of forgiveness, which entails acknowledging our sin. But not wallow in our guilt or shame as one extreme would lead us, but acknowledge our need of what God offers. I don’t believe acknowledging our sin, or this healthy experience of guilt is bad. I think it can help us receive what Jesus offers is better.
So as we determine what, quote on quote the invisible sin is, my goal is NOT to make you feel an extreme version of guilt that can never really be forgiven. However if we walk away after learning what this is invisible sin is and believing that we need forgiveness from it and will accept that forgiveness and be changed as a result, well if we feel a HEALTHY amount of guilt, or feel remorseful and desiring of forgiveness, well I believe all that has happened is that God’s word has convicted you, and that his healing power of grace and forgiveness can do its precious work in you.
Okay Pastor enough stalling! What is the invisible sin that scripture teaches about. The sin is is “partiality.”
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
Before we go any further lets take a moment to pray.
“Show no partiality as you hold the faith in Jesus Christ”
Well for starters, what is partiality?
A dictionary definition sounds harmless enough, “a particular liking or fondness for something.”
Is it a sin for me to have a fondness for one flavor of icecream over another? No I don’t think thats the partiality or favoritism scripture is addressing.
Scripture is addressing the better definition of the word “unfair bias in favor of one thing or person compared with another; favoritism.”
For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Church family, if you will look around. You know our church has a beautiful uniqueness to us. We don’t all look the same. We don’t all dress the same. We are not all the same age. We don’t all have the same income. We don’t all vote the same. I don’t care who you are, if you are a seeker, we have seat for you here to worship.
However I want us to be a church that has more than open seat on our pews for you. My prayer is we would be a church that also offers community. As I’ve pastored here for more than a year now, I have been approached by some who have told me they came in, sat through the whole service, and the only person who spoke to them were greeters handing them a bulletin. Each time someone has said this to me, my first inclination is to think… well did this person make themselves unapproachable? Did they try and talk to anyone did they…? And then the Lord reminds me…It doesn’t matter, our duty is to go out of our way and meet them! Listen its one thing to be afraid to talk to our co-workers and neighbors about Jesus, but when a person is coming to our church for the first time and they have specifically come here seeking. Folks we can’t just be partial to those we know and are already comfortable with. We can’t always prioritize comfortability when God is stretching you out of your comfort zone.
There are those of you, who I NOTICE, go out of your way to approach those who are off by themselves, who may not have had the opportunity for a proper shower ahead of church, who look different, by some standards appear odd. For the many of you who have embraced that calling! Keep up the kingdom building work!
If we are God’s children we will not be favoring certain people because of their status, education, money, fame, prestige, looks or whatever. There’s no place for partiality in the heart of God and there’s no place for partiality/favoritism in the heart of His people and therefore there’s no place for favoritism in the church.
A believer’s pattern for life is mentioned in: Philippines 2:2
Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
That is to love everyone the same, with no regard for who they are in terms of worldly circumstances. We are to have a love which does not discriminate but it acts in mercy to anyone in need, no matter what their social status, no matter what may be those things which in the world’s eyes might put them to a lower level than someone else. True salvation brings about love without favoritism or personal judgment on our part. Sure there are times when we’re sinful and we fail to do that. But nonetheless, that is the pursuit of the life of a true believer to treat all equally in the basis of need and spiritual relationship.
And this was an issue, obviously, among the people to whom James wrote.
This was not James, one of the 12 disciples. This was James, (one ofJesus’s own brothers) Acting as sort of a conference president in the early church writing to the local churches.
And he is telling them, in effect, “Do a little inventory on your life. If you want to know where you stand with God, how do you respond to trials? How do you respond to temptation? How do you respond to the Word? And how do you respond to opportunities to show mercy and kindness and love toward others without regard for who they are?”
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
When it comes to populating the Kingdom, when it comes to choosing men and women to love Him, when it comes to promising eternal life, predominantly those people God has chosen are among the common people of the world. Listen the kingdom is not partial to the common and exclude upper class of society, but mine and my colleagues in ministry would agree that we have far more success in evangelism with those with less in their bank accounts than those with great wealth. I don’t have to spend a much time convincing someone in need of the reality that they need something more. I have had troubles attempting to convince wealthy persons of their brokenness without the savior.
Really, if we are being honest, if we truly valued what the kingdom offers and those who stand to inherit the kingdom versus those who don’t you would likely be able tp differentiate between what is a rich man vs a poor man. It’s not about what is or isn’t in their Earthly portfolio but who is Lord of their hearts. That is wealth we won’t want to keep to ourselves we’ll want all, rich or poor, black or white or brown, everyone to have.
Many times even though we know what we are doing is wrong, but we end up showing favoritism to our loved or close ones. Even in the Bible we find God’s people, people who are used by God showing favoritism. But is it good? Can I favor someone when I have got the power to do so? Do I gain something by favoring someone from my family or the one I prefer?
The Bible says Isaac loved to eat wild meat so he favored Easu who would hunt but Rebecca favored Jacob. Here in God’s family, father and mother have their favorites. Isaac wanted to bless Easu secretly but Rebecca the mother heard the conversation and told Jacob about it. Jacob betrayed his father and brother and ended up getting the blessing.
See the next generation, Jacob favored Joseph than his other sons and gave him a colourful jacket. Jacob he had something special for one son. What are the consequences of all these actions? Esau lost his blessings. Jacob got his blessings but he had to flee from his house. He was cheated by his father-in-law. He was cheated by his own sons. Joseph ended up being tortured by the brothers, sold and ended up in Egypt. You see, every time we are partial to someone we love or partial to whom we extend our love. We sin.
Listen to this rebuke to Israel’s priests in Malachi
and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”
The more we try and favor whom we are partial toward over others, the further we are from representing Christ effectively.
There was an old hospital based sitcom that was on. I wasn’t really paying attention until something was said, I found very profound. An attending physician was speaking to one of his interns about how he had treated two different patients. The intern was feeling guilty that maybe one his patients had died because he hadn’t received enough care because he had been a mean rude patient. The attending assured him the patient didn’t die because of anything he had done, but then told him, “but if you are asking if you treated your two patients differently, You did” He then said, It’s always easier to treat the nice patients. But we have to treat them all because we are doctors.”
Church family, as a pastor, Its definitely easier to minister on behalf and for the nice people. But God has called me to minister to everyone. But that duty extends beyond paid ministers. Sometimes you are asked to minister to those who have wronged you or who have shown only contempt for you.
What did Jesus say? Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you!
True story, this next verse is the first verse i ever highlighted in my Bible. I was 7 years old.
To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
I hope I wasn’t more fixated on heaping coals of fire on my enemies head part.
But the next verse Paul re-emphases his point:
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This goes right in line with our passage:
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
The verses to follow: your failure to live lovingly impartially is of the same standard sinfulness of breaking one of the 10 commandments.
In other words, Hey fellow believers, take this seriously. Favoritism, partiality is no small matter. Its something that festers.
Its one of those things we can do, and walk away and not really think anything of it. It can be one of those things that we can become desensitized to.
It is one of those roots to prejidice and racism.
It is one of those roots of sin picking and choosing whom we share the gospel to.
It is one of those roots to sin where we might be like the disciples, sending the children away from Jesus. Believing they were protecting Jesus’s time when in reality, they viewed Jesus was to important.
Sometimes our partiality leads us to commit sin believing we are doing it for the greater good. Judas tried to force Jesus hand by betraying Him.
My friends, God doesn’t need you to break His laws in order defend His laws.
Those out there that might blaspheme Christianity, or blaspheme Adventism, God doesn’t need you to fight fire with fire. He doesn’t need you to enter into debates mean-spirited. The same Jesus that died for your sins, died for theirs as well.
I spent a lot of time this week studying this word partiality and favoritism.
I found about approximately 15 times the word partiality or favoritism is translated into those words. All of them, have some “do not show” or “God does not show” attached to them. And the concept is not limited 15 or so passages. The concept of partiality is littered throughout scripture hundreds of times.
Why the frequency? Why is it important?
God wants us to represent him the right way. Consistent and with integrity to his Word.
James 2:12 So speak and so act...
Live the love for which you proclaim. If you proclaim God’s judgment, do so without partiality. If you proclaim His mercy, do so without prejidice.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Listen closely, this is an issue that apostles like Peter and Paul, In fact Paul calls Peter out on it in his own letters. Peter eventually got it. The Gospel is for everyone. God’s mercy is for everyone. His endurance through his sacrifice was so that anyone could choose to accept what He is offering.
Okay we get it Pastor, lets move on.
Not done yet because I want you to understand the eternal significance.
James brother Jude also wrote on this subject, one chapter yet with eternal significance.
Jude 1:3-4
English Standard Version Chapter 1
I found it necessary to write appealing to you gto contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For hcertain people ihave crept in unnoticed jwho long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert kthe grace of our God into sensuality
In verse 12, he calls these people “hidden reefs at your love feasts”
These are wolves dressed as sheep.
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
This word favoritism is the same as in James for partiality. Partiality is literally prophesied in scripture as a descriptor for false prophets. Here is a call for the patient saints of this time.
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Church family hold fast and study in his word how to determine what is false and what is from God. We know the devil is out there masking his lieutenants as ones speaking from God. Yet one identifying marker is that of partiality and favoritism.
I don’t speak these things to make you afraid, I do so asking us to be diligent and see there is something potentially sinful in many of us that we are missing, an invisible to the naked eye sin we haven’t been seeking repentance from.
Hold fast though. If we do look in our Bibles and read all of it, and not just snippets, we can see the fruits. The fruits of partiality is prejudice, racism, unfair bias and favoritism.
Practicing true wisdom is spelled out in one of my favorite verses in scriptures, the next chapter in James.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Church family it is my desire, if any of us are feeling convicted of the sin of partiality, that for a moment we would experience a bit of guilt. Not the guilt and shame that would bury you but the kind that would help us acknowledge our need of repentance. Let me be clear if someone else is popping into your head thinking they need to hear this, thats not what were focusing on. Clear your mind of anyone elses sins needing forgiveness and focus only on you right now. Is there a prejudice in your heart? Is there a partiality within you masquerading as a justified prejudice living as the invisible sin inside of you?
I want to pray with you now, and if you would like to repent to God right now for this sin or any other hidden sin, I would encourage you to stand with me. If this sin is not within you, would you also pray without partiality that everyone in this room receive the goodness of God right now and that the Holy Spirit would invade this place.
Let’s pray.
