What Do You Think of Sin?

Sermon Outline: What Do You Think of Sin?

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Illustration. A famous psychiatrist by the name of Karl Menninger wrote a book several years ago entitled

Whatever Became of Sin? Menninger sounds like a preacher when he says that sin has virtually disappeared from

the American vocabulary. Today sin goes by the names of “crime”’ or “sickness.” Menninger called for a new

emphasis on sin including the concepts of responsibility, guilt, and even punishment.

B. Jesus had a lot to say about sin.

C. Maybe our society would profit by taking an incident out of the life and ministry of Jesus and rediscovering sin.

Such an example is furnished by Jesus’ encounter with a sinful woman.

D. Some scribes and Pharisees were going to stone her. Just before they were to stone her, Jesus stooped and wrote on

the ground. The words and action of Jesus convicted the woman’s accusers, and they left. “When Jesus had lifted

up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are thine accusers? hath no man

condemned thee? She said, No man Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”

—John 8:10-11. From this episode what can we learn about sin?

II. SIN IS A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM

“He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her” — v. 7b, NIV.

A. Some people are guilty of sensual sins.

1. The woman was guilty of sin and even more, the man involved.

2. The scribes and the Pharisees had caught the woman in the act of adultery. No one would deny that this woman

was a sinner.

3. The world is filled with people who are guilty of sins of the flesh.

4. Murder, adultery, stealing, and countless other sensual sins abound. But this is not the only kind of sinner.

B. Other people are guilty of sins of the spirit or temperament.

1. The scribes and Pharisees may not have been guilty of adultery, but they were sinners too.

2. They were guilty of self-righteousness.

3. The world is filled with people whose sins are reflected in their temperament. If we are not careful, we will

overlook these sins and point only to the sensual sins.

C. Jesus taught the universality of sin, which is expressed in many ways.

III. SIN IS TO BE CONDEMNED

A. All types of sin are condemned by Jesus.

1. In the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus exercised condemnation.

2. With skill the Lord led the Pharisees look at themselves. Jesus, by writing their sins in the dirt, made these

religious leaders look at their own sins instead of the sins of the woman. They saw that Jesus condemned their

ways.

3. We must not think that Jesus was light on sin when He spoke to the woman.— vv. 10b-11.

4. In both cases Jesus condemned the sins, not the persons. The Lord dislikes sin, and He condemns its presence

and action in every person.

B. Sins are condemned for profound reasons.

1. The Lord denounced sin at every point because of what it does to an individual.

(a). It depraves a person. Continuing in the downward course of sin destroys the potential which every person

possesses.

(b) Also, the Lard condemns sin because it brings guilt.

2. Nothing can be more debilitating in a person’s life than self-condemnation, a sense of guilt. Because of what

sin does to the individual, Jesus condemns it.

IV. SIN CAN BE FORGIVEN

A. Forgiveness is possible for everyone.

1. Sin need not destroy either religious leaders or the promiscuous person.

2. Jesus constantly offered forgiveness to all people. In Jesus’ time the religious leaders were in great danger, for

they refused to look at their sin, and considered themselves righteous.

3. Sin was destroying their lives, but they were blinded to its effects. Jesus offered forgiveness to a sinful woman.

4. No person need remain in the condition of sinfulness. Forgiveness is available to anyone who repents.

Apparently the man saw no need of forgiveness.

B. Forgiveness opens the door for new possibilities.

1. When Jesus forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery, new and wonderful possibilities were open to her.

2. Think of just a few benefits: she was not condemned; she was challenged to a new lifestyle; she could have a

new beginning in her life.

3. People are burdened with unconfessed and unforgiven sin. A newness of life will come to the person who

repents and experiences God’s forgiveness.

CONCLUSION

The woman experienced God’s forgiveness and accepted the opportunity for a “new beginning.” I hope you will

accept His offer of forgiveness too.