In Genesis 1 & 2 Adam was naked and unashamed. In Genesis 3 Adam sinned and was ashamed. Before Adam sinned, he was naked, transparent, and honest in his relationship with God. After he sinned he sought to cover, hide, and deny the sin in his life.
- Naked – Cover
- Transparent – Hide
- Honest – Deny
Rather than trusting God to take care of him, he sought his own “sin management system.” We, like Adam, will deal with our sin similarly if we choose not to deal with it properly. (1 John 1:9 and James 5:16). Resisting God’s way leads to various forms of “fig leaf living.”
Hiding Behind the Fig Leaves
There are many ways to hide behind fig leaves. Hiding behind fig leaves is a man-centered way to “deal” with sin. It not only does not work, but it makes a mockery of the Gospel. Jesus came to rescue sinners and when we choose to handle sin in other ways, we are saying in essence, “I am right and God is wrong.” Here are some of the more common, unbiblical ways we deal with our sin. How many apply to you?
The Penance Payers - This can be grace plus works or just works alone. A person who acts this way believes that God’s plan is not sufficient for the sin(s) they have committed. They may reason that others are able to receive God’s full forgiveness, based on the death and resurrection of Christ, but their sin is different or worse.
Many times they will ask God for forgiveness, but still carry the shame and guilt of their sin with them.
The Blame-Shifters - This group needs help sinning. There is a victim mindset with these people. They reason that while they may be at fault, it probably would have turned out otherwise if their circumstances had been different. Rather than seeing their circumstances as revealing the iniquity of their hearts, they see their circumstances as victimizing them to varying degrees.
Adam used this approach when he told God that it was the woman that God gave him who caused him to sin.
The Rationalizers – These folks may say something like, “It’s not that bad.” At other times you will hear them saying, “Everybody does this.” These are some of the ways they “spin their sin” to tone it down just enough to soothe their consciences. While they have a sense of morality, their craving for sin is greater, therefore they rationalize.
Eventually this practice will mute their consciences to such a degree that it will become increasingly more difficult for them to discern right from wrong.
The Psychologized – This crowd is growing in number by the day. Biblical categories have been replaced my therapy, addiction, and victim language. The pill has replaced the Bible as a solution to their problems, while personal responsibility for their actions is pretty much an attitude of a Bible-thumping, archaic era.
The psychologist has replaced the pastor in the arena of soul care, while the church has been relegated to something that faintly resembles its historical roots.
Application Questions
- What is your habitual way of NOT confessing your sin? How do you typically, un-biblically explain your sin?
- Why do you NOT confess and repent of your sin? Explain your answer.
- How is the Gospel mocked or marginalized when you don’t follow God’s plan for repentance?
- What is the problem you have with God that would motivate you to not confess your sin, but choose rather to exercise faith in your own plan rather than His?
This blog post is an application of my sermon notes from Southside Fellowship, preached 06.13.10 by Charlie Boyd. Click HERE to listen to the sermon.
You may be interested in these articles
- A Breviary of a Hard and Soft Conscience
- Re-categorizing my problems
- Why I struggle with secret sin
- The Conscience: Friend or Foe?
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