Fast 40: Practicing the Ancient Spiritual Discipline of LentSample

Some Christians think sin isn't such a big deal. They say, "I don't need to worry about my sin. My salvation isn't based on my performance."

The trouble with that kind of thinking is threefold:

First, it denies the reality of the Flesh. When we became Christians, God removed our guilt, but He didn't remove our Flesh. He simply reoriented us to have a new identity in Christ. We are made new in Jesus, but we must still choose between living in our new identity and reverting back to our old identity.

Second, it denies the power of the Flesh. When we allow the Flesh to act out, it acts in a way that rebels against God, hates His moral order, harms our neighbor, and injures ourselves. That fourfold evil is what we call sin.

By sinning, we break the unity of our fellowship with God, the harmony of His law, and the integrity of our love for Him.

Third, it denies the consequences of the Flesh. After listing specific sins, Paul warns the Galatian church how serious those sins are. He says, "Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

What does that mean? It means children of God can be disinherited. It means mortal sins are real. It means that committing those sins prevents us from salvation, from eternal life, from heaven itself.

But wasn't he speaking to unbelievers? No. He was speaking to Christians—who needed to remember that sin is a big deal.