Are You a Sinner?
By show of hands, how many of you are sinners?
Yeah, everyone’s hands should be raised. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen” way short of God’s perfection (Romans 3:23).
Here’s another question.
How many of you are criminals? Raise your hand.
The same hands should be raised. Most people might agree that they’re sinners. Hey, no one’s perfect, right? But hardly anyone thinks of themselves as a criminal — even criminals! Yet that’s exactly what sin makes us.
The Bible says. “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
You might say, “Wait, I haven’t broken any laws!” But you have.
You’ve broken God’s law.
You’ve committed perjury, you’ve slandered God’s good name, you’re a murderer…
The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws… (Isaiah 24:5)
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor. (Psalm 12:2)
You shall not swear by my name falsely. (Leviticus 19:12)
You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)
“Hey, I haven’t killed anybody.”
But according to Jesus, you have. If you’ve ever hated anyone or even called them names, you’ve murdered in your heart and you’re worthy of hell.
You’ve heard it said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5:21-22).
Whoa, that’s a little extreme. Sent to hell because I said a bad word?
Yes. God is so holy sinners cannot stand in His presence.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness. Evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes. You hate all evildoers. (Psalm 5:4-5)
Sin is no small thing. You think it’s no big deal because, hey, you’re a sinner! But remember, Adam and Eve’s sin resulted in all of creation being cursed. That’s how serious sin is.
To Adam, He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:17
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it… Romans 8:19
It’s so serious that you needed Jesus to live perfectly as your representative and die in your place as your substitute. Everyone who believes in Him will be forgiven and have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)
On the day of judgment you’ll not be sentenced as a criminal but received as an heir of His kingdom!
Christ will send His angels to gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. But the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father.
The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:41-42).
If God has pardoned you in Christ, live as someone who has been rehabilitated and do not return to a life of crime.
…when we understand the text!
(This video is by WWUTT. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central.)