Good News About Sin!

A Sunday school teacher, trying to teach the meaning of confession, wanted to make sure the class had understood her point. She asked, "Can anyone tell me what you must do before you obtain forgiveness of sin?" There was some silence, broken by a small voice piping up from the back of the room, "You have to sin!" Whether we all have to sin or not, we all do. The Bible informs us "there is none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10). Sin is prevalent and it is polluting. It mars marriages, fractures families, wrecks lives, breaks hearts, destroys innocence, corrupts consciences and ruins souls. It is a spiritual virus more dangerous than small pox, anthrax, and the AIDS virus combined, for it does what none of these dreaded biological agents can do - it separates us from God, and, if left untreated and unrepented of, sends us to hell (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23a). The frightening news about the spiritual virus of sin is that it has infected every accountable person on earth "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3-23). Even in this age of medical marvels and miracle cures, there is no pill, prescription, or procedure that can cure man of sin and the devastating effect it has on the human soul.

It is hard to find any good news about sin, but there is some. The good news about sin is that it can be forgiven! Mark 1:4 informs us that John the Baptist "came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sin." Later, in Acts 2:3 8, in the first gospel sermon ever preached after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, the apostle Peter told a group of sinners who had come to believe in Jesus to "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The good news about sin is that we can turn from and be forgiven of it! John Alexander writes words about sin you don't hear every day: "Sin is the best news there is. Because with sin there's a way out. You can't repent Of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents - you're stuck with them. But you can repent of sin. " Alexander goes on to say repentance is the only grounds for hope and joy and reconciled, joyful relationships (Student Leadership Journal, Fall 2000, p 23). Proverbs 28:13 sums up the good news about sin: "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." The remedy that puts the spiritual cancer of sin into remission is repentance! That's the good news about sin!

Dan Gulley
Smithville church of Christ