One of the arts cultivated by people of the twentieth century is that of denial. We have become masters of the ability to deny the existence or the active influence of certain things that people in former times readily, though often painfully, confessed. Our sophistication, our pride in humanity's advances in certain areas, and our feeling that we have been liberated from old superstitions have together blinded us to realities. And when some rather persistent entities refuse to disappear through our denial, we just hide them behind a cover of redefinition. One of these entities is sin.
Although there is abundant evidence that people have always tended to deny the existence of sin in their own lives, generally they admitted that sin itself was a reality in human life. Sermons from the pulpit were often devoted in their entirety to the subject of sin. Specific attitudes and behaviors were identified as sin. People who held those attitudes, or who practiced those behaviors, were said plainly to be sinners. There was public consciousness of sin, even among those who did not profess religion or attend church. In recent decades, however, this awareness and understanding has changed. An attitude has been established that sin, in the traditional sense, is a bogus concept. Few are willing to admit that sin is resident in their lives. It has become publicly offensive to apply the label of "sin" to any attitude or behavior, and to call someone a "sinner" is considered a terrible insult, almost, in fact, sufficient grounds for a lawsuit. Today we hide the reality of sin behind a cover of redefinition. Instead of being a sin, the action is an "error in judgment," a "social malfunction," a "disease," an "inherited trait," a "syndrome," or any other of multiple terms current in our lexicon.
To deny a sin is also to deny the Bible, for it explicitly declares both that sin is a reality and that it is universal in human experience. So, it is not unexpected that the Bible is another thing which a great many people have also come to deny. And to deny the Bible as truth and authority in human life is to deny God who gave us the Bible. Ultimately, therefore, to deny the reality of sin is to deny the reality of God. Through His wisdom revealed in the Bible, God has repeatedly declared that certain attitudes and behaviors in people are sin. Furthermore, He has stated that every person holds some of these attitudes and frequently engages in various of these illicit behaviors. Such is the message of Rom. 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
It does a person no good to deny that sin exists in his life and that he is a sinner. To admit guilt of sin does not harm the psyche; much the rather, it is the first step to the salvation, reclamation, and reconstruction of a healthy soul. God has a perfect cure for sin, but He will apply it only to the person who confesses his sin and seeks that cure. We are assured in I Jno. 1:9 that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Sin is truly an insult to a person, and to be declared a sinner is disturbing. But a person insults himself far more by denying the reality of sin in his life and not seeking God's help in removing it. Sin is our greatest enemy, for its impact upon our souls is eternally destructive. The wisest thing anyone can do is to confront his sin and then appeal to God for salvation by obedience in faith to His gospel, (Rom. 1:6,16).
