The Cancer of Sin
James 4:17
Jerry Watts
* Very few things strike fear into a person like the words of a doctor saying, “You have cancer.” There is probably not a person in this room who has not been affected by this disease. Some know all too personally as you have gone through the trauma of a personal diagnosis, others have had family, friends, and loved ones to be found with this horrible disease. This week I attempted to digest the CDC’s 2008 report on cancer and best I can tell, we are making in-roads to reduce cases and to winning the battle against this life threatening disease.
* I do understand that to mention this disease is to bring us ‘DIS—EASE’ because this topic is so emotional. But I remind you of the words of our Lord in Matthew 12:28, “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” There is a cancer which, while it can touch and kill our body, if left alone, it will eat our very soul. That cancer is the cancer of sin.
* The question for many is “What exactly is sin?” Our RA’s and GA’s can probably answer this question with more sincerity than many of us adult. Sin is when we displease God or missing the mark.
* James 4:17 gives a good understanding of sin when it says - “So, for the person who knows to do good and doesn't do it, it is a sin.” Today, let’s take a fresh look at sin and be reminded of its potential impact.
1. The Truth about Sin – In our day, very few care to hear the truth about sin. We prefer to rename it as a mistake, bad decision, or any name which makes it sound ‘not so bad.’ The common practice is to hide behind phrases like, “No one is perfect.” Wouldn’t you like to be a fly on the wall when someone tries that at judgment? Let’s consider several words which describe sin.
a. Sin is Personal – This means EVERYBODY sin. Paul quotes the Old Testament in Romans 3 when he writes, “There is none righteous, no not one” and continue to drive home this truth when he says, “ALL have sinned.” John writes (1 Jn 1:8), “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” This is how personal sin is, you do it and if you say you don’t, you lie! Left to our own sin runs rampant. Yet, it is not the same sin for everyone. For some, it’s the sensual, sexual sins; while for others it is sins of speech (cursing, swearing, gossiping), while for others it is the sin of greed (thievery, cheating, defrauding), and for others there can be even more. Satan KNOWS where you can be tempted.
b. Sin is Persistent – Romans 6 tells us that we are (or were) slaves of sin & that means sin was our master. In other words, before we meet Jesus, we do what sin tells us to do. Can you remember what it was like to have sin rule and run your life. “Sin never gives up on its own, it’s persistent.” In fact, it will keep coming back. How many times do we know of that cancer has been removed only to come back at a later time? Because of our fallen nature, thanks to our father “Adam”, sin stays after us all the days our of life. When you ‘think’ you have it beat it comes back. Remember that even Paul said, “What I want to do, I don’t and what I don’t want to do, I do.” He knew that sin never gives up. Satan never stops playing darts (with fiery darts) with your heart as a target. It’s persistent.
c. Sin is Pervasive – This means that the cancer of sin affects every part of your life. If a man is consumed with lust, it will affect how he responds to his wife and the affection he can show for his children. If he is consumed with gambling, it will impact the way he thinks and the things he does. Secret sin will impact you even greater. It will make you seem like a multiple personality. It’ll cause you to lie to the ones you say you love and deceive your closest friends. The cost of sin is high.
d. Sin is Progressive – Sin never stops wanting more. King David began with laziness, but that wasn’t even so it moved to lust. Lust is never satisfying so it move to immorality. Immorality grabs you and makes you crave even more, so David had to cover his tracks so he attempted deception and then murder. The progression of sin never stops! James gives us this progression; Lust gives birth to sin. And sin gives birth to death. So lust is the granddaddy of death. “Sin will carry you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and make you pay more than you want to pay.” There is no controlling sin, it never stops eating.
e. Sin is Poison – Although today’s society is trying to win the battle against cancer’s fatal outcome, make no mistake, like cancer, sin which is left untreated has only one outcome, DEATH! Can you imagine being bitten by a Rattlesnake, a King Cobra, or a Black Widow Spider, and not treating it? Looking at the bite mark you could say, “It’s not as bad as some people say,” or “This used to be bad, but today it’s not so bad today.” As silly as this sounds, imagine how it will sound to God says to say such things about sin. The wages of sin is death is still death. Sin is poison for your body, soul, and spirit. The effect of sin for the believer is worse than we want to think. (Let’s read a sobering passage - Hebrews 10:26) The poison of sin will ultimately destroy you. If you have never chosen to follow Christ, the sin of unbelief dooms you. If you have indeed chosen to follow Christ and now have chosen to live in sin, your sin leads you to the judgment of God. (And God will judged!)
2. The Treatment for Sin – Even though we don’t like to take about sin (or cancer), the reality is, without treatment, you have little hope. Unlike cancer, sin has a miraculous cure that is 100% effective.
a. Admit – Interestingly, the word ‘admit’ is never used in the Bible. A concordance search will reveal that only one or two translations use this word but not in this way. To admit is to confess. Yet we see both the root and the fruit of ‘admitting’ your sin and your need in Acts 2 after Peter’s message. Verse 37 says, “Therefore let all the house of Israel (and America) know with certainly that God has made this Jesus, whom YOU crucified, both Lord and Messiah!” The sin for them was the physical crucifixion of Jesus and it is our sin that crucified Him. Knowing that when He was spit upon, when He was beaten, when He was crucified, and when He died, it was because of the spiritual crime you have committed! When they heard these words, scripture says they were pricked, pierced, and cut to the heart!
* There will be no cure for your sin until you are cut to the heart about your sin. And it is only by the Holy Spirit of God that you will be aware of your fatal condition. And only when you sense God cutting and piercing your heart will you ask (like they did), “What must I do?” The root of admitting is God working in you that you KNOW you’re a sinner. The fruit of admitting is asking “What do I do?”
b. Repent – Repent means to turn from, turn around, and leave behind. This is the message of Peter in Acts 2, 3, and 8, it is the message of Paul in Acts 17 and 26, and it is the message of Jesus. In Luke 13:3 Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all perish..” And this message is given by our Lord to 6 of the 7 churches in Revelation. You will never repent and turn from your sin, until and unless, you turn to Christ. For all our verbiage, our Sunday school lessons, and our sermons, nothing replaces repentance.
* Many times we have sung the song, Just as I am without one plea – and the truth of that phrase escapes our heart. Before Jehovah God we don’t have one hope if left to our own because we are sinful and vial creatures. We are eaten up with the cancer of sin and are on our spiritual deathbeds. The culture we live in is a dark, sinister, and dangerous culture which feeds on the souls of people like us.
c. Turn to and Trust in Christ – The only cure for your cancer of sin is the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (of sin). Because the wages of sin is still death, we must turn to and trust in the Christ of Calvary to be forgiven of our sins. There is forgiveness in no other. Here are a couple of encouragements for you today if you have sin in your life.
* If you respond to the call of Jesus, He will apply His blood to your life. When you admit and repent of your sin, He will save you from the penalty of sin. To die in your sin is to receive penalty for them. He offers forgiveness to you. When you begin to walk with Jesus every day, He will save you from the power of sin. As your companion, Jesus will give you what you need to overcome sin. And only with Jesus can you be ultimately saved, one day, from the ‘presence of sin.’
> Are you afflicted today? Does a particular sin literally control your life? It could be greed, lust, gossip, anger, bitterness, malice, disobedience, or even unbelief. Whatever your sin, it will eat you up ‘if’ you don’t allow Dr. Jesus to apply the cure all – His Blood! Will you come to Him today?
