Our Attitude: To Sin

“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
          Matthew 18:8-9


Our attitude towards sin should be an uncompromising one. We should not be accepting of sin. There should be no place for it within our lives. Our lives are to be as sin-free as we can get them, as we try to imitate Christ who was without sin entirely.

If there is something in our lives that continually causes us to stumble and fall, we should “cut it off” and cast it out. It is not worth the risk of missing out on the great heavenly inheritance that we read of in the Scriptures - that inheritance that is for God’s children - those who are faithful. It is better for us to miss out on some physical items or worldly fun and still be able to enter into eternal life, rather than keeping the finite fun and obtaining infinite torment in the everlasting fire.


Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
          Galatians 6:1


Of course, our detest should not be against the individual, but against the sinful actions. There is the saying “hate the sin, love the sinner”. That is how we should behave. As was mentioned in the previous article, we ought to have compassion for the lost - this goes for brethren as well who have slipped up.

We, too, were sinners and are sinners. We are not perfect. Hopefully, we are sinning less and less as we grow and mature, but there will be moments of weakness. And so when someone else goes through a difficult time and is overtaken in a trespass, we need to try and restore that person with gentleness and kindness.

And while we help others, we must always beware lest we become tempted and also slip up. Sin can worm its way through any crack at any time and so we must always have our guard up and be on the lookout for sin and temptations, never compromising our defence.

                -- John Thrower Jr.