Killing Sin - Part 1

What do you think of when you hear the word sin? For many in the West who have grown up within a Judeo-Christian framework, sin is usually associated with the Ten Commandments. Christians specifically may point to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount for an even deeper understanding of sin. These two passages are certainly important for those who want to fight sin and walk in the ways of the Lord. Unfortunately, sin is often reduced to a list of do’s and don’ts, allowing us to justify ourselves by comparing our do’s to others’ don’ts.

The concept of sin in China is quite different. It is only associated with civil law and not moral law. Therefore, when a Chinese person hears, “you are a sinner” they hear “you are a criminal.” Though many in the West won’t deny that they are sinners, like those in China, they have an equally inadequate view of sin. We need to have a biblically informed and defined view of sin if we are to make any sense of this.

I was delighted today to see that John Piper’s sermon from March 10th at Mars Hill Church in Seattle is available for download. I would commend this message to you, titled “Be Killing Sin or it Will be Killing You” and another one of Dr. Piper’s called “The Importance of Knowing Our Sin.” If you want a deeper understanding of the devastation of sin and the beauty of God’s power to conquer it by His grace, then I would encourage you to download them, chew on the Scriptures that he uses and ask the Lord to help you “kill sin” in your life before it “kills you!”

And please stop by soon for some more thoughts in Part 2!