Rename It: The Enemy

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:1-4

Just because something is socially acceptable does not mean that it is biblical or right in the eyes of God. The world has glorified sin. Little white lies, telling someone what you think, skimpy dress, sex before marriage, flirting in the workplace and pornography are all accepted by the world. Do what you want, do what feels right, live the way you want to, they say. But what does God say?

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

Sin is not our friend. Sin and things of the world are our enemy. We have to stop accepting that sin is okay. Yes, we are commissioned to love the sinner, to pray for them and lead them to Christ but it is God’s will for us to expose their sin and ours. One of the 10 commandments is, Thou shalt not commit adultery. The Life in the Spirit Bible Commentary says this, “Friendship of the world is spiritual adultery, i.e. unfaithfulness to God and our pledge of commitment to Him.”

If we embrace the world’s value system and attitudes, we are accepting sinful ways. In other words, we are in fellowship with the world and in so doing it will defile our fellowship with God.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 John 2:15-16

Call sin, sin. Rebuke it, flee from the devil. Your enemy is lurking, seeking to destroy. Protect your fellowship with the One True God.

Pastor Julia Scott