| By Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi,
:: 13-07-2011
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I am perturbed by the modern playfulness with sin especially among those who claim to be believers. I recoil from any church teaching
that makes light of sin, whether visible or not. I remember the godly counsel given me years ago, “If the Holy Spirit sees it fit to convict you of a sin, then the sin is serious enough for you to repent.”
However, there are many ‘born-again’ believers who claim to be ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit and yet who live in secret or public sin. Some overnight prayers have become orgies only equalled by the avowedly sinful nightclubs in the city.
The situation is not helped by some pastors who tell a convert that the past need not be delved into – it is gone and no confession or restitution are of any use. For this reason there are new believers laden with a sinful conscience. And if they keep an ill-gotten item, the fruit of their sinful past, they live with it like a chain binding them to the past.
On the contrary, Jesus knew the severity of sin. After all it is the sole reason He left His glorious heavenly home to come and save us. If we play with sin, we void His work at Calvary. He sounds four warnings:
That sin is so severe it entangles anyone who causes a believer to sin though he is not the sinner. The figure of “a great millstone ... hung around his neck and he (is) thrown into the sea” is intended to show that such an act merits death, “the wages of sin”. Keep away not only from your own sin, but also from leading others to sin.
Secondly, while the temptation is not punishable, you must remove yourself from whatever attracts to sin. Like Martin Luther the Reformer said, “You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can sure keep them from building a nest in your hair!”
We do not hear of any early disciples who took Jesus’ teaching to mean amputation of their limbs. This means to remove yourself from the temptation while you still have your sanity. Like Billy Graham once advised against lust, “Do not walk around the block to have a second look at that beautiful girl.”
Thirdly, there is only one reason why anyone would end up in hell fire – sin. Nothing else will bring us eternal damnation. Once again, Jesus did not come to earth for an excursion. Adam and Eve were not expelled from the Garden of Eden for being naked. In all cases the reason is sin. So Jesus says that when you make sin your lifestyle, you become a candidate for “the unquenchable fire ... where their worm does not die.”
Finally, the Lord teaches that salted Christians are purified from the taint of sin. Genuine faith in Jesus leads to separation from sin. In a play on words, He says that if we are not salted against sin, we shall be salted with the fire of hell. We do not preach about hell enough; this passage is full of hell everywhere. And the reason for hell is sin. Let every Christian live the righteousness won for us by our Lord Jesus Christ and we will be free from the fear of hell fire. What are you salted with?
Sin is so severe that you are better off excising it while it is still a temptation. Amen.
Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi is the UCU vice chancellor
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Me & My God 
:: Uganda Christian University 2008