Aiding and Abetting Sin

 

After watching a BBC program recently, I was reminded of how dangerous it can be when we make up our minds, not only to tolerate the evident transgressions of others, but also to support and condone their actions- through our own.

In this program there was a mother of several children whose husband, away at sea, was not being of any help or support to his family. This mother was very irresponsible and even took her oldest son’s earnings and squandered them on a keg of beer. She put only a down payment on this drink, thinking how good it would be to have on hand to cheer herself and make merry when the occasion gave rise to celebration (of any kind). This little episode landed her in court, due to her failure to make the additional payments on the beer. Her ‘kind’ friends rallied around her and one even spoke up for her at the court hearing, trying to lay the blame on the fellow who sold her the beer to begin with. While it was foolish of this man to sell a woman (who was well known for shirking her debts) a keg of beer, it was even more foolish of this mother to buy something on credit that, first of all, she could not afford to pay for and secondly, she really had no need of. The needs of her children, not her own merry-making, should have been foremost in her mind. Well, due to the support of her ‘friends’ and the judge who had a kind heart (but evidently wasn’t very just), this lady was let off the hook, so to speak. She was admonished to make payments on the beer, but was not put into debtor’s prison, which is where her debtor had wanted to land her.

Time went by and this foolish mother did not change her ways. She continued to be irresponsible and squander her son’s hard earnings, failing to pay her debts. Her failure to take responsibility for her wrong actions led to the neglect of her children’s needs, and she did indeed end up in debtor’s prison at the close of the last episode. It was interesting to note that the friend and neighbor of this lady, who had spoken up for her (trying to justify her action), admitted to the judge who had let her off that he had been in the wrong. He could see his action had been of no benefit to her whatsoever, for it did not encourage this lady to repent of her past mistakes. She merely went on her merry way, likely thinking others would continue to tolerate her wrong actions, thus allowing her to go on living in the way she was accustomed. But she turned out to be sadly mistaken.

This story reminds me so much of what our society has become today. So many wrong behaviors that go on today would not have been tolerated at one time. Actions that once were deemed shameful are now widely accepted. Not only heterosexual unions outside of marriage have become the norm and are even approved of, but homosexual lifestyles are accepted by many as well, and even within various churches. These lifestyles, which God clearly condemns within His word, have been gaining progressive support and acceptance within our society. This is a tragedy, and the whole transgender agenda is a travesty as well. Now we have people who were born of one sex, deciding they would rather be of the other, and so are also crying out for acceptance to altar God’s intended plan for His creatures. Mark 10:6-9 reads, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” God’s design for men and women from the beginning of time is that a man and a woman be joined in holy matrimony, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Nor should a man and a woman be joined apart from marriage. The reason for so much of what goes on in society today and why it is accepted by so many is largely that there is a lack of sound biblical teaching within the churches. However, we cannot put all of the blame on those who teach, for those who listen must be discerning enough to tell whether they are hearing truth or falsehood. May we be like the Bereans, who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). We all are responsible for our own actions- or in-actions, regardless of any past negative influences within our lives. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 would teach us, we must “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..”

We also must screen our every thought, word and deed through the clear teaching of scripture. It is God’s word to us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Not only do we read in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “…….that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God,” but Ephesians 5:5-11 tells us, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.”

This does not mean that we are to shun or be unkind to those who practice these things, and thereby fail to show them the love of Christ. Rather, it means that we are to have no part in supporting a lifestyle which God clearly condemns. To do so is aiding and abetting, as was done by the friendly village people in the BBC program. And as they discovered their support and condoning of this lady’s bad behavior did not help her at all, (as she ended up having to suffer the just punishment she deserved).. so we may one day discover the harm we have done by showing support and approval for actions God clearly condemns. Proverbs 17:15 reads, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” There will come a day when, just as this poor woman, others will suffer the just punishment of their sins. And some of those people may be ones we had justified- through our actions of approval and acceptance. May we take warning from the following verses;

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:28-32).

There is coming a day of judgment, whether people like to acknowledge this or not.. It will come, and many will be caught off guard. May we not be among the ones who will be dragged off to a far gloomier place than an earthly debtor’s prison to pay the penalty for our sins. Revelations 20:12-15 reads, “And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is what will happen to all those who are not trusting in Christ’s righteousness alone to save them.

May we not be found guilty of the following, “For you hate discipline, (which is the teaching and training of God’s people to make us more like Christ) and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you” (Psalm 50: 17-21).

May we instead, be able to say with the Psalmist, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5-6). May we be true “imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1), showing Christ-like love to all by refusing to be an aider and abetter of sin. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).