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Sin Taxes Everyone

7/25/2009   

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

My local newspaper reported this week that the legislature in my state will be increasing sin taxes in order to balance the state budget. I stopped and thought about it and drew an important inference about what sin taxes teach us. In my state, sin taxes are excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco, although some states tax other products, too. Interesting, isn’t it? The world teaches us to think of only alcohol and tobacco as sin to the point that we should pay tax on it. I guess that means we only sin if we smoke and drink!

All joking aside, the world sees sin very differently that the Bible sees sin. Just this month, for example, Robbie and I took a trip she won to Las Vegas, Nevada – Sin City. We were amazed at what families were exposing to their children. Right there on “The Strip”, we were forced through a gauntlet of people, men and women, lining the sidewalks, snapping baseball-sized cards together to draw attention. The cards were pictures of naked women. These “snappers” as the locals call them were advertising for an “escort” service. Dial the number on the card and someone would arrive at your room at the appointed time.

We were stunned in several ways. One was that a parent would parade their children through it, some even laughing about it. You couldn’t help but to see the cards. They littered the sidewalk for those of us who were uncomfortable and chose to look down. But what surprised us the most was it was a standard practice and viewed no differently than someone passing out free coupons for soft drinks. It pointed out to us in a very vivid way how numbed Americans have become to sin. It made me wonder, “What do I no longer see as sinful in my life?”

It’s important for us to remember that while times change, and the world’s definition of sin changes with it, God’s view of sin never changes. What the Word says was sinful when Jesus lived, is still sinful today!

There are two important points the Bible makes about sin. James 4:17 paints sin in with a very broad brush. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it,” James wrote, “to him it is sin.” In other words, we may not always recognize sin in our lives, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t present. None of us is good to the core. The Apostle Paul, who wrote over half of the New Testament, once referred to himself as a wretch. And he continues to remind all of us as he did the Church at Rome, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Second and most important, the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If we don’t, God’s Word is clear: “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

Don’t think for a moment that God has changed his mind about sin. If you believe you might have lost your focus, read what he has to say about it. It’s the best way to make sure that you and God are on the same page when it comes to sin.

posted by Mike Ruffin on 7/25/2009