the Bible, sin, and salvation

So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.[1]
Don’t you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers—none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you [2]

It is clear that God regards homosexuality as a sin, but there are many things actively promoted in today’s western society that are also called sin in the bible. In God’s eyes it is a sin to kill an unborn child, it is also a sin to hold on to more than one’s share of this world’s goods when people are starving.
Jesus said that if a man has two loaves of bread he should give to the man (or woman) who has no bread. If a man has two coats he should give one to the man (or woman) who has no coat.
If you neighbour shouts abuse at you over the fence, it is a sin to shout abuse back at him. Jesus said we should return good for evil, blessing for cursing, we should love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us.
If you know someone who is sick and lonely and do not go to visit them, this is a sin. If a man knows something good to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Truly there is none righteous the only righteous man who ever lived was Jesus. We all like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way. But the Lord has laid our iniquity upon Jesus. Like the good shepherd that he is, Jesus has taken our sin into his own body, and carried to the cross. If we turn to Jesus and follow him, we will hear his voice speaking to us in our hearts. He will take us up in his arms and carry us home rejoicing.
This is the good news. Not only will our sins be forgiven they will be cast into the depth of the sea. As far as the east is from the west – so far are forgiven sins removed from us. Not only does Jesus forgive us but by the power of the Holy Spirit he gives us power to forsake our sin, and live holy lives to his glory.


[1] Romans 1:24 – 27 New Living Translation
[2] 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11New Living Translation