IGNORING SIN

Mike Johnson

An often made statement made by people today is, “I just don’t let it bother me.”  In many areas, we would all be better off taking this approach.  With sin, however, this is very dangerous.  Many people are very complacent regarding their sin, and instead of seeking a remedy, they ignore them.

The ignoring, or dismissing, of sin is probably one of the most common improper reactions toward sin, but it is not the correct way to deal with sin.  A person who has a terminal disease, for example, may choose to push thoughts of the disease out of his mind, but this does not make the condition go away.  The same is true concerning sin.  We may choose to ignore or dismiss it, but this does not change its consequence.

We will notice some examples of certain people in the Bible who ignored their sins.  Perhaps we can learn from their folly and not follow the same course of action.

 ASA

Asa, a king of Judah, serves as an Old Testament example of a person who ignored his transgression.  We read his story in II Chronicles 16.  Here we learn that the king of Israel began to build the city of Ramah to serve as a fortification against Jerusalem and the nation of Judah.  Asa got Syria to attack Israel to nullify the threat against them.  The plan worked, and the attack accomplished its purpose.

The above plan might seem acceptable.  However, there was a problem with it as Asa did not rely on God in dealing with this difficulty.  Hanani, a seer, rebuked him.  He said, “…Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.” (v. 7).  Hanani further noted (v. 9) that God had helped them in the past, and that God’s eyes, “run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

The Scriptures point out that Asa was later afflicted with a disease, and even then, he would not seek God but sought only the physicians.

 UZZIAH

Uzziah, also of the Old Testament and a king of Judah, serves as another example of a person who ignored his sin.  Uzziah effectively ruled Judah for many years and was a righteous man (II Chron. 26).  God caused him to prosper, but eventually, he developed pride.  The Bible says (v. 16) that his heart was lifted up to his destruction.  He sinned by trying to invade the function of a priest, perhaps wanting to be both a priest and king.  Azariah, a priest, rebuked him.  Would Uzziah react differently than Asa and repent?  Again, the answer is NO!  He got mad, choosing to ignore his sin.  During this confrontation, Uzziah was afflicted with leprosy by God, and he remained a leper until he died (vs. 19-20).

FELIX

In Acts 24, the Scriptures tell about Paul preaching to a ruler named Felix.  Paul reasoned with Felix of “righteousness,” “self-control,” and the “judgment to come” (v. 25).  This teaching caused Felix to tremble.  He was affected by what Paul said, but he did not do anything about it.  Instead, he responded, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”  Felix chose to do nothing about his sins choosing instead to ignore them.  As far as we know, Felix never found a convenient season to obey God.

  THE ATHENIANS

Consider the Athenians, the last example, whose story is in Acts 17.  Here we see that Paul preached on Mars Hill in Athens.  Athens was a city that was much involved in idolatry, and Paul tried to get these people to understand about the true God.  He told them about the God who made the world, and pointed out He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and is not worshiped with men’s hands (vs. 24-26).  In verse 31, Paul spoke to them about the resurrection.  When they heard his message, they were not willing to repent of their sins.  Instead (v. 32), “some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”

CONCLUSION

Many people today are like Asa, Uzziah, Felix, and the Athenians as they ignore their sins.  These people in the Bible did not escape responsibility for their sins by ignoring them, and neither can we.  Ignoring sin is an alternative man has, but it will cause him to be lost eternally.  Instead of ignoring sin, a non-Christian must believe (Jn. 3:16), repent (Acts 2:38), confess Christ (Rom. 10:10), and be baptized (Acts 2:38, Mk. 16:16).  The Christian who sins must repent, pray, and confess his sins (Acts 8:22, I Jn. 1:8-10).