Hate Sin (Part 1)
How does God view sin? How does He see it? When God thinks about sin, what are His feelings?
God hates sin so much and He hates what it’s done to His creation. He hates what it does to people’s hearts, relationships, marriages, families and communities. He hates what it does to His Church. He hates how it falls out in people’s lives.
What about us? Sometimes we don’t really hate sin…we just hate everybody else’s sin. We’ve grown way too comfortable with the sin that we commit. Or maybe we’re in the middle of habitual sin where it feels like there's no way out: we can’t resist it, and we don’t have the ability to fight or be victorious over it.
This week we’ll dive into what God’s word says about sin and its effects in our lives.
LOCKER ROOM DISCUSSION GUIDE S10 E12:Two Words: Hate Sin (Part 1)
What’s one food you hated eating as a kid? Is this a food you eat today?
How has your appetite changed over the years? What would you attribute to this change?
Read Romans 6:5-14. When we become followers of Jesus, our appetite or desire for sin should change. In the podcast, Scott said, “Sometimes, I think we don’t really hate sin.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
Read Romans 3:22-24, James 4:17, and 1 John 1:5-10. One definition of sin is an archery term that means “to miss the mark.” When we sin, we miss the mark of God’s standard. How would you describe your attitude towards sin in general? More specifically, do you have the tendency to categorize or rank different types of sin (e.g. murder vs. lying)? What about sins of commission vs. sins of omission as Scott described?
Read Proverbs 6:16-19, Romans 6:19-23, and 1 John 3:4-6. Scripture is clear about God’s attitude towards sin. One of the primary reasons God hates sin is the consequences of sin separate us from Him rather than setting us apart from the world. How does God’s attitude towards sin compare to what we see in culture? How do we live in the tension of being in the world but not of the world?
Read Proverbs 26:11, Proverbs 28:13, and James 5:16. Sin will take us further than we want to go, keep us there longer than we ever wanted to stay, and cost us far more than we ever thought. Take out a sheet of paper or use the notes app on your phone to list any unrepentant sin currently in your life. Pray for God to give you the courage to confess this to another trusted follower of Jesus.
