THREE CATEGORIES OF SIN – PART I
DR. JIM DIXON
1 JOHN 2:15-17
NOVEMBER 5, 1995
Seven is the name of a movie currently in release. I have not seen the movie and I do not plan to. The movie portrays a demonic serial killer who chooses his victims on the basis of the seven deadly sins: anger, envy, greed, gluttony, lust, pride, and sloth. Throughout church history, many great theologians have discussed and examined the seven deadly sins, from St. Augustine to St. Thomas Aquinas and his Summa Theologica. Through the influence of Gregory the Great, the seven deadly sins and the seven cardinal virtues became foundational to the Roman Catholic doctrine or concept of moral purity.
Today, there are many Christians who want to know where the seven deadly sins are listed in the Bible. I mean, where are the seven deadly sins listed in holy scripture. The answer is they are not listed there. I mean, there is no question biblically that the seven deadly sins are sins, but in the Bible they’re not really distinguished from all the other sins of humanity. There’s no place in the Bible where there is a list of the seven deadly sins. However, in the Bible, there is a list. In our passage of scripture for today, in this book of 1 John, there is a list of three categories of sins. Each and every sin in the world falls into one of these three categories.
Now, these next two weeks, this Sunday and next Sunday, we’re going to be exploring these three categories of sin. This Sunday, we’re going to focus on the first category. This category of sin the Apostle John calls the lust of the flesh, “he epithymia tes sarcos,” the lust of the flesh. To understand this type of sin, to understand this category, we need to understand what John means by the word flesh, by the word “sarks.”
Now in Paul’s writing, I think some of you know, Paul used the word flesh, he used the word sarks to refer to the sin nature, common to fallen humanity. So for the Apostle Paul, the lust of the flesh would not refer to a category of sin. For the Apostle Paul, the lust of the flesh would be inclusive of all sin because Paul viewed all sin as coming from the flesh, all sin as coming from the sarks, all sin as coming from the sin nature. But most Bible scholars agree that the Apostle John is using this word flesh in a different way. The Apostle John is using this word sarks in a different sense.
John is using it in the sense that was known to the secular Greek world where the word flesh, the word sarks, referred to the animal appetites. It referred to the physical desires. It referred to the physical appetites that were common to humanity. The lust of the flesh would involve sin that abused these physical desires and these physical appetites. You see, eating is perverted to gluttony and that’s sin. Drinking is perverted to drunkenness and that’s sin. Our sexuality is perverted to licentiousness and promiscuity and that’s sin. All of these sins are inclusive within the lust of the flesh. The lusts of the flesh tend to be hedonistic sins. They tend to intend an abuse of physical pleasure.
I think for us as Christians, the real issue is obedience and holiness. I mean, do you want to do what feels good to you? Do you want to do whatever you feel like, or do you want to do the will of God? I mean, if you feel like overeating, do you just overeat? If you feel like getting drunk, do you just go ahead and get drunk? If you feel like having sex, do you just go ahead and have sex? Or do you submit your physical desires to the will of God? The Apostle Peter in the Bible says “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance but as He who has called you as holy be holy yourselves in all your conduct. For it is written ‘You shall be holy for I am holy.'”
You know, on Wednesday night, Bob is going to be discussing this Wednesday night the three-fold temptation of Christ as Christ is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Bob will point out that all three of these temptations relate to these three categories of sin. You remember that first temptation when Satan comes to Christ in the wilderness and Jesus has been fasting, guided by the Holy Spirit to fast, and Satan comes to Jesus and says “Turn these stones into bread.” You remember that? You see, this involved the lust of the flesh because Satan was tempting Jesus to use his physical desires to satisfy them in a way that was outside the will of God. The Holy Spirit of God had led Jesus to fast. Satan comes and says “Break the fast. If you feel like eating, eat. Break the fast. Don’t worry about God’s will.”
Well, these are the sins that we are tempted to participate in as well. Now, as we look at the lust of the flesh, this whole category of sins that relate to physical desires, I would like to focus for a time on sexual behavior and particularly as it relates to the culture in which we live. In the year 1804, Merriweather Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to find a land and water route through the Oregon Territory to the Pacific Ocean. In the spring of 1805, Lewis and Clark came upon a Frenchman whose name was Charbonneau and his wife, who was once his slave, a Native American, an Indian woman named Sacajawea. Charbonneau and Sacajawea agreed to guide Lewis and Clark and their party through the region of the Rocky Mountains. Now, it’s a fact of history that virtually every night the Frenchman, Charbonneau, came to Lewis and Clark and offered them his wife. He offered Sacajawea to them for them to use her sexually. We do not know how Sacajawea felt about this, but we do know that Charbonneau was a chauvinist in the worst sense of the word. He did not view his wife, he did not view women as equals but as objects to be used for male gratification. Well, fortunately Lewis and Clark refused this offer every single night. Charbonneau would come, offer his wife, and Lewis and Clark would say no.
Eventually, they came to the Yellowstone Territory. They were in critical need as they came to the Yellowstone Territory. Lewis and Clark and party were short of food and they were short of supplies. They went to the Chief of the Shoshone Indians there and they asked for help. They asked for food and provision. The Chief of the Shoshone Indians said no. He said “All white people are liars and cheats.” But then Sacajawea, who was also Shoshone, went to the Chief of the Shoshone tribe and she explained how Lewis and Clark had refused to use her sexually. The Chief of the Shoshone was very curious regarding why and so he went to Lewis and Clark and asked them “Why did you reject Sacajawea? Do you not see her as pleasurable?” Lewis and Clark said “We have wives back home. We love them. We have made vows to them. We want to be faithful to them.” Lewis and Clark said “We believe there’s a God in heaven. We believe adultery is sinful in His sight. We want to be faithful to Him.” The Chief of the Shoshone was so impressed he gave the Lewis and Clark expedition all of the food and all of the provisions needed.
That’s a fact of history but most children go through our public educational system and will never hear that. They’ll never hear that because it’s a morality tale. They’ll never hear that because it’s rooted in the profound Christian faith of Lewis and Clark. You cannot read the journals of Lewis and Clark without realizing that they loved Jesus Christ. You cannot read their journals without realizing they longed to be obedient. They sought holiness in His sight and they believed that adultery was sin. They also believed, if you read their journals, that fornication was sin.
Now we live in a different world today. We live in a world today where fornication is no longer considered sinful. In fact, we live in a world where many people are not certain as to the meaning of the word fornication. The word fornication comes from the Greek word “porneia.” It’s used in the Bible time and again. This word porneia originally simply referred to sexual activity prior to marriage; two single people having sex. That’s fornication, porneia. The Bible says it is sin. Eventually, this word porneia began to have a broader scope of meaning, even in scripture. You see where the word porneia refers to all sexual immorality. It describes adultery. It describes fornication or sex before marriage. It also refers to homosexuality whether it’s between males or females. All of this is porneia, and it’s part of what the Bible calls the lust of the flesh.
Now, obviously we live in a culture, we live in a society, we live in a nation where moral and ethical values are changing. In this nation, in our culture, adultery is still tainted. Adultery is generally not approved of in the United States of America today. However, in this society, fornication is now embraced. I mean by and large, sexual activity before marriage is condoned and approved of in our culture. Also, of course, in our nation today there is a growing acceptance of homosexuality and the gay lifestyle. God wants us to understand that we are not to draw our values, our morals, from culture. God wants us to understand we are not to take our morality from society but rather from the word of God.
It’s a tough time for Christians. Perhaps some of you are saying “Well, doesn’t God understand that, with regard to homosexuality, there’s a great need for tolerance? Doesn’t God understand the problem of bigotry? Doesn’t God understand that nobody chooses to be gay? Doesn’t God understand that homosexuality is genetically based?” Of course, with regard to this, we must say the jury is still out as to what causes homosexual orientation. There may be environmental factors. Many studies would indicate there are. There may be hereditary genetic factors, certainly in the case of some gay people. But, you see, God doesn’t want us to draw our morality from genetics. This is really important. I hope, regardless of your persuasion, you will listen. God doesn’t want us to draw our values from genetics.
You know, TIME MAGAZINE, just two months ago, had a cover story on monogamy and polygamy. This was the cover, the featured story in TIME MAGAZINE. In this featured story in TIME MAGAZINE, scientists concluded that humankind, men and women, are not genetically monogamous. That genetically, by nature, we are polygamous. That’s what TIME MAGAZINE concluded, that that’s how our genetics lead us. Does that mean that we should endorse polygamy? Does that mean we should renounce monogamy? There have been other scientific studies that indicate a genetic link to alcoholism. Some people are just born with a physiological genetic predisposition towards alcoholism. There have been other studies that have indicated a genetic link towards criminally violent behavior. I mean, the reason some criminals are violent, we are told, is that it’s in their genes. Genetics. Are we, therefore, to conclude that violence is okay? I mean, obviously God doesn’t want us to take our morality from genetics. I know this is a tough subject. God wants us to draw our morality from His word.
I know that some of you are sitting there and you might be struggling with what I am saying. Maybe some of you want to write me letters. Please don’t write me on the subject. I’ve received, in years past, many letters. I’ve really not dealt with this subject in over two years, but I’ve received many letters. You know, I am perfectly willing to admit I’m wrong when I’m wrong, but I’m never willing to admit God is wrong. God is very clear in the Bible about human sexuality. I mean, it’s very clear in the Old Testament and in the New Testament that sex is a great gift from God, meant to be opened within the context of marriage. It’s a great gift from God meant to be opened within the context of marriage. When we open this gift outside of that context, God says it is sin. Whether it’s fornication or premarital sex or whether it’s homosexuality, it is sin.
Now, I know for some of you this is particularly hard. I mean, I know in our congregation we have some people who are gay by way of their orientation. We care about you. I mean we really do. And we know it’s hard, really hard, seeking to live a life faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to minister to you. We do not want to compromise the truth. We want to speak the truth in love. We also know some of you have loved ones who are gay. It’s really hard if you’re a mom or dad and you have a son or daughter who comes home or gives you a call or writes you a letter and says “I am gay. Mom, Dad, I’m gay.” I think, you know, because you love your kids so much, and you should love them, there’s a temptation to endorse their orientation simply because you love them and they’re your kids. God wants you to continue to love them, but He doesn’t want you to endorse their sin.
I mean, we need to love our children despite their sins. We need our children to love us despite our sins, but we never want to get to where we endorse sin. We don’t draw our morality from society. We don’t draw our morality from genetics. We shouldn’t draw our morality from family members either. We draw our morality from holy scripture. I know it is hard but we do not live in easy times.
The gay community and the gay lobby in America tells us that they want tolerance. I really do not believe that’s what the gay lobby in America is seeking. You see, the word tolerance, by definition, means to forebear something you disagree with. That’s what tolerance means by definition: to forebear something you disagree with. I promise you, the gay lobby in America doesn’t want you to disagree with them. They don’t want your forbearance. They want your approval. They want your acceptance. We just had Gay Awareness Month in America. Many of the public school systems across this country have celebrated Gay Awareness Month. Many of our institutions of higher learning have celebrated Gay Awareness Month. Their purpose is not simply tolerance, that you would forebear that with which you disagree. Their purpose is approval. Their purpose is acceptance.
Now I don’t expect, I hope you understand, I’m not laboring under the illusion that we are going to win this battle regarding sexual morality in America in this age of the world. We wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ. But, as Christians, my responsibility as a pastor to you as a congregation is to speak the truth from God’s word. As Christians, God calls us to keep the faith, to finish the race. He calls us to fight the good fight. He calls us to contend for the faith. He calls us in the midst of a fallen culture to rear our children in the nurture and the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s tough today because they’re going to be hearing other messages when they leave your house and go out into the world. It’s tough today. Of course, we need to teach them to be loving towards all people, but to know the truth.
The Bible says that in the end times the Antichrist and the spirit of Antichrist will seek to bring a new morality. It indicates that in the prophetic passages of the book of Daniel. The Bible says that in the last days in the world, people will “call evil good and good evil.” Wrong, right; and right, wrong. We live in such a time. I hope you’re aware of what’s going on around you.
John Haspells is a missionary in Africa, he and his wife, Gwen. John is a good friend of mine. He was my roommate in seminary. More than 25 years ago, I went into the church ministry here in our nation and John went overseas as a missionary. John’s been ministering in Africa for more than 25 years. He’s on a very difficult assignment right now.
John, this past year, has been working in Africa amongst the people who are called the “Surma.” They are 40,000 people in number. They are in Ethiopia but they’re in a remote part of Ethiopia and they are literally separated from the world. They are one of the two “lip-plate peoples” in the world. Do you know what “lip-plate peoples” are? The people who use those plates to stretch their lower lips. You may have seen pictures of them in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC or perhaps on television. The other lip-plate people are the Bali who live in close proximity to the Surma. John ministers there.
They are a militant people. Prior to John’s coming, they had not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. John has come with a missionary team, leading a missionary team of five missionaries including two Wycliffe Bible translators who are seeking, for the very first time, to translate the Bible into the Surma language. Two of John’s missionary team members have been shot already by the Surma. I mean, we need to pray for John. God’s doing incredible things. I wish I had the time to share with you some of what he has shared with me about the miraculous things that God has done through John and Gwen and how God is using them for the gospel’s sake in that part of the world. I mean, John loves those people as He loves Jesus Christ.
I had breakfast with John just two weeks ago. Every three years, John goes on furlough. Every three years he leaves the mission field and comes back home here to the States. Every three years he comes here to Denver and we get together and break bread together. We just talk and I always marvel at what God is doing in his life and ministry. John said, you know, just two weeks ago…”Every time I come back here, I’m amazed. Every time I come back here and turn on the television set, I’m just stunned.” He said, “Do you realize that the morality of this nation is getting worse and worse?” He said “Perhaps I realize it because I’m away and I just come back every three years. Every time I come back, I notice a change. Every time I come back, I notice a difference. The morality on television is just getting worse and worse. Almost all the humor involves sexual humor. The promiscuity on television is worse.” He said “Do you notice that?”
He said, “It’s kind of like the frog and the kettle.” You know the frog and the kettle story? How if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, the frog will just jump out. It can’t stand the heat. But if you put a frog in a pot with lukewarm water, the frog will just kind of bathe in there. If, gradually, slowly, by degree incrementally you turn up the temperature, eventually that frog will just boil to death and never jump out because it just takes him gradually.
I believe that’s what Satan is doing here in the United States of America with regard to immorality. He’s just turning up the temperature incrementally, one degree to another. I think most people in America just aren’t even aware. Tragically, many Christians are not aware and God wants you to be aware. He wants you to have eyes to see and ears to hear. He wants you to live for Him head to toe all the days of your life. He wants you to fight the good fight, keep the faith, finish the race. He wants you to rear your children in the nurture and instruction of the Lord. So, here’ s a call to obedience. Here’s a call to holiness. This first category of sin, the lust of the flesh. Next week we will examine the other two categories of sin. Let’s close with a word of prayer.