Sin? Whose Sin? - Philippians 3:14

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 3:14

    A quick perusal of the cultural media today ensures us that we, as a nation (world?), no longer recognize sin or its deadly wage. Sin has fallen off the grid and into that disputable region of religion and God. So, it naturally follows that many see the concept of sin as an anathema to be censored and avoided, effectively relegating it to mythological status along with evil and the devil.
    Of course, we can and do break mankind’s laws and for such secular transgressions some  are called to account for their actions; some are not. That is a primary difference between mankind’s laws and God’s law. Under man’s laws, status, wealth, lineage, and a host of other factors often forestall charges, convictions, and punishments. Whereas with God’s law, there is no privilege and no escape. “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’”- Jude 14-15.
    The bedrock upon which secular laws rest is neither moral nor Godly. The best that can be said is that it seeks expediency for what is perceived as the “common good.” Is it then any wonder that sins like lying, greed, pride, sexual sins, parental disrespect and a myriad of others go unchallenged, uncharged, untried, and unpunished? You see, if a secular connection cannot be attached to the transgression, no “crime” has been committed, regardless of how heinous the moral depravity of the act is!
    The very term “immoral” burns like acid on the tongues of secularists. There is no such thing as good or evil, morality or God! Mankind continues to express the belief that it and it alone shall determine what is right and what is wrong and God shall have no say in the matter!
“No God - No Master,” the mantra of the 21st Century. “The fool has said in his heart,
‘There is no God.’ they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” - Psalm 14:1.
    So for the Christian, sin is too often determined today by its visible corruption in other’s lives when in reality we need look no further than at our own reflections. The Spirit will convict us of our own transgressions. We can still see visible sin in our own lives. We need not look at our neighbor’s. And because we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that doesn’t imply that He will produce the same conviction in other’s lives. If I can see my own sin, can my neighbor see his? And here the truth is harder than that: I know the temptation to critique sin in others is often overwhelming. But rather than constantly eyeing our neighbors and their sins with derision, we must focus upon repentance in our own lives and that prize of the upward call of God. Let us remember the words of the Apostle - “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”- Philippians 2:12-15.
    That is not to say that we should overlook, advocate, excuse or otherwise ignore the sins that surround us. Sin is sin no matter who the transgressor is! And the shifting tides of popular culture can never declare righteous what God has declared sinful! Perdition awaits all who ignore the words of Christ Jesus - “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” - Matthew 4:17.