Billy Graham: Christians Must Take the Dangers of Sin Seriously
Christians must take the dangers of sin and going against God seriously, and understand that no human is perfect, the Rev. Billy Graham explains.
"Sin is like a deadly disease that touches everything we do and everything we are. Yes, you may be a good and moral person whose life isn't marred by obvious sins. But what about your inner thoughts and motives? What about your pride? What about the things you should be doing but fail to do — the people you ought to help, the person who needs a kind word, the person you ought to be praying for but don't?" the 97-year-old evangelical leader asks in a Q&A column for the My Answers section of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website.
Some Christians might be missing two major details about sin, an understanding of the depth of sin and the cost of sin, Graham asserts, citing 1 John 1:8: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
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"Sin is so serious that it cost God's own Son, Jesus Christ, His very life. If God takes sin that seriously, shouldn't we as well?" Graham posits.
Graham has frequently preached and written about the wages of sin, stating in February that Christians must avoid feeling numb to sin because they are guilty of going against God whether they feel they did so or not.
"Don't be misled by your feelings, and don't ignore the little voice within you that prompts you to do right and rebukes you when you do wrong. Tragically, that voice (which we call our conscience) can become dulled or almost silenced if we refuse to listen to it," Graham explained, pointing to the important warning given in Hebrews 3:13: "But encourage one another daily ... so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."
Along with recognizing sin, Christians should not use the promise of Salvation as an excuse to indulge in sin, Graham advised in a My Answers column published back in January.
Christians should avoid indulging in sin because they never know when their time on this Earth will end, and if they will be given a final chance to repent before God.
"Look around you: how many people die each day without any warning? A fatal accident ... a massive heart attack ... even a violent terrorist assault — these and a hundred other events can unexpectedly cut life short and usher us into eternity.".
