A few thousand years ago, Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). It was true then, and it is still true today. Names and faces come and go, but people are still the same. Sin changes its appearance over time, but what was sin thousands of years ago is still sin today. We’re still falling for the same tactics Satan employed 6,000 years ago.
There is nothing new under the sun. We are still a depraved lot in desperate need of a Savior, just as much today as ever. Historically, there have always been those who have stood and cried out against the sin of their day. But where are those voices today? Why is the silence from Church so deafening?
We think things are worse now than they have ever been, but that’s not true. Things were so bad in Noah’s day that God wiped out all but eight people from the face of the earth (Genesis 6:5-7). We haven’t reached that level of wickedness yet, but I admit it’s hard to imagine a more evil world than the one in which we find ourselves. What’s disheartening to me is how many Christians are happy to go along with the evil, turning a blind eye to it in the name of tolerance. Here’s a newsflash for you: God never tolerates sin. He hates it with an intensity we cannot fathom (Psalm 5:4-5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Habakkuk 1:13; Romans 1:18).
Sin cannot exist in the presence of a Holy God, and as a result, those who revel in sin will not be spared the wrath and judgment of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Romans 6:23). If we choose to tolerate sin in this life, we will spend eternity paying the consequences for our sins instead of enjoying the eternal abundance of peace and joy found living in the Kingdom of Jesus. That’s not God’s will, rather it’s the result of our decision to choose a life of sin over a life of obedience.
There is nothing new. No new revelation of God’s Word, no new definition of sin, and no new way to find salvation. God will always be holy, full of love for His creation, and full of wrath for rebellion against His laws. Every command of God is for our good, not to restrict us, but to guide us in living life to the fullest extent possible (John 10:10). He’s not an ogre demanding blind obedience to His rules because He wants to flex His power, but a loving Father who wants what is best for His children. God hates and cannot tolerate sin because it grieves Him to see us not live the life He created us to live.
Isaiah prophesied that in the last days, men would call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). This is where we are today. We say the times have changed, so we need to change with them. The problem with that strategy is we serve an unchanging God (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17). His standards do not change with the whims and trends of culture. There is nothing new. Sin is still sin and followers of Jesus are still called to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15-16).
If we don’t speak out against sin, we are complicit in its existence. It’s not about political preferences or cultural norms. It’s about drawing a line in the sand based on the clear teaching of God’s Word. Don’t fall into Satan’s lies and think you will escape the judgment. We all will stand before the Holy God and give an account of our obedience or lack thereof (Romans 14:12). Love God. Hate sin. There is nothing new in that instruction.