Last week, I made reference to Superman, in that many people–both Christian and non-Christian–wish that God were like a superhero who would swoop down from Heaven and rescue us from trouble.
But God is not like that. Why? Because much like the Genie analogy I often use, if God were to do that, who would be the master? Not Him, because if he were a superhero, He would be our servant. We are called to be His servant–which means we are called to be the ones saving the day–being His hands and His feet on this earth the best that we can.
This past week, I watched the new Superman movie–in 3D, and as a spoiler, I think the 3D effects and overall special effects were probably the best part of the movie. It didn’t really have a great story, and I think to a degree, it just didn’t seem like a Superman movie to me.
Call me old-fashioned, but…I’m old-fashioned.
I prefer the ‘truth, justice, and American way’ Superman. The kind that has a balance of excellence yet is still somewhat a kids’ movie.
I sat there, with a fairly clean movie, yet noticing how–like I’ve also mentioned many times–the erosion of our culture. I think the erosion–like the one we see at the state park here- has happened little by little over time, where one chip after another, we don’t even notice it until it’s become a gorge or a ravine.
And after it’s become eroded, we look at it and marvel at the beauty of it. But, when it comes to spiritual erosion, we’re not supposed to look at it as beautiful and wonderful. But many people do. They say it’s great that we’ve let go of the bonds of what has held us back, and now we are free to be who we are.
And therein lies the problem. Because who are we when we are free to be who we are?
If you’re wondering where to turn in your Bibles, this is another sermon where I’m going to pepper scripture throughout, so no need to turn to any particular passage this morning.
But the main gist of what I am going to talk about is this: it’s easy in our own sinful nature to not notice the little sins when they’re right in front of us. We have to be careful of that, and be careful that we don’t get so used to the little sins that we start engaging in those same small, seemingly insignificant sins as well. Because those seemingly insignificant small sins aren’t small sins.
Here’s what I mean. When the last Avengers movie came out–you can see that I’m a superhero fan–but when Avengers End Game was released in 2019, I noticed a few swear words in it, and I really didn’t take note of it. My brother-in-law subscribes to a movie app that gives reviews based on a Christian perspective. He and at least one of his sons didn’t see the movie–even though it’s one of the greatest superhero movies of all time–because the Plugged-In review said there were something like 25 swear words in the movie, and they didn’t want to see a movie with that many swear words.
Now, I’m not one to preach about what movies you can see and not see–I think that would be controlling of me to do so. What specific movie you watch is up to you and the Holy Spirit. But I did notice more swearing in the Superman movie than I was expecting.
No, I didn’t count, and I’m not going to try to find out exactly how many times a foul word came out of someone’s mouth–but I was surprised that foul language came out of the mouths of Superman, Supergirl and Jimmy Olsen–the most clean-cut character in the bunch–who took our Lord’s name in vain.
Like any movie and TV show, sex and swearing are rampant. And again, I’m not going to say that you can’t watch movies with a ‘little this’ or a ‘little that,’ but we do need to be careful not to slip into a bad habit of consuming trash.
Why? Because, as the old saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.”
But there’s more to ‘the little sins’ besides being aware of what we consume. The stuff that just comes naturally. Maybe things that we do, yet don’t even think of as a sin, because it’s seemingly so small and it’s just been a habit for so long. Besides, everyone else does it. I’ll get to that in a minute.
But I started off with the illustration of movies and television, mainly because I think that’s where the erosion really started in our society, and where it has continued for the past 50-60 years. It started small, one small swear word here, a risque scene in a James Bond movie there, and Hollywood started pushing the envelope.
I’ve always wondered where that phrase meant–pushing the envelope. I always pictured in my head someone pushing a mailing envelope off a table–maybe to see the point where it becomes unbalanced and falls? But the real meaning is this, from Merriam Webster: It comes from the aeronautical use of envelope referring to performance limits that cannot be exceeded safely. The phrase was originally limited to space flight, before spreading to other risky physical accomplishments, and finally metaphorically to any boundary-pushing activity, such as art.
So you can’t tell me that what Hollywood and the entertainment media as a whole have done throughout the past several decades has not been done on purpose. Look at rock n’ roll. I’m a fan of rock music myself. I saw Kansas and Weird Al this year. Both very clean bands by the way. But it’s obvious, rock n’ roll was born out of rebellion. And it has continued–or should I say eroded that way, ever since. We have to watch what we take in.
There was a time in my life when I only listened to Christian rock, and that was the prime faith formation during my youth. Why was it all I listened to? Because I wanted that positive Christian influence over what the world was producing.
Speaking of Christian music, I’d like to read to you some lyrics to a song from Casting Crowns that goes back a few years; you might have heard them. This is where the little sins that come so naturally to us can really end up very harmful.
It’s a song called Slow Fade, and the lyrics go like this:
Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
You see, it starts with just one seemingly small sin–one that comes to us naturally–that, if unchecked, keeps snowballing into something worse.
Matthew, Chapter 5, records Jesus as having said this: 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[an Aramaic word that describes contempt for someone] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
How many times have we said, “You fool” or something to the equivalent? How many times have we been angry with a brother or sister in Christ?
A few verses down, Jesus says this, which is more in line with the lyrics I just read.
He says: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
And from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said: “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Those are harsh words, aren’t they? But they’re meant to warn us of what one thought–one small thought–may lead to. Like the song says, thoughts invade, choices are made, and a price will be paid when you give yourself away. People never crumble in a day; Daddies never crumble in a day; Families never crumble in a day.
Little sins within the heart are seeds that can grow.
Some people may say, Well, there are no such things as little sins; they’re all sins. Yes, you’re right. I was having a conversation with someone the other day about that–in fact, he mentioned mortal sins, which I had only heard of and didn’t know anything about, so as I was typing this sermon, I looked it up. It’s primarily Catholic and Lutheran theology, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a Baptist who believes in it.
Basically, what it means is, there are some sins that condemn you to Hell, and other sins that don’t because they’re too small, they don’t count. Perhaps it’s tied in with what John says in his first epistle regarding some sins that lead to death and other sins that don’t, but I believe he is not talking about ‘the second death’ but literal death. Some sins, like drinking and driving, can lead to a literal, natural death. And I believe that’s the type of sin John means.
Our salvation is not weighed in mortal vs. venial sins. There is no such thing as sinning under the radar. If that were the case, then what about our personal salvation experience? What about what Jesus said to Nicodemus about being born again? And what about, as we studied not too long ago in Romans 3:10, which tells us “No one is righteous, no, not one;”
Biblehub.com says this:
In the Christian theological framework, sin is understood as any action, thought, or attitude that falls short of God’s perfect standard of holiness. While all sin is ultimately an affront to God, the concept of “little sins” refers to those transgressions that might be perceived as minor or insignificant by human standards. However, Scripture emphasizes that even these seemingly small sins are serious in the eyes of God.
The Bible makes it clear that all sin, regardless of its perceived magnitude, separates humanity from God. In James 2:10, it is written, “Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” This verse underscores the idea that even a single infraction renders one guilty before God, highlighting the gravity of what might be considered “little sins.”
And just for the sake of clarity, we mentioned a few little sins; here are a few more (this isn’t all-inclusive):
1. Idle Words: Jesus warns about the power of words in Matthew 12:36, saying, “But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” This suggests that even seemingly harmless or idle words are significant in God’s eyes.
2. White Lies: The Bible consistently upholds truthfulness as a virtue. Proverbs 12:22 states, “Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” Even small, so-called “white lies” are contrary to God’s nature of truth.
3. Covetous Thoughts: Though we talked about thoughts when it comes to hatred or sexual lust, the Tenth Commandment, found in Exodus 20:17, gives us a couple more examples. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Coveting, like I said, is a seed planted in the heart and mind. Then comes the temptation to act on it.
Lastly,
4. Neglect of Good: James 4:17 states, “Therefore, whoever knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.” This highlights sins of omission, where failing to act righteously is itself sinful.
So again, just some more examples of little sins that we so naturally do, yet are easy to gloss over.
I shared a meme on my Facebook stories the other day which has a photo of a nice old lady, and the caption reads, “The gospel is a scandal to the world because it sees the murderer, rapist, racist and the like on equal footing as the sweet old lady who doesn’t confess Christ–and yet offers them all the same grace under God.”
And that, of course, is the gospel. This is the good news.
Another one from Biblehub. It says:
The Bible assures believers that forgiveness is available for all sins through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This assurance encourages believers to seek God’s grace and strive for a life that reflects His holiness.
So watch out for the little things–the little traps, the natural tendencies that we have that we often shrug off.
Little sins can often go unnoticed or are easily rationalized. “It’s just me. It’s who I am, and I’m not going to change at this point.”
Have you heard that one? I have.
But we are called to change. I know it’s hard. I know we don’t want to. I know our nature is what it is, but yet we are called to pursue holiness. Peter tells us, “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” This call to holiness encompasses every aspect of life, including the smallest sins.
We have to be aware of these small sins, don’t we? It’s easy for these sins to go unchecked.
But the Bible doesn’t call us to shrug it off. Many times, I have said that we are not to be like the world. It’s not just being persuaded by the big issues like progressive social, political, or religious matters. It’s the small stuff in our own lives that we need to not neglect or gloss over–the things that no one seems to care about anymore. Do you remember when we were all young, sex and swearing would have been unheard of on our television screens and on our car radio stations? Why? Because we lived in a world where those things were so obviously sinful. Clearly, plainly, evidently, unquestionably, glaringly sinful.
But now? Now that my parents’ generation is almost gone? It’s not considered sin anymore. No one hardly knows what sin is anymore. Remember when no one swore in public, and if they did, they were either shushed by someone with them, or they apologized?
Now look–foul language is not only said aloud in public, but it’s paraded on bumper stickers and T-shirts.
Besides foul language, our tongue is full of little sins. Or I should say, big sins that we may not realize are big sins.
I mention the tongue, but where does our speech originate from? Our mind? Jesus said, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
We have to not just keep our speech in check, but we have to keep our hearts in check. That’s the basis of this sermon, really. Or you could say, the heart of the sermon is the heart, keeping our hearts in check.
Jeremiah said, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Jeremiah lived in a time in which he saw a lot of really big sins. In his society, the innocent were murdered by the powerful, and the weak could do nothing about it. Children were sacrificed by their parents to idols made of stone and wood. The people worshiped these idols and engaged in various sexual perversions in the process. If Jeremiah had only focused on those types of sins, there was plenty of material to keep him busy.
But like Paul and James, Jeremiah also spoke of what we would consider the small sins. He spoke about what people said to one another.
There are many proverbs about our speech, and James Chapter 3 says this: How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. …but no human being can tame the tongue…With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Faithalone.org says this: What the Jews of Jeremiah’s day saw as harmless, the Lord saw as deadly. He says that a lying tongue is like a deadly arrow. Such use of the tongue attempts to tear down one’s neighbor with words. That kind of attitude is one that desires the death of that neighbor.
There are all kinds of small sins out there we need to keep in check, don’t we? We can’t let this world and its ways influence or encourage us to live in our natural, sinful state, even when it comes to the small stuff.
Let me read to you something from becomingchristians.com as we close: We need to recognize that little sins turn into big sins. Don’t be deceived into thinking that just because these little sins have minor consequences or that most people can’t see it, you are already safe. No, that’s not how sins work.
Let me tell you, most often than not, little sins don’t stay little. They grow. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Control sin before it controls you. Overcome sin before it overcomes you. Destroy sin before it destroys you.
Remember, if you were in Sunday School with us last week, or you may remember from our Romans sermon series, we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, or as David Jeremiah put it, we are hyper-victorious.
It may take time and a lot of effort, but God is willing to help us be holy.
Featured Image by Valeria Lo Iacono from Pixabay
