Pentecost 2 “Little Sins”
June 6^th, 2021 – Mark 3:29

May you receive from God the good you have not deserved, not get the bad you have, and may you have peace with God though the blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Brothers and Sisters who share the same heavenly Father, have you committed any big sins lately?

Perhaps if you have you’ve already started thinking of these big sins, you’re already thinking the big sins you have committed are not as bad as the next bigger sin someone else has committed.

You’ve smacked your spouse or kid in a fit of rage – but at least you haven’t aborted any babies like those pro-choice murderer’s.

You’ve lusted after someone in your heart, but at least you haven’t had an affair that those damned homewreckers.

And, yes, some sins appear to affect and hurt your neighbour more than others. How is cheating on your taxes as bad as robbing a bank or breaking into someone’s home to steal their wallet?

Although we put these qualifiers on sin calling them “big” sins or “little” sins, do you think that God must view them our way because you do?

If you are here watching this service this morning only to be told “you are right and everyone who thinks differently is wrong” you may have a surprise coming.

If there’s a part of you that judges between one sin and the next, you’re in good company, but you’re not in God’s company. Perhaps you are the problem.

You see, sin is sin. All sin leads to death. Every sin you commit is worthy of death from the mass murderer to the fleeting thoughts you entertain in your mind – the hatred you harbour against your brother in your heart. Each and every sin is worthy of death. Each sin gives you the Hell-sentence. Even the little ones you don’t even think about.

Stop right now and struggle with this. Realize that there is not a thing you can do to stop yourself from the little things. Maybe the big sins you can see coming and stop doing, or maybe you do, or have done, those big sins too. No matter what, you have fairly, justly, earned yourself Hell. There’s not a thing you can do to stop it. There’s not a thing you can do to save yourself. Perhaps you think that the only list of sins giving you the death sentence are the ones where you have done something and you’ve completely forgotten about the things you have left undone. “Oh, I forgot to feed my family this week? Oops! Didn’t file my taxes properly for 20 years? I’m sure that’s no biggie… Haven’t gotten out of bed to receive the sacrament for 2 years but I’m sure that won’t have damaged my faith… also I disagree with a lot the church preaches these days. I’ve thought it through, and I think I know better now.”

If this isn’t hitting you hard enough, if this isn’t cleaving your joints from marrow (Hebrews 4:12) you are still closing your eyes and covering your ears to God’s Word.

Be opened to the reality of your condition by hearing the good news of Jesus our Saviour.

By faith in Jesus, by trusting what He says and came to do your sins are forgiven. Jesus Himself has said:
“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter” (Mark 3:28).

Not because they earned it. Not because they deserved it. Simply by the power of the Holy Spirit clinging in faith to what Jesus said and did for them.

That is you. You are dead in your sins. You do not earn the salvation you have. You are free ONLY because of Jesus. If Jesus is the only difference between you in Heaven and you in Hell, how can you brag about anything good you do? How can you be anything but perfectly humble? How can you judge your neighbour self-righteously?

If you cannot serve two masters, how can you cling to your ‘righteous’ actions and Jesus at the same time?

You cannot. So stop it! Turn away from the thought that you’re a “good person” when you’re really not, and cling to Jesus because He’s already holding you and He’s all your worth.

Brothers and sisters, how can you do anything else but love? Do not judge, for if you were judged the same way you would be damned to Hell. Love as Christ loves and calls us to (John 13:35).

Of course, tell others of God’s judgement on the world never leaving out Jesus and His forgiveness of all people’s sin.

Help people not be a Christian for fear of judgement but out of thankfulness for Jesus. For that is the will of God that we love as we have been loved.
Do not be a Pharisee judging without love. Everything you do comes from a humble recognition of your sin and God’s love for you, and His love for every single one of your neighbours, in Jesus.

Thank God that His love does not make exceptions! Or we could be exempt. This means your love does not make exemptions either. Don’t like our Prime Minister? Too bad! You are called to love and pray for Him. Love does not smack-talk or tear down reputations. Love respects and still speaks God’s judgements AND His love in Jesus for sinners.

Don’t like someone in church? Too bad! You are called to love them and seek reconciliation. In humility forgive as you have been forgiven in Christ – for the big sin and the small.

Remember when Jesus said all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven? He’s making a point here that’s bigger than His unending forgiveness for sin.

His point is that all sin can be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Spirit. What is the sin against the Holy Spirit? It’s the rejection of God’s forgiveness in Christ Jesus. How can one be forgiven if they reject the very one who forgives?

You may now be having one of two thoughts: 1. Who in the world would ever be so stupid as to reject Jesus’ forgiveness? Or 2. Have I accidentally rejected the Holy Spirit? Am I now damned for eternity?

To put your fear at rest, if you are hearing this and worrying that you may have rejected the Holy Spirit, you have not. Your worry is evidence of your faith. The Holy Spirit is still at work in you clinging to Jesus. If you ever stop caring that you’ve rejected the Holy Spirit by not caring about Jesus’ forgiveness and rejecting it, then we may have a problem.

It sounds silly that someone would commit the unforgiveable sin of rejecting forgiveness, but many do! Many die in their sin because they reject the one who would forgive them (Matthew 23:37).

But do not confuse yourself here. Do not attempt to take credit or be righteous for believing in Jesus. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you can believe in Jesus or come to Him (SC AC3). If you believe, thanks be to God the Holy Spirit! If you reject the Holy Spirit at work in you, all the judgement and damnation is yours alone.

Where does that leave you? Humble. Righteous in Christ alone. Freely loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable, by the power of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who forgives all sin big sins and little sinners, big sinners, and even little sins.

You are forgiven. Thanks be to God alone!