The Worst Sin the Church

Since there’s so much exposure of sin in the Church right now, I thought I would add my two cents to the matter. If I were to ask you, What is the worst sin in the Church?, you might point to the recent scandals of sexual sin among Christian ministers. And you might even think sexual sin disqualifies them from future ministry. And I admit, sexual sin is bad, especially among ministers; it should never happen. Yet, it does. But is it the worst sin in the Church? No! There are others sins being committed in the Church which are far greater than the scandalous sexual sin amongst ministers. And there is the actual worst sin in the Church, which is regularly committed by believers in the Church, who even commit this sin in the name of common sense, and don’t even know it. That’s what I’d like to talk about in this post.

So, sexual sin isn’t the worst sin. What about gossip? Adultery? Abuse? Divorce? Porn? Murder? Surely, it has to be murder. Nope. Yes, murder is evil. What about abortion? Surely, it must be abortion, the murder of the innocent, unborn babies. No, as evil as abortion is, and it is pure evil, it is not the worst sin mankind can commit. What about pedophilia? Surely, it has got to be this. No. Yes, that sin is evil, even unconscionable, but it’s not the worst sin. Nearly every sin I’ve mentioned is an act of the flesh; it’s a sin caused by the sin in our own bodily parts. All sin is bad. ALL. But it’s only the worst sin that can send one to hell. One sin is the worst sin, and it’s a sin we often overlook as being unimportant, unintentional, or, in some case, as being wise or common sensical. What sin is the worst possible sin? Unbelief.               

“Little actions can have dire consequences.”—Scott Wallis

The Apostle Paul made this statement to the Roman Church regarding faith: “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23, ESV. Not having faith in God is sinful. After giving us all we have, including our very lives, and yet we still fail to trust God. Often, we disbelieve God. Then, we dismiss our own unbelief as wisdom. In reality, it’s foolishness. We think more highly of ourselves because we don’t trust anyone or anything, even God. Yet, what is really happening is our hearts are getting hard; we are becoming calloused to the truth of who God is. And what do we lose in the process of becoming calloused by the sin around us — the faith of a child.

Have you peered into a baby’s eyes? Have you seen the blind faith they have, the simple trust in those they’ve never met before? Their curiosity and their interest in others? The innocence is overwhelming. It’s a reminder of what we’ve lost. Yes, once we were that child…innocent, believing, and trusting. Once, we were the ones who had a simple faith in those around us. Gradually, over time, our experiences in life taints us, overcomes us, and we lose our simple faith in others. Worse, we lose our faith in God. No wonder Jesus said, “if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6, NLT. How awful it is in God’s sight when we cause someone’s faith to falter.

 

No wonder Jesus said, “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes!” Matthew 18:7, Amplified Bible. When we are causing others to stumble and fall into the sin of unbelief, we are placing them in jeopardy of hell. How awful is that! Little actions can have dire consequences. Small choices can cause terrible reactions. Often, it’s not the BIG things that we think are sinful that God considers sinful. No, from His perspective, condemning someone to an eternal hell by causing unbelief in their hearts through our own actions is the worst of the sins that we commit.

Yikes!!! Yet, we fall short. When we think of sin, we think of drugs, alcohol, sexual perversion, gossip, greed, and the like. When God thinks of sin, He thinks of unbelief. Jesus, in the middle of a severe storm asked His disciples, His apostles, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40, NKJV. Would we have been less frightened than they were? In His Apostles’s minds, they were going to die. In Jesus’s mind, He had faith in His Father’s purpose and plan. They didn’t know God’s purpose or plan. Their ignorance paved the way for their unbelief. So also is it with us. It’s our ignorance of God, His purpose and plan, that is the root of our unbelief. 

Unbelief. Doubt. Faithlessness. All are rooted in our own ignorance of God. Yet, we think we are wise in our own wisdom. In reality, we are foolish, for we don’t know God. The key to true wisdom is knowing God. As the Apostle Paul said, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25. Have you looked around you lately? Have you seen how the world survives without you? It’s easy to think of how important we are — to ourselves and others — but the world will spin on without us. Let that sink in. Now, we are ready to approach God — in humility.

As our pride produces the worst of sins, unbelief, so also our humility produces the best of righteousness, humility. To all who think their voices are important, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord that He may lift you up. To all who think their voices are unimportant, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord that He may lift you up. To those who condemn the sins in others, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord that He may lift you up. To those who have committed the vilest of sins, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord that He may lift you up. The Bible is clear on this point: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10, KJV. 

Thus saith the scripture, “Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.” Isaiah 65:5, NLT. Your pride is a stench in my nostrils, says God. Therefore, repent. Turn to me from your sin of unbelief rooted in your pride that I may save you from yourself. Yes, turn to Me, and I will deliver you from the evil heart of unbelief inside of you. Yea, rather, have faith in Me, trust in Me, and turn to Me with your whole heart, for this is what the Lord does require of you, saith thy God.

Let us Pray!

—Scott Wallis