SOWING FIG LEAVES TO COVER SIN GUILT

By Akin Ojumu

Ever since Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover up the guilt and shame of their sin, mankind has learned to do the exact same thing throughout the ages.

Nowadays, people go to great lengths to tamp down the agony and turmoil of the soul that stem from their iniquitous ways of life. In these contemporary times, instead of actual “fig leaves,” transgressors often take to alcohol, intoxicants, and other proclivities to dull the pain of sin.

Just as the fig leave strategy failed Adam and Eve, so are the modern-day attempts to kill the terror of the soul that arises as a result of sins. Sooner or later, the numbing effects of the alcohol and intoxicants wear off, and then the anguish that emanates from sinful behaviors roars back with vengeance. Regardless of what man does, the torment of sin cannot be quenched. Notwithstanding the remedy, the torture that flows from iniquity continues unabated.

Yet, none of these has stopped reprobate minds from trying to suppress the pain that fills the sinful soul. These days, a degenerate world has doubled down on their degeneracy. Lawlessness is dressed up in fashionable garments, and malfeasance is accessorized in beauty attires. In stubborn defiance of God’s righteousness, the world now glamorizes sin to make it appealing. Depravity of all sorts is romanticized in order to normalize them and make them easily acceptable by society.

Yet, the Scripture could not be clearer when it comes to sin and its consequences.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers (i.e., verbally abusive), nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Each of the behaviors listed above is a sin, and none is more or less a sin than the other. It doesn’t matter how much or how well or how often the world tries to normalize or glamorize any of these depravities, they are sins, nonetheless. Those who habitually practice them will end up in hell.

“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

The Christian congregation in Corinth to whom Paul wrote this letter was made up of converted fornicators, repentant idolaters and adulterers, penitent effeminates and homosexuals, contrite thieves and covetous, erstwhile drunkards, and former revilers and swindlers. By the mercies of God, these lost souls were washed, sanctified, and justified.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminates, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers in the Corinthian Church had abandoned their former ways of lives to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The proof they belonged to Christ was not their church attendance. They were Christians because they stopped practicing their former sins. They repented of their sins and forsook their wicked ways. Their acceptance into the Body of Christ was predicated on them renouncing their sinful ways of life.

Contrary to what obtains in many Christian assemblies today, there can be no acceptance of the sinner without true repentance of sin. A church that preaches tolerance without an accompanied forfeiture of sin cannot be called a Christian Church. A sinner who continues in sin should not find comfort in the House of God. Seeker-friendly Churches that go out of their way to tell itchy-eared sinners exactly what they want to hear are only raising candidates for eternal damnation.

Normalizing and glamorizing sins cannot change the precept of God. Appeasing and accommodating iniquities is never going to mask the anguish they bring. Wrong diagnosis forestalls appropriate remedy. As long as sinners aren’t told the truth about their sins, they are never going to seek the cure for the malady of their souls.