Is sin still a sin?

I was reading in Isaiah this morning and ran across this verse: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20 ESV) it kind of struck me this morning (as it has before as well) that we are a nation that does that very thing - just like Judah did in Isaiah's time. We like to say it is our "freedom" or "right" to act the way we do. We also like to say that we cannot tell someone else how to live or what to do. That is up to them.

And in a fashion, that is true. We cannot live someone else's life. They must do it. But we can tell them what is right and wrong. They might not listen. They may not even want to hear it. They might call us "unloving" or "arrogant" or something else. They might say that we have no right to judge them. They might even become irate with us - turning around and attacking us because of what we have said. But if we are speaking from God, speaking from His Word, then we are not the ones "judging" them. God is. When He speaks, then we must listen. To not listen is foolishness on our part and it has an eternal effect on our lives. To blatantly say "I do not want to listen to God," puts us at odds with God.

Yet it is said, "I don't believe that God really says that." And then we do what Americans are good at doing, we put our own twist on God's Word. We interpret it for ourselves. It doesn't matter what generations before us have said about the text, we figure we know better. We approach Scripture from the aspect that every person must interpret it for themselves. And is so doing, we finally have to ask, "Is there anything in Scripture that is true or is it something that we can twist and bend to fit our lives, to justify what we want, and turn God away from our actions?"

In the end, we have to either say, "Thus says the Lord," or "Thus says me." What you say betrays what you are wanting in your life - God or you. I though about how we are with so many things. We say, "Abortion is not murder. It isn't a living, human." God says, "Abortion is murder. It is a living child." We say, "Living together is just a way of life that is to be accepted." God says, "Living together without marriage is wrong." We say, "Sex outside of marriage - before or after - is just an expression of our desire and love that shouldn't be stopped." God says, "All sex outside of marriage is wrong." We say, "Homosexuality is an alternative way of life." God says, "Homosexuality is an abomination." Need I go on? What we do on TV, in shows, on the computer, etc. is seen as a "right" and is open to all we want, no matter what it might be. God tells us to focus on what is good and right. We focus on sick and evil.

And God says, "Woe to you..." We should listen. We should take to heart. We should turn from our sinful, selfish, self-centered ways and follow the way of the Lord. Will we? As a nation? No. As individuals, I pray that we will. As for me, "Lord help me to do, think and say that which is according to Your will."