Sin Quotes
"The sin nature of man is the only religious doctrine that can be scientifically, empirically verified. All you have to do is observe people." G.K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936) was an English writer, lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer, and Christian apologist.
"Sin is the best news there is ... because with sin there's a way out. You can't repent of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents--you're stuck with them. But you can repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy, the grounds for reconciled, joyful relationships." John Alexander was a 21st century American pastor, teacher and author who devoted his life to the study of church and Christian community.
"There are only two kinds of people: sinners who think they are saints, and saints who know they are sinners." Author Unknown
“The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” Dwight L. Moody (1837 – 1899),was an American evangelist and publisher, and founder of the Moody Church, the Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers.
"It is after you have realized that there is a real Moral Law, and a Power behind the law, and that you have broken that law and put yourself wrong with that Power--it is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that Chrsitianity begins to talk." C.S. Lewis (1898 – 22 November 1963), was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist, best known for his works MERE CHRISTIANITY and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA.
“The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.” George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950) was a famed Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics.
“If nothing else, there's comfort in recognizing that no matter how much we fail and sin, death will limit our suffering.” Chuck Palahniuk (1962 - ) is an American novelist and freelance journalist.
“Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.” Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797) was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher.
“Man's sin is in his failure to live what he is. Being the master of the earth, man forgets that he is the servant of God.” Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907 –1972) was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century.
“It will never do to plead sin as an excuse for sin, or to attempt to justify sinful acts by pleading that we have an evil heart. This instead of being a valid apology, is the very ground of our condemnation.” Archibald Alexander (1772 – 1851) was an American Presbyterian theologian and professor at the Princeton Theological Seminary.
“One of the peculiar sins of the twentieth century which we've developed to a very high level is the sin of credulity. It has been said that when human beings stop believing in God they believe in nothing. The truth is much worse: they believe in anything.” Malcolm Muggeridge (1903 – 1990) was a British journalist, author, media personality, and satirist.
“God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” Saint Augustine (354 – 430) was an early Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy.
“Everything that used to be a sin is now a disease.” Bill Maher (1956 - ) is an American political satirist, writer, producer, television host, and stand-up comedian.
“All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions.” Reinhold Niebuhr (1892 – 1971) was an American theologian, ethicist, and seminary professor, best known as author of The Serenity Prayer.
“One leak will sink a ship: and one sin will destroy a sinner.” John Bunyan (1628 – 1688) was an English writer and preacher best remembered as the author of the religious allegory The Pilgrim's Progress.
“Sin is too stupid to see beyond itself.” Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 – 1892) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets.
“The reality of loving God is loving him like he's a Superhero who actually saved you from stuff rather than a Santa Claus who merely gave you some stuff.” Criss Jami (1987 - ) is an American poet, essayist, existentialist philosopher.
“Men will allow God to be everywhere but on his throne.
Many of the above quotes provide their own points of application. They do not necessarily represent the views of Orthodox Christianity; neither do they necessarily represent the views of Illustration Exchange.
When The Robbers Get Robbed
In a bizzarre twist of irony, three Colorado armed robbers were thwarted in their effort to rob a check cashing store. According to a Fox News report,
The masked trio went into the Hi Lo Check Cashing in the Denver suburb of Commerce City just before 11 a.m., the Commerce City Police Department said Tuesday.
During the heist, a female thief "seized the opportunity to do what criminals do – steal what was very likely already a stolen vehicle," a Tuesday police Facebook post said.
Forced to flee on foot, two of the would-be theives were soon apprehended. Police are confident the third will soon be arrested.
Some might call it Karma, others might call it comeuppance, but whatever you call it you can be sure, one way or another, your sin will be found out, and thus you will sow what you reap, just like these foolish robbers.
"... behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23, ESV).
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8, ESV).
Don't Eat the Hot Wings
At work one day we were having a potluck and one of guys had brought his special recipe hot wings. His recipe was to blend the habanero chili peppers into a paste, mix it into a little Tabasco sauce, and bake it into the chicken wings.
So he called one of his buddies over saying, “You’ve got to try my hot wings and tell me what you think!”
His buddy grabbed a wing, stuck the whole thing in his mouth, and got about half way through pulling the bone out when the realization hit him that his mouth was on fire! Finally, after lots of water and stuffing anything other than those chicken wings into his mouth to try and put out the fire, he dried the tears in his eyes and got himself composed. Then you know what he did? He went looking for someone else to try those fiery chicken wings!
After the first couple of guys were fooled into eating those wings, with the same predictable results, enough people had gathered and witnessed their demise that they weren’t going to be able to fool anyone else. But then the strangest thing happened.
Guys who had seen for themselves what the others had gone through decided to try the wings for themselves! They were a little more cautious, not sticking the whole thing in their mouths, but kind of nibbling around the edges, yet the results were still pretty much the same. And it went on until all the chicken wings were gone!
You might think the moral of this story is “guys are stupid,” and given the facts, I would have a hard time arguing with you. But as all this was playing out, I started thinking how the spreading heat from those wings was just like the way sin spreads.
The one who made the sauce, knowing how hot it was and what would probably happen, still called out to his friend, “Hey, come on and try my chicken wings!” – He is like the false prophets spoken of in Matthew 24:11 seeking to mislead. "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray" (NIV).
There are many people who will mislead you if you let them.
The one who first tried the wings and burned his mouth still called out for others to come and try them too – He is like the one who has fallen, and rather than picking himself up and putting up warning signs to keep others from the same fate, he calls out to see if he can get others to join him in his misery. As Proverbs 4:16 says, "For they [evil people] cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble" (ESV).
There are those who take pleasure in causing others to stumble.
And what about the ones who saw what was going on, but just had to try it for themselves? They are the ones who blindly follow the masses, even when they know they are going to suffer. And the result? Matthew 7:13 says that “… the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (NASB).
There are those who beckon to you to follow them on their road to destruction.
On that particular day I was one of the few who didn’t eat the chicken wings. But in my life, in the things that truly matter, that hasn’t always been the case. What about you?