There is a literal cost when society abandons the concept of sin. Many people will find that it reduces their bank balance.
The state fines people when they break its laws. On the other hand, God calls the breaking of His law ‘sin’ and He gives sinners a verbal warning. Fines reduce one’s bank balance; God’s warnings reduce one’s self-esteem, which is why people do not like either of them. God warns sinners time after time, because of His toleration and patience. The state is not so tolerant, but fines and imprisons those who transgress its laws.
Without the middle ground of sin, a concept that works on people’s conscience, the state has only blunt instruments to maintain order and civil peace – the law, punishment, peer group pressure and the fear of punishment. There is no love here – no motivation to keep the law other than the fear of public disapproval or the fear of punishment. Tony Blair’s administration created new laws at an increasing rate but he noted upon leaving office as Prime Minister that although Parliament can make laws, it cannot motive people to keep its laws.
Christianity teaches the need for reformation both individually and nationally. It does so by the Bible, the Word of God. “The pen is mightier than the sword.” The Bible calls it ‘sin’ when people disobey the law of God, a word that has disappeared out of public debate.
It is not the role of the state to punish sin. It punishes crime. The state does not know how to deal with sin properly. However British law is beginning to punish thoughtcrime with fines. Thoughtcrime is the secular equivalent of sin. It is based upon political correctness, which is the current term for secular morality.
Thoughtcrime could be a good source of revenue for a secular state. Fining people is also the secular way to impose its will upon society.
Secular fines are replacing Christian preaching as the means to maintain order in modern Britain. Even the Jews have forgotten how to atone for sin. In the absence of the Jerusalem Temple, they now teach that atonement is made by personal good works and charity – just the same as every other non-Christian religion. The problem of motivating people to keep the law is still there.
Society is paying a heavy price by denying the concept of sin, which follows upon the secular denial of the Being of God.
On the other hand, naming sin addresses people’s conscience and God gives them time to repent. Not so the state. When you break its laws, you will be punished, usually by a fine or even imprisonment. There are modern modifications of this, such as ‘three strikes and you are out’ or possibly ‘community service’, however these are not common. Rather, the state uses the fear of punishment to keep control of the population, while secularists complain about the fear elicited in them by the concept of God and eternity. The difference is that God gives plenty of warning and gives time for repentance.
However, as wickedness grows, the ungodly discover that there are not enough policemen, judges, jails and time to keep up with their criminal activities, so even the fear of punishment diminishes. The Metropolitan Police, overwhelmed by terrorist activity, has announced that it will not investigate some ‘low-level’ forms of crime because of funding cuts.
This is the price of the secular agenda.
This feeds through to an increasing cost on society by a growing criminal justice system and the inefficiency of a corrupt society. It is time to repent ‘towards God’.
“O how I love Thy law! it is my meditation all the day” Ps 119:97
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not heavy” 1Jn 5:3
31 Oct 2017: in the absence of sin we now have ‘morality patrols’, a term used by Melanie Phillips.