Today’s a new day!

There is a dangerous temptation in the modern Church to preach against only the sins we personally dislike while remaining silent about the sins we tolerate, excuse, or even benefit from. Over the years, I’ve noticed that when some preachers confront the sins of American culture, the focus is often narrowed almost entirely to sexual morality, transgender debates, or Islam. While Scripture certainly calls believers to holiness and truth in every area of life, the Bible’s prophetic voice speaks just as forcefully against corporate greed, political corruption, racism, systemic injustice, slander, deception, pride, exploitation, and the neglect of the poor.

The Word of God does not allow us to selectively condemn sin based on political convenience or cultural comfort. The prophets confronted corrupt leaders who oppressed the vulnerable. Jesus rebuked religious hypocrisy and exposed systems that devoured widows while pretending to honor God. The apostles warned against greed, favoritism, division, and lovelessness just as seriously as they warned against sexual immorality.

Faithfulness to Christ means proclaiming the whole counsel of God — even when it confronts our own tribe, ideology, assumptions, or lifestyle.  

Too often, Christians can become passionate about the sins “out there” while ignoring the idols hidden within our own hearts. We may denounce immorality while harboring bitterness. We may speak loudly about truth while spreading slander or conspiracy. We may defend “Christian values” while neglecting the poor, the immigrant, the orphan, or the widow. Yet Scripture consistently reminds us that God sees all sin clearly and calls His people to repentance, humility, mercy, and holiness.

The apostle Paul paints a sobering picture of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. The list includes sexual immorality, yes — but it also includes hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, envy, and drunkenness. Likewise, Colossians 3:5-9 confronts not only sexual sin, but greed, anger, malice, slander, and lying. In 1 Corinthians6:9-11, Paul reminds believers that many of us were once trapped in various forms of sin, “but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

That is the hope of the Gospel.

The answer is not pretending some sins matter less than others. Nor is it weaponizing morality against people we fear or dislike. The answer is repentance at the foot of the Cross. The ground is level there. Every one of us stands in desperate need of grace.

God’s grace is greater than all our various sins.

Romans 13:14 tells us to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” The call of Christianity is not culture war obsession; it is Christlikeness. It is allowing the Holy Spirit to expose every corner of our hearts — not just the sins that are easiest to preach about.

The Church must recover a prophetic voice that is not controlled by political parties, media outrage, or cultural tribalism. We are called to speak truth with courage and love, whether that truth confronts personal immorality, greed in the marketplace, racism in society, corruption in government, or pride within the Church itself.

Biblical Christianity does not belong to the “left” or the “right.” It belongs to Jesus.

And when we truly follow Jesus, He will challenge every idol we try to protect. ~OC