In Carl Menninger’s book, Whatever became of Sin? (chapter 3 entitled, “The Disappearance of Sin: An Eyewitness Account”), are some sobering comments about the trend to eliminate from our vocabulary those deeds which the Holy Spirit stated all people do, and whose wages are death (Romans 3:23;6:23)! Paul further specified some such deeds, affirming that one who practiced such “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9,10). Since the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are biblically synonymous terms, that means souls who are thus guilty of such sins will not go to heaven! Thereby Satan surely seeks to sanctify sin and sinners, so he will have more companionship in his eternal abode of “fire and brimstone...for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). Face these facts! Sin is sobering business!
Note the following list given by the Holy Spirit (as Paul wrote it in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), and Satan’s sanctifying trend:
Holy Spirit’s List of Sins:
Fornicators
Idolaters
Adulterers
Effeminate
Homosexuals
Thieves
Covetous
Drunkards
Revilers
Swindlers
Satan’s Subtle Sanctifying of the Same
Disadvantage Youth or Physically Over-stimulated souls.
A Pattern calling for religious toleration based on sincerity!
A Pattern of momentary weakness.
A Person of sexual individualism.
A Victim of genetic misappropriation.
A Victim of kleptomania who commits petty larceny.
A Profile of ambitious desire.
A Victim of alcoholic disease.
One Socially abused and provoked.
One who is industrially aggressive.
Re-defining sin neither rectifies nor redeems it! Sin caused Jesus Christ to become a suffering sacrifice on Golgotha's hill! (11 Corinthians 5:21). He “bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed!” (1 Peter 2:24). To try to sanctify sin makes Christ on the cross a foolish venture! The cost of sin is Christ’s crucifixion! Don’t slip into sin by siding with Satan!
I surely hope you have read this article to this point! Paul did write relative to that list of sins above that those Corinthians who had surrendered to sin, turned to Christ and “were washed...were sanctified...were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Read it in Acts 18:8 (cf. Mark 16:15f) and rejoice, knowing that you can do the same! Be not overcome by sin, but overcome sin by submitting to Christ, the Savior (Hebrews 5:8f; Acts 22:16)!
Satan's Santification of Sin!