Jeremiah 2:1-3:25 Sin and Forgiveness

We live in the age of deconstruction, where long understood concepts and ideas are being
redefined and overturned. Marriage, justice, a man, a woman, truth, beauty, goodness,
these were all once understood. Two of the great truths that have fallen on hard times are
the truths of sin and forgiveness. In a world of no absolutes and personalized truth there
can be no one definition for sin. Sin which was once an act against God has been trivialized
and misappropriated to speak of acts against nature, self, and other things that are not God.
With sin redefined human beings being seen as sinful is an alien concept. We live in a world
where we are basically good, and with a sense of entitlement that God ought to be doing
more good by us, seeing all the bad things that happen to us through a victim mentality.
Forgiveness is no longer the most important thing that we need from a holy God but
something that everyone owes to themselves. Self-acceptance has replaced acceptance
with God. Something as central as the gospel, the truth of a holy but loving God saving
sinners through the substitutionary work of Jesus on our behalf is no longer simple or
uncontested. So this morning I would like us to go back to the Word of God to bring clarity
at a time of uncertainty.