Living in Sin

I don’t need no license
To sign on no line
And I don’t need no preacher
To tell me you’re mine
I don’t need no diamonds
I don’t need no new bride
I just need you, baby
To look me in the eye
I know they have a hard time
And your Daddy don’t approve
But I don’t need you Daddy
Telling us what we should do

These are the first few lines to Bon Jovi’s Living in Sin. This song was first released in 1988 and if you Google the term “living in sin” this is the very first thing that comes up. Other things that come up include several articles about what it means to live in sin according to the Bible with different opinions presented by both the Protestant and Catholic sects of Christianity. After these articles will come a link to the ever popular Urban Dictionary. Urban Dictionary will define this term as “When a man and woman, involved in an intimate sexual relationship, permanently live together but aren’t married.”

The term living in sin carries clear negative connotations and immediately places a burden of guilt on people. Guilt and shame, although powerful, are rarely what compel others towards Christ. Most people are drawn to Christ because of His love, not an overwhelming burden of condemnation. For years, many Christians have felt it was their duty to name and shame those who were living in sin. Statistically this methodology has only decreased the presence of Christianity in the United States. Conversely, Christianity remains on the rise in many countries outside of the United States. There is a clear gap between the methods of the U.S. church populace and the international church populace. As Christianity continues to increase on an international scale, there is obviously a different approach that works.

In this post, I could take a deep dive into the problems of the modern U.S. church, but I know that would not be useful. I once heard Dr. James Merritt say, “Don’t ever waste your time fixing the blame. Spend your time fixing the problem.”

I believe the Christian church in the United States will win when it exchanges condemnation for commendation. Commendation is defined much differently than condemnation. Commendation is defined as follows:

1. to entrust for care or preservation
2. to recommend as worthy of confidence or notice

Per the second definition provided above, the opposite of condemning people is to recommend them as worthy of notice. Christians should not condemn those in sin, but instead we should commend them to Christ. Our goal should be to make plain the Gospel of Jesus Christ which says all are worthy of Christ’s love.

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

– II Corinthians 5:14-15

There is no greater power than the love of Christ. His love draws us to Him. This is the same love that Bishop Michael Curry preached at the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This is a message which immediately gained international acclaim and spread throughout the world for billions to hear. Many headlines even read the bishop’s message “stole the show.” Would you let God’s love steal the show?

“Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” – Psalm 115:1