INTRODUCTION-- When we see sins being done (or even depicted on TV), or areforced to hear of such by means of jokes, or the lyric of songs, what is the level ofshock that we experience?

1. Are we annoyed? Repulsed? Offended? Disgusted?
2. Or, are we merely tolerant and indifferent?

THESIS-- Hasn't our American society become so "liberal" (spiritually) that evenChristians are no longer sensitive to sins?

LESSON--

1. Certain passages of Scripture contrast righteous indignation to insensitivity.
1. Ezra 9:6-15 (Ezra was blushing with shame, though not himself sinful.)
2. Numbers 25:1-13 (While righteous people wept at the sin of their brethren,none reacted with the indignation of Phinehas, who was "jealous" with God'sjealousy. See Psalm 106:30-31.
3. Jeremiah 6:15 (The prophet says that Israel was shameless, even whencommitting "abominations.")
4. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (These tolerant Christians were "puffed up," rather than inmourning regarding the presence of sin.)
2. God detests (abominates) certain things.
1. Homosexual sins. Leviticus 18:22
2. Idolatry. Deuteronomy 17:2-5 (And seek the truth diligently)
1. Even the coveting of silver and gold used in idols. Deuteronomy 7:25
2. The indignation of true worshippers against those who advocatedidolatry was commanded by God. Deuteronomy 13:12-18
3. Contributions to the Temple from the wages of prostitutes. Deuteronomy23:18
4. Unfair weights in commerce. Deuteronomy 25:13-16
5. "Six, yea seven" sins. Proverbs 6:16-19
6. Hypocrisy. Proverbs 21:27
7. Self-justification by human standards. Luke 16:13-15
8. God shows the fate of all who "make abominations" in a depiction of theJudgment. Revelation 21:23-27 God reveals the consequences of Hisindignation at this time.)

APPLICATION-- Let us hear God on the subject of "Moral Sensitivity."

1. Ephesians 5:1-12
2. Colossians 3:5-11
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from every form of evil." (Example: 4:3)
4. 1 Peter 2:11-12

APPEAL-- God cannot tolerate sin, so he commands us to "abhor that which is evil;cleave to that which is good." Romans 12:9
Ezra 9:6 and said, "O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, myGod; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. 7 "Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, ourkings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, tocaptivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day. 8 "And now for a little while grace hasbeen shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in Hisholy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. 9"For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to usin the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins,and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 "And now, O our God, what shall we say afterthis? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 "which You have commanded by Yourservants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land, withthe uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from oneend to another with their impurity. 12 'Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for theirsons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you maybe strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.' 13"And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our Godhave punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, 14"should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people of theseabominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would beno remnant or survivor? 15 "O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as aremnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before Youbecause of this!"

Numbers 25:1 Then Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotrywith the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the peopleate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of theLORD was aroused against Israel. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of thepeople and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORDmay turn away from Israel." 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill hismen who were joined to Baal of Peor." 6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came andpresented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all thecongregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among thecongregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent andthrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague wasstopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-fourthousand. 10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the sonof Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealouswith My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12"Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; 13 'and it shall be to him and hisdescendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God,and made atonement for the children of Israel.' "

Psalms 106:30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, And so the plague was stopped. 31 Andthat was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore.

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not atall ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at thetime I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD.

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexualimmorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And youare puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken awayfrom among you.

Leviticus 18:22 'You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

Deuteronomy 17:2 "If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD yourGod gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, intransgressing His covenant, 3 "who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either thesun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, 4 "and it is told you, andyou hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such anabomination has been committed in Israel, 5 "then you shall bring out to your gates that man orwoman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman withstones.

Deuteronomy 7:25 "You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covetthe silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is anabomination to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 13:12 "If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God givesyou to dwell in, saying, 13 'Certain corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed theinhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," gods whom you have not known,' 14 "then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain thatsuch an abomination was committed among you, 15 "you shall surely strike the inhabitants of thatcity with the edge of the sword--utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock, with the edgeof the sword. 16 "And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completelyburn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the LORD your God; and it shall be a heap forever. Itshall not be built again. 17 "So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that theLORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on youand multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, 18 "because you have listened to the voice ofthe LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what isright in the eyes of the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 23:18 "You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house ofthe LORD your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORDyour God.

Deuteronomy 25:13 "You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. 14"You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. 15 "You shall have aperfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the landwhich the LORD your God is giving you. 16 "For all who do such things, and all who behaveunrighteously, are an abomination to the LORD your God.

Proverbs 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 Aproud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans,feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discordamong brethren.

Proverbs 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings itwith wicked intent!

Luke 16:13 <"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, <"You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows yourhearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory ofGod illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walkin its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not beshut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor ofthe nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes anabomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be followers of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ alsohas loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smellingaroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you,as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are notfitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, norcovetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let noone deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon thesons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness,but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in allgoodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 proving what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have nofellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shamefuleven to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrathof God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you also once walked when you livedin them. 8 But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy languageout of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him whocreated him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian,Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain fromsexual immorality;

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which waragainst the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speakagainst you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the dayof visitation.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.