Sin is a transgression of the law ( 1 John 3:4). Sin is neglecting to do God's will ( James 4:7). Sin brings guilt for our conscience and damnation for our soul.

Many remedies are used to ease the pain of guilt and calm the fear of judgment.

Some try to ignore it. They try to hide the evidence and put it out of their mind. But God knows.

Some try to deny the sin. They lie about it. They think if they can convince others that they are not guilty, God will also be deceived. But you cannot fool God.

Some try to redefine sin to make it a mere mistake or a cultural taboo. But God's will cannot be changed to conform to the times.

Some try to excuse sin. They feel that what they did was caused by other people or a bad environment. God does not accept excuses.

Some think that grace will cover their sins without their repentance. They think, "God is so gracious he will overlook my sin." Such is a perversion of grace. God is both gracious in his goodness, but also severe in his judgment.

There is only one remedy for sin -- the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He bore our sins in his own body. The only way for this sacrifice to be effective in covering my sins is by repenting and doing the Lord's will. This alone removes our sins from the mind of God and lifts the guilt from our convicted soul.

Jimmy Jividen, Scripture Speaks, 22 June 2006 accessed from http://www.forthright.net/scriptures_speak/sin_remedies.html January 11, 2008

Brother Jividen makes the point that we try our best to get around sin and its implications for ourselves, for the church, for our families and for the nation. Yet, sin is so pervasive that it touches and corrupts everything it comes into contact with. We are so surrounded by it that it doesn’t bother us anymore.

The media, in an effort to get ratings, will glorify sin, and then stand in shock when sin touches the lives of people. Daily, hourly on television murder is glorified in police dramas, but when it comes home to roost, we are shocked that it can happen to us. Britney and Jamie Spears are “role models” for our country’s teenagers, and when Jamie becomes pregnant, media moguls are shocked that such a thing can happen, but they will not take her off the air because she gets good ratings. Shocked, yes, but let us make sure we keep the ratings up (cha ching). No condemnation. Ultimate hypocrisy abounds and America keeps on watching! It doesn’t shock us anymore – we have stopped blushing (Jeremiah 6:15; 8:12).

Do we honestly think God will continue to allow these things to continue?

The only remedy is the gospel – brethren, we need to teach and preach, teach and preach the only hope man has. It is time for us to unite as one and live the gospel and preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. I pray that it is not too late. I pray that God will give us the strength to speak out against sin, and preach the hope of a lost and dying world.