Week 26 | June 30

“Theory of Relativity”
Some churches – even in our own Presbytery
– do not talk about sin. Sin is one of those
subjects that society as a whole has come to
reject. Even clearly bad things and people
are being reframed. Take the film industry
as an example. Disney has reimagined two of
Biblical Perspectives on its villains, Maleficent (2014) and Cruella
Current Issues (2021), offering explanations for their
villainy and sympathy for their humanity.
This is not a new trend. One of my favorite films, The Godfather (1972) invites me to
This
sympathize with ruthless criminals. Christians need not avoid these films and stories, but
we must approach them with a biblical worldview.
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This week at APC: W o r s h i p a n d S t u d i e s - P a g e 2

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 Lord’s Day Worship
July 4| 10:00 AM

This Sunday, I continue in my summer

Scripture of the Week

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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That Hollywood reframes sin and false
churches ignore it does not make it so. When it
comes to morality and sinfulness, the Bible is
our only dictionary. Some in society ignore sin
all together. That is clearly an unbiblical
approach and something I won’t even bother
addressing in this article. Others in society
don’t ignore sin, but redefine it. For them, sin
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isn’t so much what you or I do; it’s more what
is done to us. This phraseology finds popularity in victim mentality. Critiques, even if true,
are considered “microaggressions.” Honest questions, even if asked in naiveté, are labeled
with “trigger warnings.” It doesn’t matter if the critique was valid or the question
harmless, if a person felt victimized, they can claim it as true.

This, of course, bounces to another subject: moral relativism and subjective verity. Moral
relativism argues that what is morally good to you might be morally bad or neutral for me.
Euthanasia is growing in popularity in Europe because the value of life is relative to a
person’s experience. Subjective verity (a phrase I just made up) springboards off of moral
relativism and takes the next step to say “my relative experience is not only valuable but
also the truth.” This often carries with it the connotation that that “truth” cannot be
contested. Yet that “truth” is based on emotion rather than fact.

Solomon rightly contrasts “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he
who listens to counsel.” (Prov. 12:15) It is folly to trust in our own subjective experience.
Certainly, our perspective brings something to the table, but when it comes to
understanding God’s design and definitions, we must leave our subjectivity at the door.
Jeremiah suffered great distress during his ministry, to the point where he laments, “My
soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness.” If Jeremiah visited a
modern psychologist, the Prophet would’ve left thinking, “well, the truth is I have no peace
and can recall no happiness,” and been prescribed some remedy. Thankfully Jeremiah
knew his experience of forsakenness was just that, an experience, and not reality. What is
real and certain and unchanging is God. “This I recall to my mind, therefore, I have hope:
The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.” (Lam.
3:21-22)

God defines sin. Sin is not something a system does. Sin is not something that only
happens to people. Sin is not something only a certain kind or class of person commits.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) Sin is anything ungodliness
and unrighteousness that suppresses the truth of God (Rom 1:18). Sin is very much
something we do, and something we do often. While sinning is relative to each person, it is
objective to our nature. Repent and return, trusting in the steadfastness of God’s promise
to forgive.

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 2021 Service Project
Local Missions Trip

This year we served at three different sites. The first was building a ramp for a family
located here in town. The second was building a deck for a family just north of town. The
third was helping with yardwork at a member’s house.

Special thanks to the folks at Interfaith Outreach Association, our labor volunteers, and
our lunch volunteers!

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