One of the Worst Sins, Part 2 – Luke 16:14-15

We sin every day, but we usually only count the sins that are made in the sight of man. We must remember that sin is always committed in the sight of God. While all sin is sin, not all sin is equal. Scripture clearly distinguishes between sin in ignorance and intentional sin. God considers motivation, impact, and their heart of rebellion when evaluating sin. (John 19:11). In our text, we see some of the worst sins.

The Love of Money

Money is a tool, but when you love money, it is an abomination. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1 Tim 6:10). When money is loved, it replaces love for God, leading to idolatry. The love of money motivates sinful behavior, creates spiritual blindness, and aligns our hearts with worldly values instead of Godly virtues. You cannot serve God and money together.

Unbelief

Unbelief is demonstrated by scoffing, turning up the nose, and holding Jesus in contempt. Even with Christ’s miracles, great teaching, and genuine character, those who practice unbelief refuse to believe. This refusal stems from a corrupted heart—morally ruined, spiritually diseased, and possessing a darkened mind. Unbelief is the suppression of the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-19). Healing from this deep corruption requires God’s regeneration and new life, revealed through the Holy Spirit’s correction and rebuke.

Undenied Self

The third severe sin is the outcome of the undenied self. Self is the root of human problems; it is the source of pride, self-seeking, and rebellion, ruling our hearts and decisions apart from God. Inside, we are all born full of robbery and wickedness (Luke 11:39).

Self-justification is when a person defends their own actions and motives instead of acknowledging their mistakes. In a spiritual sense, this practice is extremely dangerous because it:

• Prevents Repentance: It keeps us busy defending the self, leading to no confession of sin.
• Hardens the Heart: It blinds us to spiritual reality, causing repeated sin without remorse.
• Blocks Grace: Self-justification makes one proud and unable to receive the grace offered through Christ (Luke 23:39).
• Opposes Christ: It is the ultimate rebellion, denying the cross and rejecting the grace of Jesus. Self-justification claims we do not need Christ, who alone is the antidote for sin (Galatians 2:21).

We must embrace being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). This is not physical death but the daily, spiritual mortification of the self. It means surrendering self-centered pride, letting Christ’s life govern our actions, and yielding to God’s will over self-control. We live by faith, trusting Jesus who died for us. A Christian should obey before understanding. That doesn’t mean we don’t understand but we obey even if we don’t understand.

Seeking Human Approval

This is another worst sin we practice often. Seeking human approval means valuing the praise, acceptance, and recognition of people more than what is God-honoring. The Pharisees were trapped in this sin, seeking to justify themselves “in the sight of man” (Luke 16:15). They seek popularity and attention (Matthew 23:5).

Seeking human approval is devastating because it:

• Replaces God: It is a form of idolatry, replacing our loyalty to God with loyalty to people.
• Produces Hypocrisy: It corrupts motives, turning worship into performance and sincerity into showmanship (Matthew 6:1-2, 5).
• Suppresses Obedience: Fear of man’s disapproval leads to silence regarding the truth and the rejection of God’s will.

A key cause of people-pleasing is a lack of fear of God. When people look strong, and God seems weak, the fear of man becomes a snare.

Cure for Human Approval: We must find our identity in Christ. Your worth is rooted in being loved and adopted by Him. We must grow in the fear of God, knowing He judges perfectly, seeing the inside, while man only sees the outside. Make it your daily aim to please God, because pleasing people leads only to slavery. We are called to live for eternal evaluation.

Remember, we are all God’s kingdom priests. The work of salvation is finished by Jesus. There is no room for self. We are called to seek His kingdom and His righteousness, defeating these worst sins by choosing simply to trust and obey Him every day.