The nature of sin: What is sin pt 2

The other post got long so I decided to split it up into two posts each addressing different ideas.

I think Christians these days don't understand what sin is. Not that we don't know when we do it or when others do it. (I think sometimes we're too quick to always point out other people's failings) Rather we don't understand it. I've heard people talk about how much of a sinner they are, and they're laughing and smiling and they talk about a good movie they watched in the same way and I wonder if they really know the nature of sin. I think it's amazing what Hosea says in the 4th and 5th chapters respectively about sin and more specifically idolatry.

They consult a wooden idol
and are answered by a stick of wood.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.

Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
A spirit of prostitution is in their heart;
they do not acknowledge the LORD.

Look at that, a spirit of prostitution. Now can you imagine a man going around saying look at me I had sex with all sorts of women last night... oh wait... we do that all the time don't we... in fact that's something we put on a pedestal and esteem... Okay bad example, but imagine this, a man going around saying with a smile, man I cheated on my wife last night or I just cheated on my girlfriend, and he doesn't feel a thing and he talks about it casually. You'd say that man is heartless, cruel even. Well now, you talk about sin that breaks the heart of God and you casually talk about it and you say it like it's a trivial matter. You have the spirit of prostitution! You've been prostituting yourself to this world and I think if we realized the grievance we've caused God, we could not ever talk about it so lightly.

To say I am a sinner is not a light statement. With that comes everything that the Bible states about sin, you've grieved God, you deserve death, hell even, you've spit in God's face and worse yet, you've prostituted yourself in front of Him. And because we don't understand sin, we don't understand the true grace of forgiveness. It's become a cheap word these days that we throw around without understanding it. Paul is a man who understands grace, a man who says this "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst." (1 Tim 1:15) Well, no wonder he had such an awesome understanding of Jesus' mercy and grace. I bet he had tears in his eyes when he was writing that.

I think the more mature we get in Christ, the more we see ourselves for how God sees us, both the potential and the failing. Listen to a man like Paul Washer talk about his past life. You'll see what I mean.