Changing The Name Heath Rogers The Devil is a master at playing word games. He used this tactic successfully in the Garden of Eden to entice man to commit the first sin (Gen. 3:1-7), and he has been doing so ever since. One way sin becomes more acceptable within society is when we change the way we refer to particular sins. If we can give sins more respectable titles, we take the “sting” of the sin away, making it easier for us to become accustomed to them. Several sins have benefited from a simple name change. Consider the following: The Bible clearly teaches that Homosexuality is a sin (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26-27). Yet, our society portrays homosexuals as “gays” who just have an “alternate lifestyle.” The only crime they are guilty of is “loving” one another. As such, our society has moved towards more acceptance of homosexuality in recent years. The Bible also teaches that Abortion is a sin (Ex. 20:13; Rev. 21:8). However, our society tells us that women who have had abortions have simply exercised their “choice.” They have had a “medical procedure which has resulted in the expulsion of a fetus.” Fornication is condemned as sin in the Bible (1 Cor. 6:18). Mankind has always struggled with sexual sins, and our society is no different. Sex is a prominent theme in popular music and on television. The impression left by songs, soaps, sitcoms, and reality shows is that everyone is having sex all the time. There is little social stigma attached to teenagers becoming “sexually active,” even when such results in a pregnancy. Teens are not told to wait, they are told to have “safe sex.” When they don’t, their classmates celebrate the occasion by giving them a baby shower in the high school cafeteria. It is just assumed that “premarital sex” is acceptable. After all, everyone is “doing it.” In fact, we have decided that we don’t even need the “marital” anymore. The Census Bureau reports that the number of people of the opposite sex sharing living quarters rose from 439,000 in 1960 to 5.1 million in 2003. Why? Because what used to be called fornication is now called “living together.” The Bible teaches that Adultery is a sin (Heb. 13:4). Today adultery is commonly referred to as “having an affair.” The word “affair” just doesn’t conjure up the painful images of sin and betrayal like the word “adultery.” An “affair” sounds mysterious and inviting. It is like an adventure that has to be kept secret from one’s spouse. The only way anyone gets hurt is if you get caught. If fornication and adultery are sins, then certainly Prostitution is as well. The “world’s oldest profession” is alive and well today, only today it is referred to as an “escort service.” Prostitutes are “call girls” who have “dates” and like to “party.” Profanity is condemned as sin in the Bible (Eph. 4:29). Yet in entertainment it is referred to as “adult language.” “Sentence enhancers” are used liberally by some people either to express their strong emotions, emphasize the point they are making, or to exhibit their stupidity. The consumption of Alcohol is condemned as sin in the Bible (Proverbs 29-35). Yet today it is referred to as an “adult beverage” and those who partake of it are simply “being social” as long as they “drink responsibly.” Pornography violates principles set forth in the Bible and is sin. The “adult entertainment industry” is a booming business. It is found everywhere, with profits in the billions of dollars every year. Movies are rated MA for “mature” audiences because of “adult content.”
Gambling violates principles set forth in the Bible and is sin. Today, gambling is referred to as “gaming.” We played games when we were children. Games are innocent and fun. No one gets hurt when we play games, so it must be all right to gamble. What affect can this have on us? How can changing the way we refer to sins be a dangerous thing? Look carefully at how Satan works. Do you think of yourself as an “adult?” Yes. Do you think you are “mature?” Sure, we all do. Well, profanity, alcohol and porn are for adults who are mature. Now, notice the inconsistency when we consider the argument for gambling. Men want to be adults so they can use profanity and enjoy alcohol and porn, yet they want to play “games” like children. We can see how Satan’s deception has been successful in the world, but subtle name changes have also affected the Lord’s church. For instance, when was the last time you heard of a member of the church coming forward and repenting of “sin?” It is often reported to the congregation that a certain brother/sister has come forward to “confess fault,” admit a “mistake,” request prayers for a “personal problem” they are “struggling with,” etc. When David was confronted by Nathan he confessed “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13). We would do well to make the same confession. If we don’t call it “sin” we are not going to treat it like sin. Remember, Jesus did not die on the cross for faults, failures and foibles; He died on the cross for sins. What is “sin” called in the church where you attend? What do the elders and preacher call it? Public confessions are oftentimes very emotional situations. We try to choose our words very carefully so as not to make a hard situation any worse, but I suggest that clarity and plain speech at such a time would actually benefit the congregation. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), but sometimes public confessions are handled in such a generic way that the congregation as a whole is left confused. Members of the church will then spend the next few weeks asking around to find out what it was that the brother confessed and repented of. When I was a teenager one of my schoolmates responded to an invitation, made a confession and asked for the forgiveness of her sins. However, the confession was so generic that I did not know what it was about. I made a fool out of myself congratulating her heartbroken father on her restoration, commenting on how happy he must be. It wasn’t until two months later that I learned from a person in the community that she was pregnant. There was a time when every Christian understood what a “false teacher” was. However, this term has also fallen victim to the “Name Game.” Today we are told that the term “false teacher” applies to a preacher’s character, not to his doctrine. As such, a false teacher is now a brother “with whom we disagree on a particular subject.” When did we discover this need to change our use of the term “false teacher?” When our favorite preachers began to be exposed as teaching false doctrine. After all, we can’t have a false teacher come and hold a Gospel Meeting for us, but we can have a man who “holds a different position than we do” come and preach for us as long as he promises not to teach his “views” on that subject. I have heard several preachers and elders use this line of reasoning. All they are doing is “changing the name.” Call a wolf what you want to, it won’t keep him from devouring the sheep. If a man preaches error on divorce and remarriage, and someone believes him and follows his error, will the preacher’s good character keep the one following his error out of Hell? That is the real issue. Remember, we are “not to think of men above that which is written” (1 Cor. 4:6). Upon what grounds can faithful Christians honor a man whose influence gives weight and credence to a doctrine that will send souls to an eternal hell? (Wait a minute! If hell is not eternal, then the results of his false doctrine aren’t that bad, are they?!) Changing the name does not change anything. If I take a bottle of poison, rip off the label and write “Kool-Aid” on it, and my children find it and drink it, what will happen? Has changing of the name on the label changed the lethal nature of the poison? Of course not! Call it what I want, poison is still
poison, and if my children drink it they will die. Call it what we want, sin is still sin, and the wages of sin are still death. 801 Buttercup Dr. Edna TX 77957