Text: 1 Kings 16:29-33
Ahab was one of the more infamous kings in the Bible. He provoked the Lord more than all the kings who were before him. To him, sin had become “trivial” (unimportant, nothing to be concerned about). We need to understand WHY it is dangerous for sin to become trivial and also what factors in Ahab’s life led to this, so we can prepare or avoid it as much as possible.
Why It is Dangerous to Make Sin Trivial
- We ignore the fact that sin is a transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4) – God has given us a law that we are capable of observing (1 John 5:3); when we fail to keep it, we sin
- We forget that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) – this is of necessity since God cannot fellowship sin (1 John 1:5)
- We can become enslaved to sin (John 8:34) – it entangles us (Hebrews 12:1)
- Sin ultimately leads to death (Romans 6:23)
- If sin is seen as trivial, we will see no reason to avoid it or overcome it – at that point, we have become “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13)
How Sin Becomes Trivial
- Culture – Ahab grew up seeing sin as the norm; clear history of wickedness among the kings of Israel; his father Omri did more evil than those before him (1 Kings 16:25); Ahab surpassed him
- We are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27) – we live by a higher standard (1 Peter 2:21-22); we are IN the world, but are not to be OF the world (John 15:18-19); we must not be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2)
- Influence – Ahab married Jezebel; a close companion who would constantly encourage him to do evil; she came from an idolatrous culture; hundreds of false prophets ate at her table (1 Kings 18:19), indicative of fellowship and support
- We must guard against evil influences (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17) – when possible, we must be willing to break relationships that pull us away from Christ (Luke 14:26)
- Conscience – when one sees sin as a trivial matter, his conscience has been seared; no longer feels guilty over sin
- A seared conscience results in apostasy (1 Timothy 4:1-3) – godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-10); without it, repentance is either impossible or insincere; we must train our conscience/senses (Hebrews 5:14) by the word of God
- Openness – Ahab traveled to worship Baal, served Baal at home in the house he built for Baal (1 Kings 16:31-32); also made the Asherah (1 Kings 16:33); all of this was out in the open, not private
- Sins are often kept private because they are shameful (John 3:20) – when sins are committed publicly without shame, it is especially dangerous (Jeremiah 6:15); it indicates that one either does not care what God thinks or does not care what man thinks; in this condition, restoration is impossible (Hebrews 6:4-6)
Conclusion
- Let us not allow sin to become a trivial thing – this is dangerous; it ultimately leads to destruction
- Let us guard against the factors that lead to sin becoming a trivial thing so we can continue to be faithful to God
