In a church-related college, a philosophy professor was giving a lecture on some of the traditional Christian doctrines.  After he had concluded, he asked if there were any questions.  One student lifted her hand and said, “I have a question.  You have talked a lot about sin in your lecture.  What I would like to know is: what the heck is sin?”

I.  SIN IS NOT A VERY POPULAR WORD THESE DAYS. 

Awhile back psychiatrist Karl Menninger wrote a book titled Whatever Became of Sin?  bemoaning the fact that people don’t talk much about sin anymore; either personal sin, or corporate sin.  In their calls for a national day of prayer, no American president since Eisenhower has even mentioned our sin and need of repentance.  Thus, as a nation, says Menninger, we ceased sinning over thirty years ago. …