Binge Sinning

Binging- the process of taking one particular action/habit and repeating it too much in spells, rather than spreading it out over a normal period of time, usually resulting in dramatic side effects

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it pretty much always has a negative connotation.  Paired with another word that pretty much always has a negative connotation (sin) the phrase becomes “binge sinning.”  Let us first define sin before we can continue.

Sin- an offense in the sight of God Almighty; Anything that breaks the rules or goes against the standards of the Bible, God’s Holy and inerrant Word

Now, we continue on to the phrase itself: “binge sinning.”  It just reeks of negative connotation.  What to do with such a negative phrase.  Of course, no one would want this stink on themselves, right?  Or would we really mind?  Would what should be a stench be a soothing aroma, or would something of such foul taste be sweet?  What I mean to say is that this simple concept- two words of negative connotation tied together to produce a phrase that defines a large form of iniquity- is played out so much in today’s society, as well as being evident in the many civilizations of yesteryear, that no one really finds it a problem anymore. 

There are a few people who do actually smell the stench, and these same people taste something foul.  These few are Christians, but they tend to take it up a notch.  They pursue nothing but the awesome love of Jesus, and they constantly ask “Is it holy?” and if they get a no for an answer, they stay away from whatever they asked about.  These few are hard to come by, and honestly I cannot think of anyone who actually fits the bill on this one, because in all honesty, we’re human.  We need to realize that we will never be perfect, because if we were, that would take one of Jesus’ many amazing qualities away, and in basic terms belittling Him, which is a sin. 

All too often, instead of Christians asking “Is it holy?” the question sounds more like “How much can I get by with?”  Usually the answer comes when they get caught up in some sort of drama or some internal struggle due to poor choices and they end up crying out to the Father saying “Can I play the forgiveness card?”  It’s a rough deal.  Luckily for us, God is loving, and if He’s forgiven all those who accept Christ as Savior then by all means He will continue to forgive, no matter how much this amazing gift is abused. There was previous discussion of the negative connotation of binge sinning, but it was not clearly defined, so here’s a working definition of binge sinning:

Binge Sinning- the process of taking sin (not just one type; starts with one and could lead to many) and repeating it too much in spells, usually resulting in dramatic side effects

If this is our working definition for the typical process of one sin, then another or the same sin repeated, then a continued cycle of the same sin over and over, which opens new doors to other sins, then what we see is a deadly outcome for those who partake in this form of iniquity.  For Christians, there is always the hope that no matter what you’ve done, the Lord your God will forgive you.  That doesn’t mean you take advantage of His free gift.  It just means if some sin leads you into a dark situation, or there’s some form of sin you’re struggling to quit, He’s there for you.

Now for the unbeliever:

If you get caught up in binge sinning, well, you might not even know it’s a sin.  Honestly, to you it may be just another lifestyle choice, or maybe even a nicely concealed habit.  Then when something destructive happens as a result of this overflow of iniquity, where do you turn?  How do you cope?  In the end, if you don’t seek the help of a believer, or even better, the Lord Himself, how will you turn from these ways once you acknowledge their devastation?  The answer is… Well, there are multiple answers.

Most nonbelievers will find some sort of worldly way to deal with their baggage.  This usually comes in the form of rehab, therapy, visiting a psychologist, or just having a tight group of friends use their own reasoning to figure out a solution you can actually follow.

Talk about destructive.

Not that all of these are bad, it’s just better if the people who are there to help are Christians, because even if they don’t know you, they’ll treat you with love due to being their brother in Christ, and if they do know you they want nothing more than for you to establish a relationship with Christ.  If you already know Him, then they want you to grow closer to Him instead of falling away from Him. 

Binge sinning is what we all do.  Taking things too far, swimming out too deep, and now we’re surrounded by waves ten times our size that crash down on top of us.  The One who walked on water, The One who calmed the seas, He’s The One who’ll help us all overcome this repetition of sin that we do.  Without Him, we will aimlessly continue to overdo it with sin and eventually die… Well, we all die, but some sooner than most due to this habit of ongoing sin.  Please consider the Lord Jesus Christ as a remedy to the ever nearing struggle with sin that you’ll face if you let your current lifestyle persist, Christians and nonbelievers alike.

Your Brother in Christ,

Phillip

P.S. This thought process is accredited to Jesus Christ, for without Him I would never think about this stuff, much less on this level.  Without Him I’d still be lost in the deep, waiting for someone to save me.