Sinflation: The Growing Tolerance for Intolerable Sin

 If you were to ask someone their thoughts on the most problematic trend in the nation over the past decade or two, most would find themselves saying that inflation ranks fairly high on the list. The idea that the money that you possess is always losing value, even though you still have to work just as hard brings a sense of futility in the effort invested into work. Anger, resentment, and confusion arise over people’s desensitization to the loss in impact of the dollar bill. However, when we find ourselves looking at spiritual matters, we feel that the idea of desensitization suddenly vanishes, and we continue to live how we want, and not how God wants us to live. This mentality has consistently grown into a dangerous problem as we find ourselves tolerating more ungodliness the more we see it. This idea of inflation that devalues sin is not a concept that resides within spiritually upright matters, but instead it is a series of lies that Satan gives to desensitize followers of Christ to persuade them to let sin creep further into their lives.

What is “sinflation,” and how is it ruining the spiritual upstanding of many members of the church as we see it today? In simple terms, “sinflation” is the decreasing conviction that is brought on by sin due to repetitive commitment and counterfeit remorse. Just as Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Without surrender to God’s will over our lives, there will always be those sins that we find ourselves returning back to, and there is always going to be that desire for the world. These sins will separate us from God, and if we are not careful, it will be harder to turn back to the fold. The question stands, “How can we make sure that we are not separating ourselves from God?”

 Compared to financial inflation, this spiritual inflation can be overcome in a similar manner. Knowledge, devotion to work, and prioritizing profitability are the solutions to counteracting Satan’s schemes to dissuade us from following God. First, knowledge is the key to starting in the right direction. According to Proverbs 18:15, “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” If we want to start living more carefully and not let the impact of sin devalue within our hearts, knowing the Word to discern between good and evil is paramount. Second, devotion to work prevents distraction and therefore turning back to the world. In Luke 9:62 says “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” In other words, we should not be distracted from the work that we are called to do. If we want to live a more devoted life to Christ, we should find ourselves heavily involved in the work of the Lord, so much that, even when we are tempted, the investment in our work greatly helps to resist those temptations. Lastly, profitability should remain as the goal in our spiritual walk. At the end of the parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:30, it says, “And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Notice that there is no quantity, simply the devotion to progress. Simply doing all that we can to stay strong and strive for unity with God helps us hold ourselves accountable in moments of weakness. As long as we strive to keep these three points and continue to build in spiritual doctrine, we will continue to see sin as the destructive process it truly is as we strive for unity with Christ.

~Caden Conley