Accepting and condoning sinful behaviors is wrong, although it has become the norm. Similar to the historical event of the people trading Jesus for Barabbas, we, too have been guilty for trading Jesus for sin.
Barabbas was a notorious criminal during Jesus' earthly life. He was known to be a murderer. When the Jews had falsely accused Jesus and brought charges against Him, the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, saw no grounds for Jesus to be sentenced to death. Despite Pilate's own thoughts of releasing Jesus, he listened to the crowd when they chose for Pilate to release Barabbas instead. Even though Barabbas was a real man, we can still use his name as an allegory to the present-day sins that we shrug off, condone, ignore, and exchange for what is right.
Present-Day Barabbas
Our present-day Barabbas can be seen in a myriad of things. A few examples of our Barabbas today could be lying, disobedience, or going against the Bible because it isn't what's "in." What I mean by the final point is many people condone sin because the vast majority of the world accepts it. With matters such as abortion, homosexuality, or adultery, there are those who glorify these sins or try to say they are a matter of choice rather than morals.
While everyone has their own opinion, it doesn't mean our opinions are right. In everything, we need to weigh what we think against what the Bible tells us. Everything written in the Bible is the complete truth. There are no opinions. It is just the straightforward truth given to us by God. We can fully trust the Bible because it is the infallible Word of God. All of our beliefs and opinions need to be centered around the Bible and what is contained within its pages.
Mankind, including those within the Christian community, have fallen guilty of wanting to be their own god. Instead of listening to the true God, they want to say what is right and wrong for them, even though God has already clearly established right from wrong in the Bible. Many Christians don't like what God has to say and ignore these parts of the Bible, but simply because something may not agree with what we want doesn't make the truth any less true.
Moral Relativism
A common Barabbas today is the idea that everything can be accepted, and sadly, even Christians believe this. As previously mentioned, some common sins that Christians condone rather than defending truth include accepting homosexuality, abortion, or adultery. While Christians need to be loving toward everyone and not judge, it is important that we don't condone these sins or sweep them under the rug. Often, we are seen as being "hateful" if we don't accept the practices of the world, but defending the truth isn't hateful.
We should never hate someone. God never hated anyone, and we shouldn't either. Instead, we need to love others. Sadly, the meaning of love has been distorted, and there are many people with a false view of what love means. Love is sacrificing your own needs and wants for someone else. The greatest act of love is shown to us by Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. This is what real love looks like.
With that being said, love does not mean that we give someone everything they want or we do whatever they want. If a parent loves their child, they are going to stop them from running out into the road while they are playing. Even though the child may get upset with the parent for stopping them, the parent stopped the child because they love them and didn't want them to get hurt. In the same way, real love is not full of roses and happiness all the time. At times, real love can look like having an important conversation about how things are going or telling a loved one what they are doing is wrong.
With the Barabbas' of today, we need to approach the situation with love that is biblical, honest, and true. It is not okay to tell someone that they are doing fine if they are living in sin. While ultimately only the person can decide to change, we don't need to endorse or promote sinful behaviors. If we accept the sinful behaviors, we are just as guilty as the person committing the sin. We need to help others in love and point them to what the Bible says.
Accepting and condoning sinful behaviors is wrong, although it has become the norm. Similar to the historical event of the people trading Jesus for Barabbas, we, too have been guilty for trading Jesus for sin. Sadly, many sins can become comfortable for us, and we start loving the sin. This should not happen, as sin will only turn us away from God. If you have found that you are loving or following a particular sin more than you love God or follow Him, then there is a major problem that is going to have to be worked out. Turning to God in prayer and repentance is the first step to help you stop practicing, loving, or condoning sin.
Political Correctness
Yet again, similar to the situation of the people trading Jesus for Barabbas, we often trade what is biblical for what is politically correct. We strive for acceptance and praise from others, even at the cost of denying Jesus and His Word. This is a grand tragedy that needs to be repented of. Why are we more concerned with what others say than what God says? Why are we willing to condone a sin that clearly goes against the Bible rather than truly helping that person in their struggle against sin? These are all impactful and thought-provoking questions that we need to ask ourselves. We cannot stand on the sidelines and continue ignoring a world that is dying and going to hell.
We cannot ignore sins and still follow Jesus faithfully. Even after we are believers, our sin can still separate us from God. The intentionality of following Jesus and obeying Him can help us in our struggle against sin. We don't need to condone, accept, or shrug off sin. Simply because a sin is accepted in society doesn't mean it is right. As Christians, we can point out biblical truth while still being loving toward the individual. The goal is to not make the person feel terrible about themselves, but rather the goal is to help the person see the sin as God sees it.
Thus, there is a myriad of Barabbases in the present day. The desire to be accepted and praised is so strong in the modern day that believers are willing to accept what the world says instead of what the Bible says. It is dangerous for believers to start following the practices of the world because the world endorses, accepts, and promotes sin in every form. Rather than choosing Barabbas over Jesus, we need to go against the teachings of the world and follow what the Bible says. We don't need to trade in the truths of the Bible for the false beliefs of the world.
Barabbas may not be alive anymore, yet the teaching of giving up what is right for what is wrong is still prevalent today. Unfortunately, a great number of people would rather go along with the practices of the world instead of the practices of the Bible for fear of being rejected. As Christians, we need to choose to stand for what is right and to not endorse sins. Sins will only cause us to be separated from God and impair our own relationship with Him. We need to pray, help, and encourage others in the truth of God's Word rather than accepting, condoning, or endorsing sinful behaviors.
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