Sin: A Topic That Must Be Discussed

            The state of society seems to have an unfortunate mindset where an unspoken commandment has been established and it says that, “thou shalt not talk about negative things.” With the Western culture constantly focused on “thinking positive,” providing “trigger warnings,” and “tolerating everything,” the topic of sin and the wretchedness of humanity is often hushed. The issue of sin is crucial for understanding other doctrines and areas of Christianity. Not only is understanding sin helpful in developing your own theology, but it is important in the everyday decisions you make.

            Your understanding of God, humanity, salvation, and even societal issues all derive from your view of sin. If your view of God is that He is perfect, pure and that humans are to be like Him, then straying from the attributes of God means that we are sinning. If our view of God is more as an absent deity, an imperfect being who ‘governs from afar,’ then the sinfulness of humanity is not nearly as serious. Not only that, but the way humanity is viewed revolves around sin as well. If humans are basically good creatures, then “sin” may be chalked up to ignorance or mistakes. If, however, humans are corrupt, fallen creatures, then the rebellious nature of a person means that a dramatic transformation must take place to change in order for them to become ‘good.’ Just as with your view of God and humanity, so the ideas of salvation, ministry and society involve the concept of sin to some extent.

            Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Not some. Not most. All. Paul goes on in Romans 6:22 to tell us that the consequence of sin is death. How is this concept reconciled? If humans are born sinful and sin leads to death, then are we doomed to die? Of course not! With the aforementioned passages, Paul is quick to address a solution to the dire situation by reminding us that Jesus died for our sins so that we are now covered by His blood and are now pure in the eyes of God. Now you understand the importance of understanding sin and the unfortunate nature of humanity, you must ask yourself this: what is this information for? How does knowing this help me in any way?

            As a Christian, you are literally a “Christ-follower.” Think about it this way. When the Beatles arrived in America, the craze called Beatle Mania swept the nation. Beatles fans went to extreme lengths to see the band and essentially worshipped the music. For a more current generation, think of Justin Bieber and his manic fans called ‘Beliebers.’ So as a Christ-follower, what does that mean to you? Do you portray your love for Christ with your actions? Do you think that if someone looked at your life, your thoughts, actions, and words would make it clear that you followed Christ?

            The Bible makes it explicitly clear that God loves you, but if you are saved and know that all of your sins, past and present, are forgiven, then what is to stop you from living your life the way you want? First, you must follow through with the commitment you made when you were saved. The theory is you became a believer because you realized the wretchedness inside you and your need for a Savior – Jesus Christ. It would logically follow that you love Jesus because of that. If you love Him, as Jesus says in John 14:15, you will obey Him. Jesus calls us to a life of continuous sanctification, meaning that the perfect will not come until we are with God, but until then, each year, each week, each moment should be a step closer towards perfection as you ward off sin and align yourself with God’s will.

            So how do you live as a sinful human? Well, as a believer, the Holy Spirit is in you, serving as a helper and advocate for you. He helps you recall Scripture and guide you towards God’s will. If you would like to learn more about this beautiful relationship, check out (INSERT LINK TO HOLY SPIRIT ARTICLE HERE – ADJUST SENTENCE AS NEEDED). Romans 12:2 tells us this, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” This transformation of your mind is in reality a complete change in your mindset: no longer does your mind function as that of a lost person, but instead as a believer who is indwelled with the Holy Spirit. Of course, this is far from easy. Paul affirms how difficult “fighting the good fight” is, even for him, in Romans 7:18-19, which says, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” This is why it is so very important that you are spending time with the only One who can help you combat your natural, sinful desires.   

            Sin is ruthless. It separates us from friends, family, and God. It destroys marriages, friendships, and lives. It gnaws at you daily and your flesh has the uncanny ability to find a way to rationalize it with thoughts like, “That person did something worse,” or “She deserves this,” or “Technically, it’s not that bad…” Unfortunately, sin is sin, regardless of how great or how small and we are blessed with a God who loves us, cares for us, and longs to see His will and ours align as a perfect match. As I mentioned, sin and its nastiness of it is something not discussed too often in today’s society, but it needs to be a topic of conversation once more. While running around boasting of what you did or did not do or attacking someone who is living a sinful lifestyle seems to be the best way to address it, it is not. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone, which is why the church body functions as…well, just that, a body. There are many parts, working in unison towards the same goal. We are to be active in the lives of the believers in our community, doing life with them, worshipping with them, and chastising them and redirecting them to God when necessary. Do you have a group of believers surrounding you willing to do the hard thing and tell you when you are straying off the path? What about you? Are you willing to step up and address it to a friend? (As a side note, if you are addressing someone else’s sin, please proceed with prayer, tact, and gentleness!)

I leave you with anabaptist Balthasar Hubmaier’s definition of repentance. It is “accusing oneself of sin before God, asking him for forgiveness and henceforth never again committing it, that is the highest form of repentance, namely to guard oneself against sin and to walk henceforth according to God’s Word.” Is your life a “rinse and repeat” cycle of sin where you sin, ask forgiveness, and repeat the sin once more, forcing yourself into an endless cycle of shame and guilt? Or, are you evaluating the sin in your life and truly making a change based on what God has called you to do?