I’ve been thinking a lot about sin. Not to the point where I want to purposely try them all out, I suppose. But I wonder what you first think when you hear the word. What does it mean to you? What pictures come to mind? Is it just a “church” word? So you immediately picture a controlling person who has a strong judgmental streak in them who enjoys telling you what to do and especially what not to do?
Sin is something (action, attitude, uncontrolled emotion) that many times you think feels good and is a result of freedom. Then you discover that living that life is not really a life of freedom because now you are controlled by whatever it is that you chose–or thought you chose.
The early Christian “desert Fathers” spent a lot of time exploring this topic and several developed something akin to family lineages of emotions that would keep you away from living with God.
So, what if I didn’t use the word “sin?” If I used another word, would it have less visceral judgmental reaction and cause you to stop and take a look at your life. See what attitudes, actions, uncontrolled emotions are controlling your life and preventing a God relationship?
One thing I know–humans have continuously for thousands of years tried to draw up a list of rules for other people to follow so that they would not sin. In Jesus’ time, they were called Pharisees. We have them today. “Let’s just pass a law,” they say, “and everyone will behave–or we’ll send them away.”
Jesus said that we should just have a relationship with him. Then those things will lose their power over us. We won’t need the list of laws. We’ll do what Jesus wants because he’s walking with us.
I didn’t know where this thought would lead when I started, but ending with Jesus seems like a good thing.
Tags: judging, Relationship, Sin
Faith Venture 
Leave a comment