A Radical Look at Sin
I don't expect to get into anyone's good graces with this article (pun intended).
Something that has permeated my thoughts for a time is my understanding of sin, how bad it is, and how much it has affected the human race, including myself.
Many people think there is such a thing as "A-moral actions." I am not one of them. I think everything we do is either right or wrong. There is no such thing as a middle ground. The Bible tells us,
Hebrews 11:6 ESV
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
So one might ask what it means to have faith? Does it mean to be "without sin" or sinless? I do not believe so. If it did, then it would mean those who are of faith would not sin. Yet the Bible tells us,
1 John 2:1 ESV
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
And further, it says,
Romans 3:9–10 ESV
“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;””
If one was "without sin" it would surely mean that they are righteous. And if one is righteous, it would mean that they have perfect faith. Do you know anyone who has perfect faith? I do not. I sure would not consider myself of such esteem. So if one has perfect faith, then they are "without sin." But there is only one person who is righteous, there is only one person who has perfect faith, and there is only one person who is "without sin."
The Bible says,
Romans 14:20–23 ESV
“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
Can someone know what will be a vice to someone else in all cases? I'm sure you would agree that no one can. For the Bible says,
1 Corinthians 2:11 ESV
“For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
And,
James 1:13 ESV
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
I am about to say something very controversial. I hope you will at least see that I am coming from a good place, at least as good of a place as I can manage. Every action we do is tainted by sin in some way, shape, or fashion. You heard right. I go even further than saying, "There are no 'A-moral actions'" but I say there are not any actions (in thought or deed) that are not tainted by sin in some way. For the Bible says,
1 John 1:8 ESV
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
What the natural consequence of that is, is that man is inherently sinful. For John does not say, "If we say we have not committed any sin," but he says, "If we say we have no sin."
And,
Romans 8:8 ESV
“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
This means we must be hearing from the Spirit perfectly to not sin because it says,
Romans 8:2–5 ESV
“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”
And was Abraham in perfect faith when he had Sarah's servant? Certainly, he was not. Yet he is the father of our faith that was perfected in Christ Jesus, the sinless Savior of the world. For whatever good a man does it is not as good as what Christ can do, as we do not die without just cause and our Christ did indeed die without just cause spare that it was God's plan to crush Him.
In all of this, my position is simple: Man cannot do what is not sinful. Nonetheless, the Righteous One has atoned for us, thereby making a way for God to take our imperfect motivations and make them good. This is a miracle that God can take our imperfect motivations and make them pleasing to God. For too long have men in the Christian faith tried to say, "This is good, this is bad, and I am indifferent to this thing over here." But we are not the ones on the judgment seat, it is Christ, the Righteous One, who judges our imperfect motivations and says, "You did not do this with purely evil intent, and for that, you will be rewarded for making your best attempt."
God bless you! Until next time!