A person may ask “Why are doctors so focused on diseases?” The answer is simple: Doctors must be able to diagnose diseases in order to apply treatment to promote health. Similarly, it may appear that Christians are fixated on sins, but ultimately, Christians are far more focused on their Savior from sin, Jesus Christ, than on sin itself. Yet, a certain amount of attention must be given to the truth about our sin and its devastating consequences, so we understand our need for a Savior.
We can think of sin in two ways: our inner sinful nature and outer sinful action.
Our Inner Sinful Nature: All people are born with a sinful or a selfish nature. No parent has to teach a child how to be self-centered, how to disobey, how to lie, how to say “no!”, how to insist on their own way, or how to be inconsiderate of others. All of this comes naturally and is an outward manifestation of an inward sinful nature. A parent will invest 18 years on the same lessons: say please, say thank you, share, think of others, be honest, be caring. Our sinful nature can never be eradicated in our lives, and will be with us until the day we die. My sinful nature (like your sinful nature) always urges me to forget God, to forget others, to take charge on my own behalf, to take advantage of others, to resent others when they take advantage of me, to manipulate circumstances in my favor, to do what I want, to please myself, to insist on my own way, to deceive others so that I look like the good guy and to blame others when things go wrong. Yes, my sinful nature (like your sinful nature) is pretty rotten. And I have not even confessed on paper the worst of it!!!
Our Outer Sinful Actions: Our outer sinful actions spring forth from our inner sinful nature. By our outer sinful actions, I mean thoughts, words and deeds that we or others can recognize or see in our lives. Jesus expressed it this way: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23) You can only see the visible actions that emanate from my sinful nature.
Sin fractures our relationship with God: As we thumb our nose at God, we build a wall that separates us from God. We think to ourselves, “Who cares what God thinks or wants? It’s my life and I will do with it what I damn well please. If God doesn’t like it, too bad!” We may not consciously say these exact words, but we surely think and act that way as we withdraw further and further from God.
Sin ruins our relationships with others: Selfishness, greed, lies, jealousy, bitterness, lust, selfish ambition, power hunger, hypocrisy – these do not make good building blocks for relationships. So we have wars between nations, fights in communities, battles in homes, struggles within our own hearts.
Sin is fun! That’s what a 13 year old boy once told me. My response to him was as follows: “Suppose your Dad had an affair with a co-worker because “Sin is fun”. Then your mother divorced him. You had to move out of your house into a two bedroom apartment with your mother and three brothers. You had to leave your school because of the move. You had little money for things you enjoy. Your mother was always crying or angry. You got to see your father every other weekend. Your friends started to drift away because you couldn’t afford the latest fashion or gadget. You were stressed out, so your grades suffered. You started hanging out with kids who smoked and did drugs. Your dreams of college vanish. You get arrested and spend time in jail.” Then I asked the 13 year old boy, “How much fun was your
father’s sin for you?” He got the message: sin may appear to be fun, but in the long run, it hurts a lot of people including the sinner.
Sin leads to death: When sin entered the world, so did death. “For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23a) Sin kills our relationship with God, destroys relationships with others, brings spiritual death, physical death and eternal death.
God saves us from sin: This is the heart of the Christian faith. Jesus bore on the cross the sins of every person. He paid the price so that we could be forgiven. His sacrificial death tore down the wall, built by our sin, that separates us from God. As we were baptized, God promised to wash away our sin, not outwardly like the removal of dirt, but an inward washing with water and the Word of God. As we believe in Jesus, or trust Jesus, we are assured that our inward sinful nature is forgiven and that our outward sinful acts are forgiven. Instead of death, which we earned through our sin, God gives life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Our relationship with God can grow, as we receive forgiveness and new life from Him. We now have peace with God through Jesus. We talk to God in prayer. We listen to God through His Word, the Bible. We worship God with fellow forgiven sinners in church. We follow Jesus and His teaching. We seek to do things God’s way, rather than our way. We are strengthened in faith and forgiveness through the Lord’s Supper. We still continue to sin in our relationship with God, but rather than being defiant in our sin, we are instead grieved by it. We seek God’s forgiveness and once again receive His peace.
Receiving God’s forgiveness changes our relationships with others. Jesus’ sacrificial love for us gradually works a change in our heart and in our actions. Here is an example from one of the most popular musicals in Broadway history, Les Miserables. The central character in the musical is a hardened ex-convict named Jean Valjean. Valjean is released from harsh prison and is placed on probation. He has no place to live, so a kindly bishop gives him a meal and lodging. Early in the morning, Valjean steals silverware from the bishop, and flees. The police find him with the silverware, and bring him back to the bishop, preparing to throw him back into prison. The bishop says, “I am glad you came back, you forgot to take the candlesticks that I gave you.” After the bishop reassures the police, Valjean is released. The bishop is alone with the thief, and gives him the silverware and the candlesticks saying, “Make yourself an honest man, I have bought your soul for God.” Valjean leaves, but his heart is transformed by the bishop’s mercy. The rest of this wonderful musical shows Valjean in situations where he could choose hardheartedness or mercy. Transformed by mercy, he chooses mercy, kindness, compassion, truth, and justice. This musical portrays how God’s mercy in Christ transforms the sinner so that he strives to choose mercy, compassion, kindness, truth and justice.
Christians still are plagued by the sinful nature, but each day we receive God’s forgiveness and strength to begin anew. With God’s help, like Jean Valjean, Christians strive to bring mercy and compassion to others.
Prayer: O God, I feel the pull of the sinful nature in my life. I honestly admit that I have done what I know is wrong. Lord, let me know of your forgiveness. Let me be open to the affects of your mercy to me. Through Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
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