Sin – is it really that black?

Sin is a topic that makes many people uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable. But it is necessary.

We all have a comfort zone. It’s where we feel at home – safe. Yet, more times than not, that is not where we need to be. We crave for our lives to be magical; yet, the “magic” is rarely in our comfort zone. So, we must deal with the “Un-comfort zone.” We must pass through this to get to the “magic zone.” Both Christians and non-Christians can be in the comfort zone. They can both even be in the Un-comfort zone. But they both must deal with an issue in this “Un-comfort zone.” And that issue is sin.

But before we can deal with the issue of sin and our sin problem, we must deal with our definition of sin. Often, our definition of sin prevents us from dealing with our sin problem. It can also prevent us from understanding the concept of sin itself. Not only that, it prevents us from entering the “magic zone.”

What is sin? One definition states: an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

At first glance, it looks to be a decent definition. Right? Yet, there are two issues with this definition. One is the world ‘considered.’ This implies someone is regarding an act to be against divine law. What if someone else deems it not to be? Second, is the word ‘immoral.’ Who is determining a certain act is immoral? On what grounds? This definition gets us into conflict with each other. I deem something is immoral and regard it an act against divine law. You deem the same act not immoral and, therefore, not against divine law. Does that sound familiar to us today?

Here is another definition. This is the Bible’s definition: Anything God states is against his nature.

Now, who is making the judgment call? God. This is not talking about an ‘act,’ but about the essence of God. Therefore, it is a more abstract concept than just an act. As humans, we have a tough time with that definition. We turn things into an act – it’s easier to quantitate in our minds. Yet, it then makes us become judgmental.

I’m not going to make a list as I don’t want us to get off topic. Yet, there are a number recorded in the Bible. It’s not so much about what the act is, but the way we see sin. If I were to rattle off a list to you, some would likely stand out to you to be more serious to you than others. We tend to cling to the first definition of sin I mentioned. Some acts of sin we see as more “sinful” that others. Why is that?

Well, the sin you personally don’t have an issue with, you will likely consider more “sinful.” That’s because that sin is not an issue in your life. Therefore, consciously, or unconsciously, you think, how could anyone yield to such a sin?

We need to realize that everyone is working on something. None of us is perfect, and we each have different weaknesses that Satan constantly uses to try and bring us down. His tactics use ignorance, guilt, consequences, or even a combination of these. So, how do we overcome this tendency to quantitate sin and rank different acts on a scale of “not so bad,” to “heinous?”

Again, either consciously or unconsciously, we compare ourselves to each other. If you appear blacker than I do, then I can feel better about myself. Maybe, you even convince yourself that the issue you are struggling with isn’t even a sin at all. If accepted by society, then why worry about it? But, if we compare ourselves to the true standard, then the differences between the two go away. We realize that one of us is just as far from the mark as the other. If the standard is pure white, why argue whether onyx or obsidian is darker?

God has a pretty black and white view of sin. Why? When perfection is the standard, anything less is just not good enough. It’s a pass-fail scenario. In that case, if the standard is 100, it doesn’t matter if you made 99 or 50, you still fall short. Until we view sin as God sees sin, then we will never fully understand from what we have been saved.

Is it better to be saved from drug addiction or be saved when very young and never have to go through such hard times? Of course, you would say not having to go through such rough times is better. Yet, who becomes more appreciative? Only when you see sin from God’s perspective can you see that your “not so bad” sin is just as black as one’s “heinous” sin. Only then can you really appreciate what God has saved you from.

All sin has something in common. That’s what we’ll talk about next time. Until then, think about how you can see the world from God’s perspective. It may just change your life. Think about it. What did you discover?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens