REDISCOVERING SIN

                I have begun reading Generational IQ by Hayden Shaw. At the beginning of the book he outlines, in general terms, the characteristics of the different generations, focusing on the things that have uniquely shaped them. The way each generation looks at life is different, because they have been shaped by different forces. I happen to be squarely in the middle of the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964).

                One of the major shifts that took place for the Boomers was the shift from theology to psychology. The generation before the Boomers (Traditionalists) were guided by a sense of what was theologically correct. The Boomers looked to psychology as the guide for life. Self-esteem became paramount and guilt was to be avoided at all costs. One of the things that was lost in this shift was the concept of sin. Sin became a dirty word, because it caused people to feel guilty and that was bad.

                To put this shift in perspective, consider what has become acceptable and forbidden in common discourse. When I was growing up we heard a lot about sin from our parents and grandparents. Sex was taboo. It was rarely, if ever talked about in polite company, and then only in hushed tones. Today, sex is everywhere. It is openly discussed, often in graphic detail. It is used in advertisements to sell products. It is an integral component of most movies and TV shows. On the other hand, we rarely, if ever, hear the word sin. If sin is mentioned, it is spoken of as passé, or the concept is made fun of. Sin has replaced Sex on the list of dirty words we are not allowed to use in polite company.

                Shaw makes a very compelling case that psychology can surface the issues in our lives, but it cannot offer a real solution for them. Without an understanding of sin, there is no way out of our self-destructive behaviors.

                The Bible is very clear that sin is the central issue of human life. It was the rebellion (sin) of Adam and Eve that polluted our world and kicked off the cycle of decay and death. No one is immune from this spiritual pandemic. Both the Old and the New Testaments affirm that sin is the universal condition of every person. …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23) The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:2-3) There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

                To deny the reality of sin in our lives puts us at odds with God and with ourselves. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:8, 10) We live in a world that wants to deny the reality of sin yet struggles with the moral vacuum that it causes. Without an honest understanding of sin, there can be no right and wrong. The evil in our world cannot be adequately explained. We are left with moral anarchy, with the most powerful and the strongest dominating the field, until someone stronger and more powerful comes along.

                Denying the reality of sin is like refusing to accept a diagnosis of cancer in our body. We can ignore it, but it will not go away. Instead, it will continue to grow until it kills us. In the same way, refusing to acknowledge sin allows it to continue to grow and take over our lives. Left unchecked, sin leads to death; eternal separation from God.

    When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15)

                We don’t like to talk about sin, because it makes us feel uncomfortable and even guilty. But it is that very sense of guilt that God wants to use to free us from our sin. When we are willing to come to grips with our sin, the door is opened for us to find true forgiveness and restoration of our soul. As John writes in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

                Jesus came to earth to take care of the sin problem. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He paid the price for our rebellion and sin. It is through Him that we can receive forgiveness of and freedom from our sin. In Jesus, we can move from death to life. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

                Satan has done a masterful job of hiding the reality of sin in the darkness. It is time that we bring sin back out into the open so that it can be clearly seen. Only then can we find the real solution to the things we struggle with. Only then can we shake our persistent feeling of guilt and condemnation.

Romans 8:1-4

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.