Sin Is Not What We Think It Is

This is not a full sermon on sin, because I don't have that kind of time. Just some thoughts I've had recently.

Sin is not what we think it is. We think of sin as the BIG BAD NO NO. Those of us that have had some theological education know that it is an act or idea that is deserving of death and only through Jesus do we have any hope. This is true, in part. Most of us think of sin as the result of breaking a rule. It is, and it isn't. The problem with thinking that it's the consequence of a broken rule, or that it's just a bad thing, get trapped when they look at the 'sin' and see that it looks 'good'. "They saw the fruit of the tree and that it was good to eat."

The fruit of the tree wasn't sinful. But the thought process that led them to eat it, was. Their conclusion was one that was self sustained.

God created us for relationship with Him. He gave the commandments to Israel because they preferred behavior modification over intimacy. He wanted them to be set apart. But behavior modification is short lived; you never give over that last bit of yourself, and it keeps respawning.

I've heard christians tell me that they struggle with this or that sin. I always wonder why. Why would anyone choose to struggle over sin...unless in their heart of hearts they were really convinced that the sin would be better. More fulfilling. You can drag a horse to water but you can't make him drink. That horse has to WANT the water. You can logically know something is bad for you, but until you BELIEVE it is bad for you, your desire for it will not be quenched.

Let's take something like lust. If I lust after someone, behavior modification would say, don't look, don't think about it, don't expose yourself. Relationship with God invites something else. He asks, "Why? Who are you, Jessica? What do you need? Do you know what you need? Have you shown your husband your heart? Let's process this together. Don't be afraid. I know who and Whose you are."

That's intimacy. And not only is it more fulfilling than behavior modification, it is life changing.

We think of holiness as restriction. It's not. It's our best life. Living it fully, completely, hand in hand with Him. It's not behavior modification or rules, because there is no way we can achieve holiness by those things. Holiness is really, Wholeness. It's our whole self, fully realized in Him.