The Truth About Sin

In today’s culture of moral relativism, where all viewpoints are considered equal and truth is subjective, the concept of sin means many things to many people.  Most people associate sin with doing something wrong, whatever it may be.  Others push back against the idea of sin, claiming that it is a fictional tool used by hypocritical religious zealots to control others, or at least to make them feel guilty for their choices.  As more and more behaviors these days are condoned and normalized, sin has become an afterthought at best, with many not regarding it all in terms of how it may affect their lives.  So what is the truth about sin, and why does it matter?

To put it simply, sin is a willful choice that damages our relationship with God.  Every human being has a relationship with God whether they recognize it or not.  As with any relationship, our relationship with God will either get better or worse, unless of course we are ignoring it altogether.  God is constantly calling each one of us to a deeper relationship with himself, but it is up to us how we respond.

In order to grow in our relationship with God, we need to spend time with him.  We can do this by praying more often and honestly, reading the Bible and receiving the sacraments.  As our relationship grows, we learn to trust God and his will for us, and we increasingly humble ourselves and submit to his will.  Jesus made it clear that the way that we show our love for God is in how we treat others.  In short, we are called to love God with all our heart, strength and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We must imitate Jesus’ love for us, being gracious and selfless.

To sin is to take a step backward in our relationship with God.  All sin is based on selfishness and self-centeredness.  We are not following God’s plan for us when we make ourselves the center of our lives, or put our needs ahead of the needs of others.  All sin has this in common.

Sin is serious and directly affects our future in the afterlife.  While sins can be forgiven, it is detrimental to keep sinning without repentance, or without caring who we hurt or how it affects ourselves or others.  So while the world may not be overly concerned with sin, or care about its affects, we should not fall into the trap of selfishness or refusing to call out evil where it exists.

Here are a few further points regarding sin:

• We all our sinners.   Due to original sin, all of humankind is drawn to rebellion towards God, with a tendency of selfishness and seeking our own comforts.  Of course, some are worse than others, and some try their best to avoid it while others do not.  Christians often are accused as being hypocrites, sometimes with good reason, but identifying as a Christian does not shield oneself from sin.

• Beware of sins of omission. These are often worse and more prevalent than “active” sins.  Sins of omission are actions that we failed to take, things that we did not do.  Examples include missed opportunities to help others, not speaking out against wrongdoings or even not paying enough attention to our prayer life.  In these instances, we fail to develop our relationships with others or God, and in turn weaken the relationships.  Remember that what is not being built up is slowly falling apart.

• Sin is not cool or to be taken lightly. Singer / songwriter Billy Joel once proclaimed that he “would rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints – the sinners are much more fun”.  This eludes to the stereotype that “religious” people are boring and are missing out on the fun and quality of life.  However, the opposite is true… abundant life is found in Jesus Christ, and sin is bound in slavery.  This might not seem like the case since the allure of sin calls out to our rebellious, selfish human nature, but falling into a life of sin leads to misery, addiction and emptiness.  Tragically, too many of those in this condition do not see the connection.

Jesus was sent to earth in human form to do the will of the Father, and set this example to us.  The will of the Father, upon completion of his ministry, was for him to sacrifice himself to pay for our sins.  Jesus freely gave himself up to his enemies enduring pain and death, even death on a cross.  By doing so, he gave us the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness for our sins, and to begin again with a clean slate.  So in the end, sin and death have no victory, and we can finally break the cycle of sin if we accept God’s plan, repent, humble ourselves and proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.