Good Morning.

- Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. James 4.17 "Sin" is another word that is rather passe in our society, definitely not politically correct! Recently, someone asked me if there is a list of sins somewhere; she really wanted to be clear, and may I say, that her desire to do right before God was so pure. . . [Adding the word to our growing list of ideals captured in single words worthy of our consideration: mercy, grace, contentment, wisdom, humility, prudence, and now, sin! This word "sin", however, is the first on this list to be of a negative nature...or is it negative?]

What is sin? Oh, there is much said about sin in both the Old and New Testaments, to be sure, but how can we easily define it? The Hebrew word most closely means "missing the mark." What mark? The standard of holiness that is the Person of God. Perhaps, Romans 3.23 makes this point well: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Now ordinarily, one thinks of sin as breaking the laws of God--lying, stealing, coveting, committing adultery, murder, etc.; clearly, those are sins. But here James introduces the notion of 'sins of omission.' I can easily see that lying is sin, but I should also understand that there are times that withholding the truth (when it needs to be told) can also be sin. Standing by when another is being mistreated and saying nothing. . . sin? And then there are those inner promptings, that tell us to act, and we overrule the voice. . . sin? 'You know what I mean--you see a woman struggling up a set of stairs with a baby in a front-pack, an umbrella on her shoulder, a heavy bag on her left arm, and dragging a toddler behind. . . you think 'I should get up and help her'--but no, you are in the middle of the exciting part of your book. . . sin? The grocery store clerks gives you change for a $20, and you only gave him a $5--you look down, and think, 'hey. . .' but you pocket the money and say nothing. . . sin? Boldly, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

My friend asked about that list of sins because it was her desire to know them, and stay away from them, but she also had concerns that perhaps she had not confessed all of her sins of the past. . . what then? God is a God of justice. . . and He also reads the contents of our hearts. He does not hold His children captive, dangle them on puppet strings, and then change or hide the rules, so that we're always guessing. And thankfully, forgiveness of sins is a repentant heart and a prayer of confession away. . . thank God, we are not held to continue figuring out how to make amends!

Though we are just scratching the surface of this discussion on sin, it would not be complete without a look at Romans 7. When I read verses 15-21, I can palpably feel Paul's angst, Paul's struggle--i do not understand what i do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do. His internal struggle causes him tension and confusion. . . for i have the desire to do what is good, but i cannot carry it out. His struggle reminds me of the addict, knowing she shouldn't pick up that bottle of vodka at 9 a.m., relegating herself to another day in a prison of her own making. . . but I can't help but wonder about Paul. . . what sin did he regularly struggle with?

So, how does Jesus look at sin? Well, He cannot abide with it. . . but how does He look at the 'sinner'? Here's a sampling: John chapter 8, where we find the Pharisees again trying to trap Jesus. It seems they brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, and the group around Him, saying, "In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" Jesus bent down and began writing on the ground with His finger. . . what did He write? We do not know, but perhaps He was writing the names of some of her accusers and their sins-- then, He stopped, and said to them, If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Then, he stooped down, and began writing again. First, one rock dropped to the ground, then another, and one by one, the finger-pointers walked away. Jesus stood up and looked at the woman, and said, woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "No one, sir," she said. then neither do i condemn you. Go Now and leave your life of sin. That was Jesus, ready to offer her a way out, another way. . . He must have known she would take it; she just needed someone to extend love to her, to believe in her--that she still had good in her.

Here's another word for our list, friends--COURAGE. Teach it to your children; don't count on the schools for that one. It takes courage to do the right thing; often, it costs us something. So, the next time, you know the good you ought to do, do it. Back to the question at the top--is the discussion of sin negative or positive? I regularly see spiritual concepts in pictures--have you been to a bowling alley lately? Have you noticed the bumpers that are raised on either sides of the lanes, to allow the novice bowler some unearned success? Picture those bumpers--first, compared to the size of the lane, they are very narrow--the ball has a wide berth in which to travel, and avoid the bumpers! 'Quite symbolic of the sin discussion--we have a wide berth for abundant living. . . and knowing the sins God has called us to avoid just keeps us safely in that lane--and by the way, not because He is mean-spirited, but because He knows the pain caused by sin--adultery? yeah, lying? often. . . 'get my point?

Be courageous--win the struggle,

Christine