The "s" Word
by Kathy Brown on November 18th, 2009 | 0 comments
When was the last time you heard anyone say the “s” word in public? No, not the four-letter one, but that very offensive three-letter one: “sin.” In our culture this no longer describes adultery, abortion, materialism, homosexuality, coveting, greed, gluttony, pre-marital sex, robbery or anything else at all. Whatever is prevalent is now normal. The ills of society, it is often argued, can be solved with more money, better parenting or less adversity. From a Christian perspective, we know for sure this assumption is untrue. All we have to do is go back to Genesis and unfold the story found in the Garden of Eden. Everything was perfect until the ugly “s” broke utopia.
Many who delve into the seriousness of sin begin with a discussion of the Hebrew concept of “shalom.” This is “the perfect, harmonious interdependence of all parts of creation. . . It means absolute wholeness—full, harmonious, joyful, flourishing life . . . as soon as we determined to serve ourselves instead of God—as soon as we abandoned living for and enjoying God as our highest good—the entire created world became broken. Human beings are so integral to the fabric of things that when human beings turned from God the entire warp and woof of the world unraveled. Disease, genetic disorders, famine, natural disasters, aging, and death itself are as much the result of sin as are oppression, war, crime, and violence. We have lost God’s shalom—physically, spiritually, socially, psychologically, culturally. Things now fall apart. ” (Timothy Keller: The Reason for God)
The essence of sin is much more than outward, unpopular behavior. It begins with the distortion of who we were meant to be. It involves our inward hunger for self gratification and autonomous living that may or may not become apparent to others. The most common measure of a “good” person is the comparison to someone “bad.” This grading oneself on a curve is a comfort not afforded a Christian. The almost forgotten first of the Ten Commandments proclaims that God alone is to be worshipped and nothing, no one, should come before (or in place of) Him. The One we must contrast ourselves with is the Perfection of Christ. His gaze assures us that we fall short, for He lived out the Law without a failure. This is simultaneously the Gospel’s good and bad news. Although man was designed to be in harmony with his Maker, the only bridge across sin’s chasm is the provision of Jesus.
The sin that abounds in and around us is evident, but mostly ignored. Blaming others, re-naming offenses and attempting to fill the void of "shalom" are ways that sin's cry for help is muffled. Without acknowledging its presence there is, obviously, no need for a Savior. And this is precisely why the “s” word is so hush hush.
From the Word of God:
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:22-23
Next entry: The Manhattan Declaration
Previous entry: Case Dismissed
back to Blog Archive