Broaden Discourses about Sin

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. ~ Romans 3:23

Far too often, discourses about sin are too one-dimensional: they are almost always negative.  If you really understand sin fully as it is disclosed in the bible, you will recognize that you would not be here today if it was not for sin.  Because of the Original Sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, it allowed them to be able to produce other human beings, which inevitably led to the human beings who produced you.  In no way am I trying to make sin sexy—it’s not!  What I’m arguing, however, is there are some meaningful and positive things about sin that are useful.

Sinful acts give us examples of what we should not be doing.  Knowing what not to do is very crucial to living a life committed to God.  Sin comes to give us understanding about what it is that God wants us not to do.  Sin helps to inform us about what is not like God and what it really means to be holy.  Many people try to act like they have always been saved. As the aforementioned epigraph illuminates, everyone was born a sinner, and many of those people pretending to be so holy are some of the greatest sinners.

Let’s get real about sin.  When we engage in comprehensive and serious discussions about sin, we can see sin as providing opportunities for us to find ways to prevent it.  Additionally, serious discourses about sin allow us to develop innovative ways and strategies for reaching sinners.  If we are always approaching sin from such indignant dispositions, then we will only continue to turn people away from accepting Jesus into their hearts.  True Christians are to win souls for Christ—not push people away from Christ.  When you are walking around like you are so high and mighty, don’t forget that you were once a sinner too, and had it not been for the grace of God you would still be a sinner—so don’t get it twisted.

At many churches, especially at many Black churches, it’s real popular to see who can speak the harshest about sin and sinners.  As Christians, we are supposed to dislike sin but not sinners.  It seems like many people have a difficult time separating their hate for sin from the people who are committing the sins.  In all things that we do, the bible informs us that we should do them with love.  The bible lets us know that it is love that saved us and it is that same love that will draw people to Christ.

One of the greatest opportunities for you to expand the discourses about sin is during Sunday School.  I encourage you to challenge members of your church during Sunday School about the complexities of sin that are often just overlooked as a result of the desire to appear so holy.  You can engage in thorough and intelligent conversations about some of the positive aspects of sin and still be saved—it’s called having intellectual discourses.  Let’s be more intelligent in our discourses about sin.

Deuces,

Tony