Sin is a condition, not an action

Sin Is a Condition, Not an Action

Previously, I proposed three ways of defining/looking at “sin” that I think are more useful, but I'm going to change the order a little, and hopefully address the second 2.

1. Sin is selfishness, when YOU are your goal, that’s sin.
2. Sin is anything good done in the wrong context, or for the wrong reason. For instance, consider that sex in itself is good, but it all depends on when, where, why and with whom.
3. Sin IS turning away from God; anything you do on your own and not THROUGH him is by definition sin.

I am going to begin with the third principle, that turning away from God IS sin. But this definition is wrapped up in the first one. Sin is selfishness and there are only two ways to be self-centered, or God centered. Therefore, if you are acting selfishly, you ARE turning away from God, and by definition, that is “sin.”

Remember Jesus saying you cannot have two masters (Matthew 6:24); either you are in charge of he is. If anything, in deed or action (yes, even omission) does not begin with him, then it is sin. Again, to reiterate what I think is so important about this is that we must get away from the idea that the sinfulness is located in actions, deeds. It is not. That idea leaves you in charge, making decisions about when you will “serve” your Self and when you will “serve” him.

Are there actions that are necessarily bad? Try to make a list of things people do that are always bad. Can you think of any circumstances in which those actions could be good? I claim that the blame lies, not in the act, but in the origin of the intent.

I’m sure you’ve heard somewhere that the Bible does not say, “Thou shalt not kill” It says, “Thou shalt not murder.” But what is murder, but killing that is wrong? Therefore, it is not a edict against all killing, but only certain kinds of killing. And how do we determine what kinds of killing are wrong? Doesn’t it come down to intent?

You might say that adultery is always wrong, but the same principle applies. The “act” there is sex, and adultery is sex done in a way that is wrong. Sex is not wrong, it depends on how, when, and why you’re doing it. At the heart of adultery is a selfishness that disregards what God wants, and what the adulterer's spouse wants, because what the Self wants is more important.

I could go on, but find me a counterexample. What action is always bad? I encourage you to consider this, if not to disprove me, but because I think there is a value in considering what God really means by the word “sin.”

This I call “Level 2” (because I think we can go even deeper, but more on that later). So, where did I get this idea that the “sin” is in the intent? For this, I turn to Paul, and a passage that often gets us sidetracked. “All things are lawful to me, but all things are not beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23). Rather than get caught up in what we can get away with, notice the important principal. Forget about what you can do; what should you do? What will help you toward your goal (the kingdom).

Does this not change the way you look at sin. Put aside your list of rules, your dos and don’ts. Ask yourself what is going to get you to your goals. If your goal is the benefit of “the kingdom,” what “sin” would you commit under this principle? Furthermore, the definition of sin is anything that doesn’t help you to the goal.

1. Is it selfish?
2. Does it benefit Jesus and his plan?

Consider all of the discussions that Paul gives about things like whether or not to eat meat sacrificed to idols. What is his key consideration? Don’t stumble your brother (i.e. 1 Corinthian 8:13). It’s not about what you do, but why. If you could damage another’s relationship with God (the kingdom), but you do it anyway, you’re being selfish.

But let me continue. Level 3:  It’s about the heart.

Jesus. Look at the Matthew 5:21-30. The basic concept is: forget actually killing each other; a scornful heart is murder. Never mind adultery, if you lust, you’ve already crossed the line.

Now let me say that I never want to take away from the real intent of this passage. What Jesus is doing is upping the bar. He is trying to make it clear that the “mark” we are missing is an inner and outer perfection that is unattainable. You see, what the Pharisees had done is dumb down the law to make it tough but manageable. That way, they could claim perfection. (But don’t we all do that?) Jesus was giving a truer definition of the expectations of the law. When one truly understands what is expected, one should instantly realize that they have not only failed, but that it is impossible. Why? So that you will take the remedy: Grace. He doesn’t want you to try harder; he wants you to give up. “Let go. Let God” is not trite; it’s crucial and indispensable.

Now, for our purposes, there is another lesson here: It is about the heart (Level 3). Once you grasp that it begins with why you are doing what you are doing, we can move on. So, first we ask, is it for my benefit or his? Am I seeking first the benefit of “the kingdom,” or my own kingdom? But now Jesus shows us that the actions are characterized by the heart that they come out of. This not different than the previous level, but a deeper understanding.

Think on the text. You know that murder is wrong, but now you can’t even get angry? This is too hard. But look and see: this anger is a condition of the heart. It is a condition, a state of being. It is not an activity that you can just try harder to not do. It is impossible to restrain it. It is the center of who you are. If the heart is bad, you are done. You can’t try harder, do good deeds, or fix it. You can’t do better, because it isn’t something you did. It is so tempting to think about you can restrain your anger, or improve your thought life. But those are counter actions that may have some effect on actions, but that it symptom relief.

You have a condition: a bad heart. The murder, or the scorn, happened because you have a murderous, scornful heart. Even if you can stop thinking angry thoughts, you haven’t solved the problem; the heart is still bad. It is my understanding that an alcoholic who simply stops drinking is what is called a “dry drunk,” and all AA members know that he hasn’t gotten to the root of the problem. He will ultimately fail.

This is where we find ourselves. So what is the answer?

Be transformed (Romans 12:2). But you don’t do that. He does. All of the reasons we have for behaviors that most of us identify as “sinful” stem from that corrupt selfish heart. Until the heart changes, nothing else matters. It is just window dressing, or rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I also think a “dry sinner” is the worst condition, because it allows you to live a lie that only keeps you from truly changing.

If we preach sin as “bad things that people do,” we keep alive the lie that one can just do better. We interfere with God’s goal of transformation. If you want to preach sin, preach that it is selfishness. Preach that it is anything not done for God, anything done for the wrong reason.

Better yet, preach turning to God, knowing that anyone who turns to God will necessarily turn away from “sin” (Self).

Don’t try to balance your desires (or even “needs”) with the kingdom. Let go of Self and let the healing begin.

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