The famous theologian Barney Fife once said to the visiting preacher who had come to Mayberry, “That’s one subject you just can’t talk enough about: sin.” The subject of sin is out of vogue in our day. The subject of sin is negative and degrading. It is damaging to the human spirit and does not give rise to a positive self image for self salvation. Sin has become “crime”, “sickness”, “syndromes” and “collective irresponsibility.” There is no longer a sense of responsibility for sin and its fruits. Where has sin gone?
The Westminster Assembly found it in the 17th century and wrote about in the Westminster Standards. In the writing of the Shorter Catechism they asked this question, “What is sin?” and gave this answer, “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” Sin has not gone anywhere as long as the Law of God remains, and God says his Law will never pass away (Mt.5:18). As the apostle John wrote, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” (1Jn.3:4). As long as there is lawlessness we will be able to find sin. As long as man fails in regard to loving God and loving his neighbor sin will be evident. Therefore sin is not lost in our culture, it has not gone anywhere. Sin is alive and unlike the creature from the black lagoon and the blob from my science fiction past it is a reality and a true killer. Sin is a misery and a destroyer of life that man cannot escape with his self made salvation. Sin is a getting rid of God rebellion that exalts man in a spirit of god almightiness. Emil Brunner says, “Sin is defiance, arrogance, the desire to be equal with God,… the assertion of human independence over against God,… the constitution of the autonomous reason, morality and culture.” (Man in Revolt). Augustine defines sin as factum vel dictum vel concupitum aliquid contra aeternam legem, every work, word, or wish contrary to the law of God. And Trench in his New Testament Synonyms gathers a "mournfully numerous" group of words out of Holy Scripture, all of which describe sin in one or other of its many aspects. It is the missing of a mark or aim; it is the over-passing or transgression of a line; it is disobedience to a voice; it is falling where one should have stood upright; it is ignorance of what one ought to have known; it is any diminishing of that which should have been rendered in full measure; it is non-observance of a law; it is a discord, and other evil things and ways "almost out of number."(from A Commentary on the Shorter Catechism - Alexander Whyte).
Though sin in our culture is often denied it is not gone but found in the heart of man and the fruit of our lives. It is produces misery and death. Paul says in Romans 3:16, “in their paths are ruin and misery.” Who is the “their”? It is those who are not righteous, those who do not seek God, those who have turned away, those who do not do what is right (3:10-12). It is all of mankind, “For all have sinned” (Rom.3:23). Therefore all sinners are in the estate of misery. Yet in this misery we exalt in the denial of sin or the will power over it. But misery does not always look like misery. Misery can be hidden in smiles, riches, wants satisfied, success and adulation. Wherever sin separates man from God there is misery even when it smiles. Sin not only produces misery but also death (Rom.6:23) and every smile, success, want satisfied and adulation under the sentence of death is misery. What possible usefulness is their in this focus on sin? What possible good could come from thinking on the doctrine of sin? Let me suggest three ways to respond.
First we should be astonished that we can see what a miserable and deadly evil sin is and love it. We would marvel if we saw someone pouring out themselves in affection on something that they knew was bringing misery and destruction to their life.
Second, we should hate sin. “There is more evil in a drop of sin than a sea of affliction.” (Thomas Watson). We see crude oil gushing out of the depths of the sea for three months and cry over this horrible disruption and destruction to the environment. Yet we see sin against the holy God as excusable and permissible with no consequences. When affliction arises in our lives we say, “I hate this!” But when sin shows its ugly head we try to ignore it, we sometimes stroke it and we often feed it. Our hatred of sin is exemplified in our willingness to kill it. “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” (John Owen)
Third, we should run to God at the cross of Christ Jesus with confession, repentance and thanksgiving. It is God who takes sin away in the death of his Son. In Christ he will pardon us of all our sin. It is God who gives us victory over sin and death in the resurrection of his Son. In Christ he will cleanse us of all our sin and make us a holy, spotless bride to be given to the Son. Acknowledge sin don’t deny it. Turn away from sin toward righteousness. And rejoice before God with thanksgiving that in Christ you have been saved from sin
Keith Mathison recommends some helpful reading on the doctrine of man and sin at the Ligonier Ministries website: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/doctrine-man-and-sin-recommended-reading/
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