“Those who sin are opposed to the law of God, for all sin opposes the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, for there is no sin in him. So if we continue to live in him, we won’t sin either. But those who keep on sinning have never known him or understood who he is,” (1 John 3:4-6).
That verse has been troubling me lately. I think I understand what’s being said just fine. I understand that a rejection of God’s law is a rejection of God and I understand that Jesus came to restore man. I understand that if we accept what Jesus offers it should prompt change in us. I understand that those who refuse what Jesus offers clearly don’t know Him. What I don’t understand, however, is what John means when he writes that those who live in Jesus won’t sin anymore. That I do not understand.
Do you know what the Greek word for sin literally means? It means “to miss the mark.” We typically think of sin as the equivalent of “evil”, when in actuality it is more like a term you would expect to find on the archery field. That’s what sin is most like. We aim for a certain kind of behavior (or have been commanded to aim for it) and we fire. We sin or live righteously based on whether or not we hit the mark.
So what does John mean when he says, more or less, that those of us who are disciples will never miss the mark? I miss all the time. What sort of life is he referring to? What standard is he setting for followers of Christ? Is it even remotely like the standard embraced by modern Christianity? Or is it, perhaps, something more…extreme?
It occurs to me, looking largely at my own life, that we aren’t terribly opposed to sin. Really, we aren’t. In fact, we regard sin a lot like you have to regard dirt when camping. Everything gets dirty—clothes, your pack, your sleeping bag, food, your water—everything. You can’t fuss too much over things staying clean because nothing stays clean. And besides, a little dirt won’t kill you.
Now listen here: I’m not saying we should start pinning scarlet letters on people and cranking up the old Inquisition again. But I am asking what the lives of disciples would look like if we each regarded our own sin with grave concern. (If you’re reading this and thinking of everyone you know who should take the sin in their lives more seriously, go find another blog. You’ve miss my point. If you’re reading this and thinking of yourself, read on…)
What if we stopped making excuses for our misfires? What if we became a group of people who relentlessly confess, who hold each other accountable, not to a cultural standard, but a Biblical one? What if we decided that among God’s people there is no room for a casual attitude about sin? What would that look like?
Big questions for a Monday, I know, and not the sort that draw a crowd. But folks, what does all this talk of faith and the Bible being true and church and all of it mean if it has no effect (or a very little one) on our lives?
As John writes, “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous,” (1 John 3:8). Disciples are called to be righteous. Maybe it’s time to answer the call.
Seems to me John is refering to a life marked by rightouesness rather then sin. I don’t believe he is demanding sinlessness (see 1:8) but he is going down the same path your thoughts are. If we’re serious about sin, consistant in our confession and relentless in a pursuit of rightousness, then sin is not the consistant in our lives but rather a rightousness that comes from God through faith.
left by Randy on 09.25.2006 at 3:47 pm