Daily Bread

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

I remember attending a taster session for an Alpha Course — a twelve session introduction to Christianity. During this first session the concept of us all being 'sinners' was mooted, and a man got very angry at this idea and he got up and left. As he did so he declared that he was, "not a sinner" and that there was nothing wrong with him. Sadly, I think he got the wrong end of the stick but I understand why. The subject of 'sin' comes with a whole heap of baggage that needs to be carefully unpacked and explained.

If I make a rule or regulation that I have put in place for you to follow, and you choose to break it, then you have committed a sin. You have chosen to ignore or flout that rule or regulation. However, you have not just broken a law but a relationship. Why? Because I put that rule or regulation in place and you chose to put yourself first over me and my wishes.

Sin has this dual aspect. There's the 'breaking of the law' bit and the 'broken relationship' bit, and we can therefore define sin in two ways. We can define sin as 'breaking the laws of others' or we can define sin as 'putting ourselves first at the expense of others'.

Still with me?

There is a problem with laws because it is almost impossible to define what is a law and what is not a law in every circumstance and situation. Human law is incredibly complex and continually shifting. What is legal in one context may be illegal in another. What may be illegal in one circumstance may be legal in another due to mitigating circumstances. We know that enforcing and upholding the law is incredibly difficult to do. Well, it is no different for God's law.

Religious people can get very bogged down in what is the law and what is not God's law — what is sin and what is not sin. Yes, God's law exists but I find it much easier to focus on the other definition of sin, where sin is defined as putting ourselves first at the expense of others (including ourselves and the environment). With God, yes, the act of law-breaking is important but it is the broken relationship that really matters, and this is where Jesus comes in.

I wish the leaders of that Alpha Course had not defined us all as 'law-breakers'. Although it's kinda technically true, it's not for me or anyone else to define what is a law and what is not a law or to judge someone else. I wish those leaders had focused on the fact that we all put ourselves first at the expense of others and the world around us — and that this breaks our relationship with God, others, ourselves, and the environment. This is the definition of sin.

The good news — and it really is good news — is that when we do sin, "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." In other words, Jesus Christ — through obeying the law — has restored our broken relationship with God once and for all — for us and for the whole world. Therefore, all we need to do is turn to Jesus.

Holy God
I confess to you
that I have put myself first
and that by doing so
I have broken my relationship
with you, myself,
others, and the environment.
Thank you that Jesus Christ
has atoned for my sins
and that I can stand before you
holy and righteous
joyful and free.