Sometimes we find ourselves in puzzling, even heated conversations only to find out something was misunderstood. Words are containers into which we pack ideas. At times both of us need to peek into the containers to see if the contents match. My caterpillar may be eating up the tomatoes while yours is pushing down trees.
We discovered a stunning summary statement “God is love.” As we have opportunity to see examples of love we see some common qualities: to hold people in high value, to seek to associate with, share time, experiences. There is a craving to be together. We have seen that God’s creative efforts are toward expanding the field of love, of expanding the web of relationships.
There is a little word we do well to investigate in getting ready to look at another event recorded in Genesis. This word has become rather unpopular but some understanding of it is quite helpful. That word is “sin.” So let’s start putting some things in that container.
The New Testament provides several expressions identifying sin. Perhaps the most famous one reads like this: “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Sin is living like there is no law – without regard for law.
“For whatever is not from faith is sin” Romans 14:23.
“To him who knows to do good and does not do it: to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
James in chapter two notes that even partiality by ones influential status is a distortion of relationships and gets the label of sin.
Notice the common denominator is that sin is about distorting, damaging, destroying relationships.
It is a bad idea to focus on sin for long. For what we focus on tends to be what we do. However, it is well we have some understanding of sin and what it does.
There are a couple more ways of identifying sin. Sin is perversion of what is good. For example: food is essential in support of life. Oh, how I like to eat! So I gorge all day long. Not only is my time to do other things cut down it so weakens my body that I am unable to be active enough to maintain health or be of service.
Social interaction is a necessary aspect of mental health. Looking for the well being of others. Encouraging others and being encouraged by others. Having meaningful, supportive relationships with others is needed. These do much to enhance and support mental and physical health. But fear, bullying, forcing, other wise abusing ones self and others sickens, breaks and perverts relationships are aspects of sin. Theft, falsifying information, murder all weaken and destroy relationships.
Adultery gets the label because it is so outside our design. It compromises the fundamental societal foundation. It devalues, disables stable covenanted relationships. It fosters diseases the mind and body were never equipped to fend off. And if children are a part of the picture, they are severely short changed as they approach life.
Remember the purpose of our existence is to be part of the web of relationships. You notice sin is closely linked to fouling/destroying relationships. It blows holes, sets booby traps, makes weak spots.
All of these behavior traits are evidence of an ingrained self-centeredness that reveals itself in some level of disregard of ourselves or others.