Sin has been described as a failure to let God be God. Do you agree with that description? Why is it difficult for people in contemporary culture to even discuss the concept of sin?
Give some personal examples to support your answers.
The description of sin as a failure to let God be God somehow insinuates that there is something greater than God that could take His place simply by our choice. God does not need us to “let him” be God. Erickson points out that sin is more the failure to acknowledge that God is God. Philippians 2:10-11 reminds us that no matter what we acknowledge or choose for ourselves, one day, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Many people avoid talking about sin because it isn’t easy to talk about. There isn’t anything encouraging or fun about a conversation about sin. Sin is convicting and separates us from God. There is nothing to celebrate about it. Sin slips into the category of “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It is a childish way to deal with something that has eternal consequences.
Some people in our culture are leary of talking about sin because it is easier to blame society than to take responsibility. The very heart of postmodernism refuses to admit there is absolute truth. In order to understand sin, you must have an understanding of absolutes. The sin of gossip often falls in to this category. It is easier to think that “everyone is doing it” than to make the connection that gossip dishonors God and it separates us from His holiness.
One other point that Erickson made is that people have a hard time grasping the fact that sin is a controlling power, not just a series of individual wrong acts. That separation takes sin from being an inherent controlling power and moves it to a more comfortable external item that you can “try to do better about.” Avoiding sin is not just trying to do better, it is a conscious choice to follow Christ and not be distracted by the things of this world.
Sin is something that I must be aware of. It is not my focus, because my choice is to follow Jesus Christ. When I take my eyes of of Him and His glory, I will fall into sin. In those situations, I pray that God will bring it to my attention and that He will forgive me for failing Him. The more time I spend in God’s Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with believers, the less I find myself attracted by sin.