Rethinking Sin

You know when you use a word so often that it no longer bears any meaning? Within the evangelical stew I was raised in, sin has become one of those words. 

Merriam-Webster defines sin as an offense against religious or moral law; an action that is highly reprehensible; or a serious shortcoming. Biblically, 1 John 3:4 says that “in fact, sin is lawlessness,” a pattern of behavior that shows disregard for God’s law. 

If you’ve been around church long, you’ve almost certainly heard sin defined as “missing the mark.” And if you grew up in a youth group, you’ve probably seen that definition illustrated as a bullseye, as if God’s law and intention for our behavior is this tiny little dot we’re trying our hardest to hit. And if I’m being honest, I’ve lived the majority of my life squinting my eyes and aiming for that little bullseye. 

The word translated as sin in English, is the Hebrew word khata - a word generally understood as meaning failure or missing the goal. In Proverbs 19:2 we are warned against hastiness, lest we miss our way or khata.

I’ve started trying to approach everything in my life with curiosity and open-handedness. In that, I wonder what would happen if we began to think of sin as “missing the point” instead of “missing the mark?” How might that tiny shift change our view of sin? More importantly, how might it change our view of God, ourselves, and others? 

But before we can ask that question, we need to know what exactly the point is… So what is the point? 

Well, in the Westminster Catechism (based on Revelation 4:11) we learn that the “chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” And in Genesis, when God creates the natural world, we see God call it good. And when God creates humankind, God calls us very good. So not only does God desire humankind to glorify and delight in God, but God, in fact, delights and glories in our very existence. 

Creation is at its best when we are rooted in our identity as image bearers, living in interdependence with each other and with all of creation, experiencing intimate communion with God. This ideal state of being is what the Bible calls shalom. Though shalom is commonly translated as peace, the concept is actually much deeper and richer. It connotes a state of being at perfect peace, rest, wholeness, and flourishing. 

I think it’s fair to say that’s the “goal.” 

Much later in the gospels, Jesus is asked point-blank, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Aka, what’s the one mark I really need to hit every time? He doesn’t hedge his answer or equivocate. He answers with his whole chest, “Love God. Love others.”

That’s the point, friends. We start by living out of the truth that we are a reflection of God. Everything good and beautiful and right about God is built into the very fiber of our beings. Not only that, but we are created to live a life of connection - connection first to God, then to each other, and to this planet. A life that leads to wholeness and flourishing for ourselves and all people. How can we do that, you ask? We love God. And we love each other.

And if we can make the subtle shift from viewing sin as any infraction on a long list of no-nos, any tiny way that we can miss the bullseye of God’s good and perfect playbook, to viewing sin as any time we forget that we’re connected to God and each other, anytime we fail to work towards wholeness and flourishing for all people (including ourselves) we can find a faith that frees us and heals us instead of one that weighs us down and tells us we’re deficient. Instead of requiring a judge to mete out punishment, we need a physician to cut away a cancer and heal our souls.

In this framework, speaking harshly to my husband isn’t a sin because I’m failing to submit. It’s a sin because I’ve forgotten that the man I live with is inherently valuable and that his well-being and mine are intertwined. In this framework, I’m not afraid or judgmental when I see my children struggle and make mistakes. I can see that they are learning who they are and how to navigate the world and relationships. I don’t need to spank them to teach them not to sin; instead, I get an opportunity to work towards our mutual flourishing and model that all people are worthy of love and respect by showing them love and respect even in their moments of weakness. Rather than worrying about the sin in the lives of everyone around me, I can mind my own business and focus on loving them without reservation or excuse. 

And most importantly, when I realize that sin is merely that which disconnects me from God, others, and myself, I can actually begin to experience freedom! Instead of feeling stuck and defined by all the ways I’m sinning and missing God’s mark, keeping a laundry list of all the ways I’m a miserable disappointment, I can experience the irresistable, unquenchable love and delight of God. Instead of going to bed each night weighed down by the things I haven’t mastered or gotten right, I get to wake up each morning, animated by Holy Spirit, and look for ways to bear witness to and magnify everyone’s belovedness. 

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.