Belief in one area always impacts belief in other areas. What we believe about the doctrine of sin effects what we believe about other doctrines.
Sin & what we believe about God:
-If God, being holy, expects holiness, then we are in deep trouble in our sin
“If, on the other hand, God is himself rather imperfect, or if he is an indulgent, grandfatherly type of being and perhaps a bit senile so that he is unaware of much that his going on, then the human condition is not so serious.” (Erickson, p580-581)
Sin & what we believe about humanity:
-If people are judged in comparison to the holiness of God then anything other than holiness is sin and deserves punishment.
-If people are judged in comparison to people, then just don’t kill anybody and you’ll be alright.
-If humans are free beings then they are responsible to bear the consequences for their sin
-If humans are basically good then the problems in this world can be fixed by a change in environment and behavior modification. There is no need for a savior
-If humans are basically sinful then the problems in this world are only solved by changing the nature of people. There is need for a perfect savior.
“If intended to reflect the nature of God, a human is to be judged not by comparison with other humans, but by conformity to the divine standard. Any failure to meet that standard is sin. If humans are free beings...then they are responsible for their actions, and their shortcomings will be graded more severely than if some determining force controls or severely limits the capability of choosing and doing.” (Erickson p581)
"Our approach to the problems of society will also be governed by our view of sin...if we feel that humanity is basically good or, at worst, morally neutral, we will view the problems of society as stemming from an unwholesome environment. Alter the environment, and changes in individual humans and their behavior will follow. If, on the other hand, the problems of society are rooted in radically perverted human minds and wills, then the nature of those individuals will have to be altered, or they will continue to infect the whole.” (Erickson, p581)
Sin & what we believe about salvation:
“If a human is basically good with intellectually and moral capabilities essentially intact, then any problems with respect to his or her standing before God will be relatively minor. Any difficulty may be merely a matter of ignorance, a lack of knowledge as to what to do or how to do it. In that event, education will solve the problem; a good model or example may be all that is needed. On the other hand, if humans are corrupt or rebellious, and thus either unable or unwilling to do what is right, a more radical transformation of the person will be needed. Thus the more severe our conception of sin, the more supernatural the salvation needed.” (Erickson, p581)
Sin & what we believe about the church:
“Our belief about sin also determines in large measure our view of the nature and purpose of the ministry of the church. If human beings are essentially good and capable of accomplishing what God requires, then the mission of the church is to exhort persons to achieve what is already in their ability to do. Appeals to kindness, compassion, generosity, and charity would be sufficient to move people in the right direction. If human beings are sinful, then our message is to proclaim the good news of salvation that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. in this case, the ministry of the church would engage sinful humans with calls to repent of sin, place one’s trust in Christ and be born again.” (Norman, A Theology for the Church, p411-412)How does the Bible define sin?
1. Sin is missing the mark
2. Sin is going beyond an established limit
3. Sin is the absence of righteousness (sin is wickedness)
4. Sin is a departure from what is right and true (sin is lack of integrity)
5. Sin is rebellion
6. Sin is a breach of trust (treachery and unfaithfulness)
7. Sin is perversion
8. Sin is abomination
Sin is our active opposition to God
“Sin, biblically speaking, is not only the absence of good. it also entails our active opposition to God. it is, then, the defiance of his authority, the rejection of his truth, the challenge to his sovereignty in which we set ourselves up in life to live the way we want to live. It is the way we wrench ourselves free from obedience to him, cut ourselves off from his grasp, and refuse to let him be God. It is therefore all the ways we live life on our own terms, to our own ends, with accountability to no one but ourselves.” (David F. Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant, p102)
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