It shows up over 387 times. It shows up even more frequently in its derivative forms. The word sin (or sinner, sins, etc.) is one of the most frequently used words in all of scripture. It even outpaces love (314 occurrences) in frequency of use. Little wonder then that much of the preaching and teaching within our Protestant tradition has been focused on sin. In fact some of the most famous sermons in American history have sin as their main theme (check out the text of Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/je-sinners.htm). Edwards uses sin and by extension God's wrath against sin as the backdrop for scaring people into believing in Jesus. This focus on sin raises a couple of questions which we will examine together.
Our first question is what does the word sin actually mean? In Hebrew there are several words for sin, each carrying a slightly different connotation. However the most frequently used word translated as sin, is "het." The most basic meaning of "het" is to "go astray." Needless to say that image of "going astray" would not be one most people would associate with the word sin. We would normally think of images like rule breaking, moral failing or offending God (and there are minor uses of words describing these actions which are translated as sin). What we need to understand about the Old Testament however is that metaphor is one of the primary ways in which meaning is transmitted. Thus in the Old Testament the metaphor used to describe how one ought to live, is "walking in God's paths." Sin then is any action which leads one astray from "walking the path" God wants us to walk.
The same use of metaphor is found in the New Testament. While 1 John describes sin as lawlessness, the Greek word most often used for sin is "hamartia," who's actually meaning is "to miss the mark" (imagine an archer missing the target with an arrow). Again notice how the metaphor is used to describe someone who has missed the goal which God has set. Looking directly at the actual meaning of the word changes our understanding of sin. Sin is not longer restricted to either breaking the rules or doing bad things, but can be seen as a way of life which leads people away from the life giving ways God desires of us and toward death dealing ways which rob us of our very humanity.
Our second question is, why such a focus on sin? My answer begins with, read the newspaper or turn on the television. From suicide bombers in Iraq, to parents who become angry and kill their children, to drug wars in Mexico which leave countless dead, to the greed of those who led the housing market into the tank (and this includes everyone from lenders, to borrowers, congress) much of our world is not moving in the right direction. In fact much of the world is moving in the opposite direction from the life giving ways of God. And this is nothing new. The Bible is replete with examples of those who have chosen to turn their backs on God's good ways and walked down another path…the end of which was pain and heartache.
My answer continues with the fact that God wants the best for creation and for humanity. You and I were created to be those who were made to love God, neighbor and creation. If we love the way we are capable of loving then this world begins to look like God's kingdom…a place of joy, hope and love. That is God's goal. Sin interferes with this goal. Sin (going astray or missing the mark) sends people off in the wrong direction thus causing pain and suffering which is not God's intent. This is why sin matters to God. Sin interferes with God's good plans for God's good creation by breaking the good relationships God intends. This is one of the reasons we confess our sins every week. We do so to remind ourselves that we need to be conscious of the path we are traveling so that we might draw closer to God's desire…that we might stay on the right path.
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