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Friday, April 23, 2010

Relative Sin

As I'm getting to know Jesus more, I'm trying this thing out where I question all of my motives and thoughts about who He is and make sure they're not being born of tradition or common thought, but of my own biblical and Spirit-led search and revelation. It's a good thing because it opens up doors to very beautiful parts of God, but it's also scary because it's shaking up the things I think I know about God and introducing things that can be somewhat uncomfortable and hard to swallow. I'm discovering that God is nothing like we think he is. But that is another topic for a different day. What I really want to talk about now is sin, and how it relates to what I just mentioned. And how steering away from tradition is bringing up the term "relativism" in my pursuit of Christ. I understand that most Christians see relativism as very dangerous and misaligned with the character of God because it suggests vague guidelines vs. foundational truth.But I also understand that God relates to individuals in very different ways. And if sin is something that separates us from God, isn't it possible for some of that sin to be relative? Because different people relate to God in different ways. Example: I have issues with food and if I allow myself to binge on sweets, it dulls my senses, it's escapism, it's an unhealthy way to deal with deeper crap going on: it separates me from God. But for someone else, binging wouldn't necessarily separate them from God, it would just make them feel sick. So binging is sinful for me. But for someone else, it's just a lighthearted unhealthy choice. I get that there are obvious sins that separate everyone from God, no matter how the individual relates to him. But I know there are others that are different.

Thoughts?

The reason I posted this in the first place is because I'm noticing that it's getting harder and harder for me to define what sin is in my life. I'm also noticing that the topic of sin is becoming less and less discussed because it ignites a sense of legalism and no Christian hipster wants to be seen as a Bible thumper, so I'm seeing a degeneration of morale among Christians my age. Because we serve a "forgiving" God. We  misinterpret his forgiveness and use it as a loophole for sin. This is nothing new, Paul talked about it in Romans 5&6. But "love" and "forgiveness" are not excuses to compromise truth or morals. So, to tie this in, what are those truths and morals, and can they be relative? and, to relate to degenerating morale, just how angry does God get when we know what we're doing is wrong, yet we keep on doing it to convey a liberal Christianity? And how much room does he give us before he holds us responsible and begins punishing us for that behavior, calling it repetitive and conscious sin?

4 comments:

KeithMont said...

When I was younger I used to think of sin as things you did wrong. If you stole, that was as sin. It was about actions. But the more I think about it and the more I come to understand abstract concepts like pride, I feel like sin is more like "misalignment" where it has to do with where our heart lies.

That in itself relates to relativism, saying that what dis-aligns me may not dis-align you. Check out this article from Piper: http://bit.ly/b2rQ44
I think he is sort of pointing in a similar direction.

Also, we are called to carry one another, so while my struggles may be relative, are they then in a certain sense communal?

This is a good topic to be wrestling with.

Unknown said...

Quit thinking so deeply you'll upset the status quo.

Jacob Andrew Wilson said...

this kinda reminds me of Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", where he talks about how faith is like a spring on the trampoline and it should always stretching and bending. But then again, something that Bell never talks about is how trampolines have a structure that actually holds up the springs. But as far as what that structure actually is, shoot, i don't feel like even attempting that.


i really just think that we often put God way too far in a box. Like, when i think that some KLove song sucks and is super unoriginal in every way, God could be using that song to absolutely transform someone's life. i guess it is the same way as far as sins go.

katie said...

It's just like that old saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." For instance "I drink, I smoke, and I cuss...but hey, it's all in good fun. I certainly mean well by it. Life is a party man." But can anyone really concentrate on their relationship with the lord when they drink, smoke and cuss? I know I certainly haven't. That's why I don't claim to be a Christian.

But God wouldn't want you to tear your hair out over things like this. If you put effort into analyzing it, don't you think you're putting effort into your relationship with god? No man is without sin. It's just a matter of sin controlling your life. Whatever puts a barrier between you and the lord is sin.

Hope I wasn't too preachy lol :)