Sin and the Sinner

When we sin, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit and feel guilty. We must understand why we are feeling guilty and the remedy to overcome that guilt. Of course, we know the reason for the guilt is our sin, and our sin is made up of very different ideas.

Hamartia (αμαρτία) is the Greek word translated to sin in English, and it means to miss the mark. The term Hamartia was often used in the context of archery. Using this word expresses that we have not lived up to the requirements of God, and we have gotten very close, but we still missed the mark. Since we cannot live sinless lives, we are constantly missing the mark; thankfully, most of us are not archers.

Do or Don't Do

Sin is not only what we do but what we fail to do. It is kind of like the law. In the case of the death of George Floyd, several police officers were present when Floyd died. Although not all of them knelt on Floyd’s neck, the court found them guilty of criminal action because they failed to do something; they failed to intervene. Sin is like that; when we fail to repent or don’t do certain things God requires, we still miss the mark because of our lack of action.

The Good Samaritan

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan. The Samaritan helped the man who the thieves had robbed. He bound his wounds, took him to an inn, and paid for his care. A priest and a Levite had passed the man on the side of the road and were indifferent to his situation. In their inaction, they had sinned. They had not loved their neighbor as God loved them. “Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37 ESV).

Another idea of sin is that it is a debt that cannot be repaid. When we sin, we cannot rectify the sin on our own. There is nothing we can do of our own volition that would erase our sin before God. Only through the saving grace of Jesus can our sins be erased, and Christ justifies us before God. Without Jesus, we could never be redeemed before God.

The parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-27) illustrated this idea. In this parable, a servant owed his master a great debt. A debt so large he would never be able to repay it. Yet, the master forgave his debt. This parable illustrated the depth of the forgiveness of God. However, the forgiven servant failed to forgive much smaller debts owed to him by another servant. Hearing of this, the forgiven servant was thrown in jail by the master. This illustrates that when God forgives us, we must forgive those who have done evil to us, or God will not forgive us. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-27 ESV).

To Infinity and Beyond

Our God is infinite. God has existed forever and exists endlessly. Our God is also holy. Holy means separate from us, elevated in righteousness at a level unattainable by humans. Therefore, when we sin against God, we sin against an infinitely righteous God, and that sin remains forever. This sin is an infinite debt we can never repay unless we have found faith in Christ. It is then, and only then, we are justified through the blood of Christ and made righteous before a holy and righteous God.

If you do not know Jesus, seek him out. If you do not know how to seek Christ, reach out to In Messiah, and we can guide you to Him. Do not be a slave to sin any longer; Christ can free you from the debt of sin.

In Christ, Blessings