Inescapable Sin

“Things will be different this time, I promise!”

Anyone who has had a loved one struggle with addiction has probably heard these words before, or words much like them. As compassionate human beings, we sense the pain they feel, we clearly see their struggles, and we wish fervently to believe that their words will prove true… this time. We desperately want them to overcome their dependence on drugs, alcohol, gambling, or whatever else may be actively ruining their lives… this time.

The problem is, we’ve seen it all before, and it always seems to end up the same way. Sure, for now, they seem repentant. For now, they seem to realize the damage that their addiction has done to themselves and the people around them. For now, it seems like they truly want to change.

But we know how this always ends. Don’t we? Or… do we? Now, before you get all up in arms, assuming that I am disparaging those who suffer from addiction, please read a bit further.

The problem the addict faces, we who have never been diagnosed with an addiction also face. The enemy which stands before the addict is the same enemy which stands before every human being, every moment of our lives: the temptation to sin.

Rather than alcoholism or a drug dependency, replace the object of addiction with that which tempts you, yourself. Is it gossip? Perhaps pornography? Or maybe your weakness is gluttony, pride, sloth, envy, or wrath. Or maybe it’s something else, something which this author hasn’t thought of. Whatever it may be, it is now, as of this moment, your wake-up call to realize that you and I are no worthier of God’s love than the town drunk; no better suited to carry the gospel than the wife-beater living in that run-down double wide trailer; no more deserving than the street walkers prowling the boulevards in search of illicit gain.

In this world, sin is inescapable.

Perhaps you have read 1 John 1:8 & 10…

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. … If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

Or Romans 3:23…

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Or one of the many verses that echo the refrain of Psalm 53:3…

“Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.”

Perhaps the most jarring description of the inevitability of our failure to avoid sin comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans. From chapter seven (verses 15, 18b, 19, 24): …I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing… Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

So… is that it? Is there no hope? Are we doomed to keep repeating the horrific cycle of sin’s progression in our lives? Of course not. For every verse listed above, there is a counter; not the least of which is found in Paul’s words from Philippians 4:13… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

My hope for this essay is not to spread doom and gloom, but quite the opposite. However, in order to fully comprehend the magnitude of God’s gift of salvation, we must first accept the truth about ourselves: we are fallen creatures who, in spite of our best intentions, make mistakes. We sin against God and others. We do things which we can never personally make right. No matter how we might like to whitewash our own sins while pointing out the deep stains marring someone else’s life, we ourselves are every bit as guilty before God as the most vile person you can think of. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)

I have written previously that Christianity is the greatest equalizing force in the history of humanity. Rich or poor, elite or wretched, God’s judgment falls upon us all. Understanding that, perhaps it is time that we stop pointing out each other’s faults and begin helping others carry their burdens when they are weak.

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged… (Matthew 7:2)

But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:26)