Guest Speaker

Today (or tonight or this morning, however you want to take it) I have a guest writer to share his thoughts with you. Randy Rankin is one of my friends from college. We never really hung out, but we have quite a few mutual friends and were both brought up in Awana. I copied his note from Facebook. Its title is "Redefining Sin and the Implications Thereof." I thought it was very good and worth the time to read it, though it is long (hang in there!). Do realize that this is Randy's writing and not mine. I hope this makes you think and that you can find infinite ways to make the glorification of God a reality in every part of your life.

In other news, I really like Lincoln Brewster's version of "Everlasting God" on YouTube. (And I apologize for the strange font size and color; blogspot really doesn't like it when I copy and paste.)

Redefining Sin and the Implications Thereof, by Randy Rankin

I had an interesting opportunity a little while ago to truly ponder the nature of sin. One of the AWANA leaders I work with had given a gospel presentation and had asked my opinion of it. Thankfully God prevented my inner cynic from tearing him apart and allowed my mind to focus on one key issue that has frustrated me. He had hardly touched the issue of sin. He was so eager to teach salvation that he totally forgot what we are being saved from. To me that was a huge problem. and I kind of went into rant/lecture mode. Now for those of you who have not had the opportunity to be on the recieving end of one of these let me explain. I tend to rant much like I write in a free flowing manner which means that many times I don't know where I am going until I have gotten there because much of my thinking happens on a subconcious level and only seems to express itself when I am arguing or writing. So there are many times when my points can even surprise myself. I began to talk of the nature of sin and how important it is to understand it. I continued to explain how Christianity seems to have lost track of the true nature of sin and if we actually understood it we might live a little differently. It was when I was defining sin that I surprised myself because it was a definition I dont think I have heard before or if I had it hadn't been emphasized properly. I went home that night and began to consider the implications of such a definition. and the fact is that it is life changing. To live by such a definition requires a massive change of perspective. So let me ask you, what is sin really? What is this condemning action, attitude, or perception called sin? Do you know?

Here is what I came up with. Our purpose on earth as humans is to glorify or worship God. Just as the painting praises the artist, the sculpture praises the sculptor, and the symphony praises the composer, we are to praise our creator. We are God's painting, his symphony, and our purpose is to point to him and glorify his attributes. If we do not do this , if we do not glorify him, that is sin. Too often I hear that sin is the bad things we do, but that is wrong, it's way off. Sin has nothing to do with morality. It isn't good vs. bad. That comes from religion. Morality is man made not God made. Now before you start arguing I am not talking about the law or conscience I am talking about simple morality, a cultural creation of both secular and religious orgin. Why we consider certain actions good and certain actions bad. As a culture changes so does its morality, this is a historical observation and fact. That being said you cannot judge someone by a variable standard, it isnt just. Therefore morality cannot be a judge for sin and sin cannot be the bad things you do.

Now about the two things I mentioned earlier that I know all you good little Christians would jump to, the law and your conscience. These are not judges either. First the conscience can deaden. The more one sins the more he justifies until he convinces himslef that he is not doing anything wrong. Second the law enslaves making one unable to act without breaking it in some way. When one tries to follow the law he creates more laws to keep him from the laws he is afraid he will break. Then he creates more laws to keep himself from breaking those laws and so on until he is so wrapped in laws that he is unable to move without breaking his laws. Again a man made problem unable to judge. Sin is simply this, when one does not glorify God he is in sin. When one focuses on this definition suddenly the tools God provided, the law and the conscience, become guides instead of stumbling blocks. The law tells you how to glorify God and the conscience warns you against inglorious acts.

Can you see how freeing this definition is? Suddenly you do not have to worry about what to do. Sin is not an action or an attitude it is a lifestyle. There are many verses pointing to this, Paul references it many times but it is only when this definition prevails that such verses begin to make sense. The fact that we aren't under the law and all things are permissable is clear because it is not an action we have to avoid. Sin is a lifestyle that we are born into. We begin this life unable to glorify and praise our creator and until the time we come to salvation we lif in constant inglorious action. At the point of salvation we see the world with new eyes, pleasures are given to us by God so we can thank him for them. Sufferings are given to test us and grow us by God so we grow wiser and more dependent on Him. Which leads us to praising him more. Obviously we are new to this lifestyle and fail in it constantly but we are able to live a life of sinlessness because we can live a life of glorification of God. How amazing a conclusion that is, how freeing. Do you see it?

Now contemplate who God is. Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth. A God so big that he created the stars with his fingertips as an afterthought. He can hold the entire universe in His hand. We are miniscule specks smaller than the smallest thing we know. Smaller than the proteins holding together our DNA. Yet he knows everything about each and every person alive and everything about all those who have lived and all those who will live. Their every action, their every thought and possibly their every possible action as well. He knows everything. He is that big and that knowledgeable. Think about our definition of sin in conjunction with our God. It simplifies things really. He doesnt condemn us for our actions in life but our lifestyles. That is why the best person you know without God is still going to hell. He does not glorify God with his life. And the most hardened criminal who gives his life to Jesus will go to heaven because he glorifies God. He completes his purpose. It is completely just those that complete their purpose will be rewarded by God's presence and those that do not will be tossed into the fiery inferno and seperated for God's presence. It is no different from a painter who scraps a bad painting or a composer who scratches out a bad chord. If we do not complete our purpose we have no reason to continue. Or here is a thought if we do not complete our purpose in life we do after it. On judgement day when all come before Him to be judged every knee will bow and every tounge confess that Jesus is God. They will glorify Him and then they will point to His attribute of justice just as we who have been saved will glorify Him and point to His attribute of mercy. And there will be no more sin because we all will be fulfilling our purpose and be glorifying God at all times.

I know this is a very different way of looking at things. It has many more implications as we continue to apply it to our lives but I think it is worth the time to consider what we think of sin and how it affects us. I think one of the Devil's most insidious tricks is to confuse what sin is and then let us blunder our way about destroying others lives because we think they are too sinful. When the nature of sin is defined by a glorious lifestyle we are able to avoid that blundering because sin is not what you do but how you do it and no one can judge that but God and yourself. Also I realize for those of you who are a little more theologically minded I did not provide any specific verses to back up my theories. I do this for a couple of reasons. The first is simplest I am a bit lazy and didnt want to go through the trouble of looking them up. I know this is a shortcoming of mine but it allows for the second reason, my justification, I want you to look for them yourselves. Test the Bible to see if what I am saying is true. If what I am saying isnt true come back to me with your verses prove that Im wrong. please I would welcome it because it would instruct me and it would show me that you arent attacking me with a close minded attitude but one who is truly concerned and looking for the truth. Please comment and tell me what you think one of the biggest reasons I post things like this is to cause discussion and to create thought. Thank you.