The Question:
"We love sin" - isn't it also just put down to the fact that we are sinful beings? I think we sometimes do it unwillingly just because we are sinful, rather than loving it...
I think both sides of the coin on this one are true, what do I mean? John Stott has some very helpful words to say from his commentary on Ephesians, he is commentating on 2:1 'And you he made alive, when you were dead through trespasses and sins in which you once walked'.
The death to which Paul refers is not a figure of speech, as in the parable of the Prodigal Son, 'This my son was dead'; it is a factual statement of everybody's spiritual condition outside Christ. And it is traced to their trespasses and sins. These two words seem to have been carefully chosen to give a comprehensive account of human evil. A 'trespass' is a false step, involving either crossing a know boundary or a deviation from the right path. A 'sin', however, means rather a missing of the mark, a falling short of a standard. Together the two words cover the positive and negative, or active and passive, aspects of human wrongdoing, that is to say, our sins of commision and of omission. Before God we are both rebels and failures (p71).
I only presented half the picture of sin, the half that crosses the known boundary. This type of sin is what I was talking about when I said, 'we love sin'. And I will stand by my words of us loving this type of sin in some way. If we really truly hated it we wouldn't do it, just like if you really truly hate brussell sprouts you don't eat them. It is what Ephesians 2:3 talks about when it says 'Gratifying the desires of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts'. Sometimes it is hard to look in the mirror and see ourselves for who we are as sinners and deserving of God's wrath. But don't forget the great BUT of v4-6!
But, there is the other side as Stott points out the one of being a failure which is more our falling short of God's standards, and this is the more passive aspect of our sin.
Both aspects of sin need to be held together to get a complete picture of our humanity.
Both aspects of sin need to be held together to get a complete picture of our humanity.
2 comments:
I suspect you're right - if sin (transgression) wasn't enjoyable, we'd find it easier to avoid. But even sin defined as missing the mark is enjoyable, because hitting the mark can be so much trouble! We take the path of least persistance too often...
The thing that mystifies me is, why do regenerate people not enjoy the fruits of godliness enough to pursue godliness more fervantly?
Hey Mike,
Great question about the fruits of godliness!
I think part of the answer lies in our internal battle of the inner and outer man. The type of struggle that Rom 7 talks about. But I'm sure there is more to it than that.
Have you got any thoughts/suggestions?
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