Sin as a certain kind of being as well as doing

Sin is much more than doing bad things – it is a certain kind of being as well as doing: that is, of being distant from God’s love, of being puffed-up and proud, judgemental and accusatory, of being deaf and dismissive toward the other person and her story. Sin, then, is not just about our wilful intentions, but is something which runs much deeper and wider. It is about our disposition toward others; in other words, it is about how we are with others as well as what we do to others.

In my life, I know I have concentrated far too much on my intentions, what I think and what I decide to do, but this is not enough. I must lift all of what I am to God for forgiveness, healing and restoration, including what I am inclined to do, which often happens without me thinking or deciding anything! It is in this wider space of inclination that I am especially vulnerable as my sin can find many places to hide from my gaze; and so it is in these hidden, darker places where I especially need Christ’s liberation: “What a wretched man I am! Who will release me from this body doomed to death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

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