Sin is not a politically correct word. Nor is it a word that we really understand. If we did, we certainly wouldn't whip it around like a disease that was separate from our own existence. We would be much less likely to apply it to our descriptions of others as we would realize it is ours to claim.
I'm not going for some all-encompassing theology of sin here... I'm just working on a recent application in my life. Sin is a heart problem, not just an outwardly observable action. Our sin has outwardly observable consequences in how we treat others, our over-indulgences, our attitudes, etc. However, our sin isn't summed up by the observable: it is primarily a problem with our heart.
God has made this most powerfully clear to me in my obedience. Huh? Yes, my obedience. Because when I disobey, I think: "if I would have just done... then I wouldn't have this problem." But I did what God had asked of me. I didn't have outward consequences of disobedience to deal with (like treating my husband badly, needing to apologize, etc.) so one would look and think that things were just honky dory with my sinning. Except that sin is a heart problem that I cannot fix on my own. Because, when I obey, I start to think "I've got it all figured out" or "I'm so spiffy" or whatever thoughts rattle in my head.
Let's have a concrete example: my husband and I both felt very strong conviction from God about our giving this year. We obeyed what God asked of us in this area after much prayer, and we felt the strong pinch of sacrifice. Our tax statement came... and so did pride. PRIDE. I hate it. I curse it. Because it ruins everything good about my obedience. Sure, I don't have the consequences of disobedience. But, I have my ugly friend, pride.
Certainly a cheery thought: obey and you get pride (or something else), disobey and there is the heartache of those consequences.
This left me to ponder what "Christianity" really looks like. Is it a well-armed set of arguments about the validity of the Christian faith? Is it standing on a pillar of truth? Is it living out a pursuit of justice with vigor? Is it just obedience?
What is belief? As I have been reading through parts of the New Testament I heard God speaking more loudly, more clearly: Repent. Repentance is the posture of belief. Repentance cannot be equated to simply words. It isn't an intellectual exercise whereby you recognize where you've sinned.
Repentance is grief before God about your sin. Hear this: not just grief about your sin. That's self-depricating and causes tremendous guilt. Repentance is grief before God about your sin. As I repent, in prayer, before God, I picture myself kneeling with arms outstretched, in surrender. "Hear I am, again, Lord. Forgive me and change me."
Repentance and faith are intertwined. Repentance isn't a once in a while thing. It is a posture of belief whereby we live with arms outstretched... saying, "Here I am, Lord. Forgive me and change me." That is the saving faith that Jesus died, rose from death, and lives to give.
Change me He has, change me He is, and change me He will. When I surrender and plead with God to change me, He will. It's just a lifelong process of God's power meeting my greatest needs.
Just a few examples of NT passages on repentance: Acts 3:19-21, Acts 20:21, Acts 26:18&20, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10... and so many more.
I have never thought of repentance and belief this way. I have realized over the last year that sin is an evil act but also my evil condition. I haven't quite figured out how there is freedom from the power of sin in Christ and yet there is no escape. I can never not be a sinner even though he's paid my debt and broken sin's hold on me. I will always have the need for repentance.
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