Have you ever wondered what the big deal with sin is? As Christians we often speak about God’s amazing grace and His willingness to forgive sins. If all we have to do is confess our sins and He forgives us, what’s the big deal?
That is similar to the question Paul posed to the Romans: “Should we go on sinning so that grace may abound?” But he answered it this way: “By no means! How can we who have died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1)
We need to understand that sin is a big deal because the consequences of sin are a big deal. I think Cornelius Plantinga was on to something when he theorized that the essence of sin is the disruption of shalom. You might know that word as the Hebrew word for peace, or as a typical Jewish greeting. Just as we say “Good morning” and “Good evening,” Jews greet each other with “Shalom.”
It means so much more than peace. Plantinga defined it as a “universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight.” Wishing someone shalom is like saying, “May everything in life be in your favor.” It is wishing someone good health, material prosperity, familial blessings, all rolled into one greeting. That is the ideal for how we should live life.
But sin is a disruption of shalom. From broken promises and trust, to hurting someone with words or fists, and a million other things, sin gets in the way of shalom. We can praise God for the promise of forgiveness from our sins (1 John 1:9, for example), but there is still the lasting mark from the sin.
Plantinga said God is for shalom, and therefore against sin. God wants you to live life in a state of shalom, and He knows your choice to sin diminishes your chance for peace. Every time we sin we hurt our relationship with someone, including God. We invite disaster into our lives. We rob ourselves of peace and joy, opting instead for guilt and shame.
If shalom is your goal, sin should be your enemy.
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