I Wonder if This Applies to All Sins

Published on by D. G. Hart

Including racism:

Although we are in a daily fight against sin, the war has already been won. Christ is victorious. He has freed us from the penalty of sin (justification) and the power of sin (sanctification), and one day He will free us from the presence of sin (glorification). But while we remain on this side of heaven, we will have to struggle. And yet we struggle not in our own power, but in the power of Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Christ’s victory over sin, Satan, and death is already ours. We both strive and rest. We struggle against the flesh while abiding in Christ’s definitive triumph over it.

Do not be dismayed when you seem to be losing the battle against sin. It happens to every Christian, even great biblical models like the Apostle Paul Romans 7:18–19. Understand that through each small victory and simply by persevering as a Christian, Christ the Lord is turning your heart away from idols and toward Himself. The Holy Spirit Himself is destroying the sin complex in us.

Although the progress may be imperceptible at times, in faith we believe that we are becoming more like our Savior each day. As John says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” 1 John 3:2. That is our blessing. That is our promise. We will be like Jesus—perfect, holy, joyful, peaceful, and restful.

19 thoughts on “I Wonder if This Applies to All Sins”

  4. So you have Alice and Bob.

    Alice participates in a “corporate sin” – say, Bieber-shaming.

    Bob does not.

    Both are part of the same culture. You would say, I think, that Alice is guilty and Bob is not.

    Wouldn’t that mean that their sin is individual, not corporate? The one who actually commits the sin, sins; the one who does not, doesn’t?

    Like

  6. So, if one were listening to some NeoCalvinist voices on the issue of white privilege and felt appropriately penitent are there any prescribed prayers of repentance to assuage one’s guilt?
    If so, should these prayers of repentance be repeated on a regular basis as long as white privilege is determined to exist?
    Must these prayers be said corporately or individually?
    Are sackcloth and ashes mandatory or optional?
    If one is multi-ethnic/multi-racial, should one’s repentance be proportionate to the individual’s percentage of “white” ancestry? Or, is the “one-drop rule” in effect? Should individual phenotypes as opposed to genotypes be determinate?
    Is there an objective standard for “white” or is it strictly a matter of self-identification?
    Should Hispanics sub-divide from an ethnic and cultural identity to a more racial identity in order to isolate those who may or may not have need of repentance?

    These are after all “gospel issues” and deserve more nuance than currently is being given.

    Like

  7. Uhm…

    As a black dude, it seems like the less I care about race and racism, the less I seem to stress about my own sins…. Is this a good thing?

    Like

  8. CW,
    That certainly isn’t what I was even hinting about. Perhaps your defensiveness here indicates that a nerve has been hit.

    The real question is can we just ignore the societal sins our society is engaged in?

    Like

  12. Curt, are all members of a society equally guilty of that society’s corporate sins? Are some entirely innocent?

    On what ground?

    Like

  13. A nerve! A very palpable nerve! First, I’m descended from poor southern dirt farmers. Second, I’m just one person (no split personality even) in no position to oppress even my own family, or so it seems. I’m great at sinning individually, not so effective at the corporate level, Commie Comedian.

    Like

  19. Can’t make this up:

    The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is scrapping an ad campaign for the needy after it was blasted for being culturally and socially insensitive.

    The One Great Hour of Sharing campaign originally included an image of an Asian girl with the words “Needs help with her drinking problem” and, in smaller lettering: “She can’t find water.” Another image featured a man with the words “Needs help getting high,” followed in smaller lettering with: “Above the flood waters.”

    Linda Valentine, executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, said a redesign has begun and the new campaign should appear in February.

    “We made a great misstep,” she said. “We acknowledged that the materials not only perpetuated offensive racial stereotypes but were insensitive to struggles with addiction that are real struggles and many of our churches and many of our ministries are working with those very people.”

    Among those objecting to the original plans was Bruce Reyes-Chow, who is of Chinese/Filipino descent and served as moderator of the denomination, which is about 90 percent white.

    “I am all for creativity, playfulness, and even well-placed snark, but, I’m sorry, this misses the mark—big time,” he wrote in the comments about the online announcement. “While we do some very good things, I am really disappointed that my denomination is going through with this offering campaign.”

    Like

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.