Sin, Religion and Grace

Just finished Timothy Keller's book, "The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism." I have to say he does a great job of explaining why God makes sense and why we need him.

Toward the end he gets into some basic theological issues including Sin, Religion and Grace. Here are some quotes and thoughts on sin, religion and grace:

Sin: "Lewis (referring to C.S. Lewis) works from Kierkegaard's definition of sin. Sin is not simply doing bad things, it is putting good things in the place of God. So the only solution is not simply to change our behaviour, but to reorient and center the entire heart and life on God."

"Remember this--if you don't live for Jesus you will live for something else."

"Everybody has to live for something. Whatever that something is becomes the 'Lord of your life,' whether you think of it that way or not."

What Keller is saying is that sin is not just doing bad things. The root of our sin is putting something else before God. If money is your lord it can drive you to do things that are sinful. Someone with the drive to have money may be a workaholic and neglect not just God, but their family. Maybe they will cheat on their taxes or deal unethical with others. Maybe it will cause someone to steal from someone else. All of these actions are just a result of money being in the place of God.

Maybe it is alcohol, drugs or sex that has become your lord and as a result, your actions show what "the" sin is you struggle with most. Jesus taught about the root of our actions in the Sermon on the Mount on several occasions. One place he said, "You have heard that it was said . . . do not murder . . . but I tell you anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement" (Matthew 5:21-22). What Jesus is saying is that murder is the result of a deeper issue--anger. It is at anger you have crossed the line of sin.

When I used to travel for Kentucky Christian University to various camps sometimes I would have to teach on sex to students. The question that was always asked was "How far can you go before it is to far?"

I had always been taught that you can go as far as you can without it leading to the deed (if you know what I mean). But that is not what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

So "lust" is the problem. Adultery is just the result of lust. So, what is this person's lord?

Sin is as simple as putting something else before God. In the example of the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve put their independence before God. They wanted to be like God. So they ate from the wrong tree.

Really all sin boils down to Adam and Eves sin--independence from our Lord. Everything other sin is just the result of our desire to be independent from God.

(Religion and Grace continued tomorrow)