"We take a rational view of life and say that a man by controlling his instincts, and by educating himself, can produce a life which will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we go on, we find the presence of something which we have not taken into consideration, viz., sin, and it upsets all our calculations. Sin has made the basis of things wild and not rational"-- Oswald.
Oswald's words today made me realize how much I minimize sin, underestimate its power, its effect on the world in general and my life in particular. I tend to think, just as Oswald describes above, that it can be managed and contained, made ineffectual by right living and good choices. What heresy. Sin is so much more than a bad habit that can be overcome by careful planning, goal setting, rewards for good behavior, distractions, and step-by-step instructions.
The presence of sin in the world required the death of Jesus Christ. I can only overcome it in my life today by relying on that payment and the power that proceeds from it. I cannot manage it or plan away its consequences.
To minimize sin is to minimize Christ's sacrifice. I need to recognize it for the formidable enemy that it is -- pervasive, insidious, and capable of morphing from humanism or religiosity into sheer self-interest and back again into behavior that on the surface appears to be morally neutral. No matter the face behind which it masquerades, sin is a vicious, writhing, contemptuous rebellion against a loving God. Ugly and awful in its destructive power.
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed," Isaiah 53:5.
I cannot manage my sin. My only hope in life and death is that my iniquities were laid upon him.
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