The Sin Festival Syndrome: Which came First, the Chicken or the Egg?"

To my personal disappointment, there is an issue which I personally believe is overemphasized in Christian circles.  It is the issue of sin.  I say disappointment because I have found and experienced that Christians seem to have an obsession with talking about sin more than they do about anything else.  It appears that the issue of sin is alluded to in most conversations among Christians. I can almost say that Christians tend to engage in a "sin festival" when a good number of their conversations are geared towards this issue.

I am not suggesting that we ignore the reality of sin.  Neither am I suggesting that we should "sweep it under the rug."  Nor am I even remotely implying that the issue of sin should not be a part of theological discourse.

My main concern is that we focus so much on the issue of sin, that we almost tend to overlook the remedy for sin which is grace.  We are so sin-conscious that we diminish God's liberating and saving actions which come to us as a result of God's grace, experienced and transmitted by faith in Jesus Christ.  We should be having, I think, more grace "festivals" acknowledging God's mercy and forgiveness in our lives. Acknowledging the grace of God is cause for constant celebration and rejoicing.

There are two questions that I would like to pose for our consideration. They are:

1. What constitutes sin?  Traditionally, sin has been thought to be a willful and intentional disregard of God's laws and standards.  But what makes a particular act or lifestyle sinful?  Is it a sin because the Bible "says so," or does the Bible "say so" because it's a sin? If we say that certain things are sinful (adultery, murder, theft, etc.) because the Bible "says so," then we are saying, in essence, that there was no such thing as sin before the Bible was written.  In other words, sin came into the picture of human history when the Scriptures were completed. On the other hand, if the Bible "says so" because it's a sin, then we admitting that there was sin before the Bible was written, and that in the pre-biblical period, there was a different criteria for the definition of sin,  Would that, then, mean that this pre-biblical criteria  is as authoritative and normative as the Bible, or does it mean that this criteria was discarded when the Scriptures were completed?  These questions are not meant to be "trick" questions, but rather meant to be a stimulant for us to think clearly and analytically about those things which we strongly believe.

2.  Is sin determined by the external act or by the motive behind the act?  For example, we are told that Rahab the prostitute hid the men of God and also lied about their whereabouts. We could say that she did the wrong thing (lying) for the right reason.  King David, in time of war, took the sacred bread from the temple to feed himself and the men who were accompanying him.  Again, he did the wrong thing for the right reason.  Can we say that the reverse is also true? If a person does "the right thing" for the wrong reason, is that person's actions acceptable to God?  For example, if I give a piece of bread to hungry person so that I can receive human applause, is not that act a sinful one in that I was not operating with the correct motive? If I remain in a marital relationship because of financial and other conveniences, and not out of love for my spouse, am I not guilty of legalized prostitution and sinning before God?  If I engage in certain religious activities such as church attendance, prayer meetings, Bible study, etc., because I want to accumulate "brownie points" with God, am I not sinning in that I am not motivated by appreciation to and love for God, but rather by "what's in it for me?"

In closing, I ask, which came first, the chicken or the egg?  This question is the overall framework and context for our attempt to answer the two questions above.  Please feel free to give your take on the above questions. Your input is very valuable in helping us to seek what is the correct course of action.

In the Name of the Creator, and of the Word, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona