Why our Theology of Sin Matters

31/07/24

Recently I was teaching SRE in a school where there had been no Christian SRE for several years. The children were enthusiastic in their welcome. We got stuck into bible stories and gradually trust developed. I expected they would have lots of questions, and they did, but surprisingly the one that recurred the most often was, ‘What is sin?’. It wasn’t random either. As we explored the bible, the question was continually relevant.

Talking about sin can seem negative and risky, especially when kids are part of the equation. Yet it is undeniably important if we want to be faithfully teaching God’s Word and pointing young people to Jesus.

How we understand sin will impact not only how we seek to disciple young people but also how we understand ourselves. Here’s a few observations on how our theology of sin speaks into our life and ministries.

1.Our theology of sin impacts identity

Our culture is quite preoccupied with identity. The emerging views on gender are one example of a reshaping of how our culture is understanding what makes a person who they are and what is a valid source of information about the self. Who gets to have a say? Should a person look inward to their feelings or outward to other external sources of authority?

Our theology of sin speaks into our Christian understanding of identity. Genesis 1-3 provides an introduction to two crucial truths about who we are; we are made by God and precious to him, indeed, made in his image (Genesis 1:27). Secondly, we are sinful and that has serious consequences (Genesis 3). Both these truths remain evident to this day. There is a preciousness to human life and people have the capacity for amazing acts of generosity, kindness and courage. But there is also undeniable evidence that there is something wrong with each and every person. Christianity is unique in holding both these truths and yet presenting a genuine solution.

It is a wonderful thing to be able to teach children that they are deeply loved and precious, and yes, there is something that needs fixing inside them and Jesus is the answer. To deny either truth leads ultimately to despair.

2. Our theology of sin impacts our view of others

Without a biblical perspective, our society resorts to several other ‘stories’ to understand why people are the way they are. Why did Hitler do what he did? What was wrong with him? The way someone answers those questions reveals a lot.

Western culture has several ways to explain why people act the way they do. Here are just two. In some traditions, there are ‘good people’ and ‘bad people’. In many movies that retell aspects of World War 2 history, the Nazi’s are simply ‘bad people’, not ‘like us’. It is only with the increasing distance of time, and other answers to this question, that differing perspectives are offered.

There is also the dialogue about people making ‘bad choices’. In many educational and therapeutic conversations, people (and especially children) are intrinsically ‘good’. They will ‘do well if they can’ (Greene, 2016), but are often thwarted by lack of knowledge, poverty, trauma from the acts of others, lack of social skills and so on. In this view, education can provide the missing pieces that means people can make better choices. Psychological help can heal the wounds of trauma. And as the medical and psychological merges, certain drugs are presented as ways to ‘heal the mind’.

You may question if these views are wholly wrong. There is some element of truth, some valid perception of humankind but any perspective that does not acknowledge God will be doomed to a greater or lesser degree of inaccuracy and error.  ‘What is wrong with me?’ and ‘What is wrong with ‘them?’ are questions that find answers in a biblical understanding of sin.

3. Our theology of sin impacts our understanding of the ‘solution’

Knowing what the problem is means we can begin to look for solutions. A diagnosis is the first step to successful treatment. In the same way, if we accurately understand how the Bible presents humanity’s ‘problem’ then the solution makes sense.

People who believe each person is fundamentally good will struggle to see why they need saving. What they think they need is better education, or therapy. Those who write others off as ‘bad’ will see some people as beyond salvation. Getting the diagnosis wrong has unhappy consequences, even more so with eternity in view. Jesus is all the more glorious when we understand sin.

I sat in on a small group time at an after school kids club a few weeks ago. I listened to a Year 4 girl struggle to articulate how she could be both precious and loved by God, and also a sinner in need of Jesus. Those truths can sometimes seem contradictory. If God loves her just the way she is, why does she need saving?

How would you answer that question?

This year at HOUSE conference we are exploring the theology of sin with papers from Michael Jensen and Tom Habib.[1] It’s a great opportunity to wrestle with a big and important topic that we might in turn better disciple the young people around us.

[1] If you can’t make it to HOUSE conference, you can buy the papers! Contact your regional Advisor to find out more and make a time to discuss the papers together.