Sin

Post-Mortem

Valerie Cullers 2 Comments
We all know what the literal definition of post-mortem is…i.e., an autopsy, but did you know that it is used in the cultural arena as a way to evaluate a loss or defeat? The figurative meaning is, according to Google AI, “An analytical discussion, review, or debriefing that takes place after an event, project, campaign, or game has ended or failed. The purpose is to evaluate what went wrong, what went right, and how to improve future outcomes.”
We have seen this take place recently after the last election. The losing party has been doing its own post-mortem on the election loss. Many times the results are obvious, but other times, it requires a certain amount of reflection and analysis to determine what went wrong.
We can all see the value of a post-mortem in the above situations, but have you ever thought that it can be positive to analyze our own losses, mistakes, motivations, and intentions when we have negative outcomes? The purpose is not to point fingers, assign guilt, or relieve ourselves of personal responsibility, but to take an honest look at the situation we find ourselves in.
Sometimes when we take an honest look at a problem or situation that has turned out negative, it is because we have actually done more than use bad judgment; we have actually committed one kind of a sin or another. 
Sin is definitely a negative word, and it has bad connotations, but did you know that the actual definition from the Greek word hamartia is “missing the mark”? Yes, it means that when we are shooting at a target, we have missed the bullseye or the target. 
So, in truth, sin can be something really bad and intentional, or it can be just a mistake in judgment that hurts or offends someone or ourselves. Large or small, it is important to take a good look at our behavior and evaluate it. 
Some of you (those living in glass houses) may think, “Don’t you dare mention sin to me…I am not a sinner.” But that is not at all how the Lord sees us. In His word, it says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 The word goes on to explain that it is a universal condition: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
Yep, take it or leave it, none of us are perfect, and can never  measure up to the perfect, sinless character of the Almighty. Fortunately for all of us, He has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Because of that, He can offer a full and free cleansing of our sin. 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Long story short: the year is coming to a close. It’s a perfect time to look back and do a thorough post-mortem before we begin anew. I’m in need of a good cleansing; how about you?

Photo by Fabio Luciano Sorg. Courtesy of Pixabay

 

 

Say the Word

Valerie Cullers 22 Comments

Every few weeks, my older brother calls. We talk about several subjects, and then the conversation moves to the topic he spends the most time on, the breakdown of civil society. He is a businessman and constantly dealing with people. He cannot believe the way people behave. He decries the corporate greed, the stealing that goes on, and the inhumane way people treat each other.

Mind you, I am not talking to any right-wing conservative. He is a far-left leaning liberal who cannot comprehend the moral breakdown in today’s society. It is a rare day if he mentions the word “God” and I have no idea what his religious beliefs are.

I, in turn, answer him pretty much the same way, phone call after phone call. “We, as a society, have lost our moral compass.” In previous centuries, most of Western society has based its laws and public morals on the Judeo-Christian ethic, i.e., a belief that some behaviors are wrong. Lying, stealing, adultery, usury and sexual perversion are examples, to name a few.

Since our society decided to cast off a belief in God, then of course, His word and the values that are attached to it have lost their significance. Behaviors that were once considered morally wrong have now been accepted. Not only are they accepted, but now they are flaunted. Relativism has taken hold, and all behaviors are judged relative to the situation in which they occur. Situational ethics is the term used now to describe this phenomenon.

Take stealing, for example, it was once considered wrong. Now, corporations can charge astronomical prices for goods, and it is an accepted practice. Credit card companies can charge exorbitant interest fees, and it is legal. Individuals feel free to walk into stores and steal as much as they can get away with, and feel no sense of guilt or shame.

You know we have reached a tipping point when universities have to teach classes in ethics in various disciplines because students have no idea what right and wrong are anymore.

There is a word that is no longer used in today’s society. It is a moral term: sin. Sin is defined as: “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.” Oxford Languages.

And really, why would we use the term anymore? If as a society we no longer believe that there is a divine law, then there can be no moral transgression against it. However, just because that moral law is no longer accepted as a societal norm, does not mean that it does not exist.

There is a God, a divine moral law, and consequences for breaking that law. Look around you. We are watching those consequences manifest themselves in practically every arena in society. If we want to describe this breakdown in a moral context, we must say the word sin, for it most certainly is the best way to describe what is happening. Sin against self, sin against others and most of all sin against God.