Monday, April 21, 2008

Can I ever not sin?

An astute reader asks:

"When it's said that it is impossible to never sin, does that mean that it's just physically impossible to prevent your body from doing sinful things or does it mean that temptation is just so great all people are simply bound to falter sooner or later? On a tangent, it is easier to prevent yourself from physically saying something or doing an action, but it is much more difficult if not impossible to keep thoughts of such actions from running through one's mind. Is it sin to have thoughts of wanting to commit sin acts? Why do these persist after being saved? Is it indication that one may not be saved?"

Dear reader,

First of all, let me just say that I really "get" your last bit! My words and actions seem pretty clean to most people. My thoughts on the other hand.....If you were to suddenly develop telepathy, I'd stay miles away from you! Actually, I'll take it back about my words too -- I can be pretty nice to people, but to just be nice isn't enough. All the time I say things that are funny, or clever, or which get me out of trouble, but they're not loving, they're not holy. God isn't saying them. I'm not saying them by His power. And, that's not right. I aim for the goal of being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ Jesus, who is One with God and who is God and who shows us the Father. When people see me, I want them to see the Jesus, and seeing Jesus to see the Father too. But, I'm not there yet! Perhaps that will answer your tangential question :-)

On the other bit, I'm going to say something that may sound a bit strange. I don't think it's very helpful to think of sin and our sinning in terms of what is or is not possible. Put simply, the Christian life isn't lived in the world of possibilities, because the Christian life really is nothing less than sharing in the Life of God -- and God is so great, the words "possible" and "impossible" become virtually meaningless when talking about Him! As Jesus put it, "All things are possible with God." Elsewhere, in a different context, Jesus even said, "All things are possible for those who believe." (i.e. those who trust God and are walking by the Spirit.)

Now, you'll immediately think, then, "So, I can overcome sin?" Actually, I didn't say that :-) I know! Now it seems I'm contradicting myself. What I mean, though is exactly what I said. Opposing sin, pursuing a life of holiness, isn't about what is or isn't possible, because it's not about you and what is available for you to do or not do. It's about God in Christ and what He is doing, not only in you but in the whole creation.

How does this perspective work in practice? I'll try to describe it.

First of all, if you think, "Hey, it's possible for me to overcome bad, anoying habit X." (Where X is mental pornography, or habitual anger, or gossip, or whatever.) Then you go try to do it. In my experience, this just doesn't work. The reason why is because sin isn't just your private bad habit. Sin is more like a wound in the universe -- a total way of being and doing that's much bigger than just you. Sin and death are dramas you are caught up in.

Actually, sin is a much bigger matter than we normally think. Normally, we think of "sin" as bad things that we individually do. Sin, however, is much, much darker and more sinister than that. Sin is the way of doing things that is out of fellowship with God. Sin isn't just about you and God or you, your neighbor and God. Sin always occurs on a cosmic stage, whether you see it or not. Think of Adam's sin in Genesis. Now, Paul in Romans says that through that one person's sin, the whole world was plunged into death and everyone was made to be a sinner! Granted, that was Adam. If we're honest with ourselves, though, when we sin, it really isn't that different -- even when we're only sinning in our minds. When I cultivate lust in my mind, I have trouble relating to the women around me. In that way, even a teeny weeny sin tucked away in an itsy bitsy corner has a way of deranging a big chunk of the Universe. The glorious thing is, the righteousness of God is far, far more powerful than sin! Paul goes on to say that by Christ's one act of righteousness, the many were made right with God. The good things we do in gratitude to God in Christ, by the power of His Holy Spirit, participate in Christ's life and goodness and so, also, happen on a cosmic stage. Revelation 12 even says that those who suffer for Christ's sake in faith are the reason why Satan has and will lose! So, sin and righteousness are big things, not little private things. They occur on the stage of the Universe, not just of our hearts. Think big, cosmic struggle of Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Life and Death when you think about sin and righteousness -- not just about you, your immediate neighbor, and God.

Not just sin and death, but Life and Peace are dramas in which you are participating. Jesus Christ has played the central act by dying for our sins and rising for our justification. Right now, he's hidden behind the curtain, but he'll return to center stage at The End when He comes again for our glorification with Him. The main guy on the stage now is the Holy Spirit. The problem is, the audience out in the world can't see Him because He is spiritual and not physical. We're the supporting cast. By our living in Him, He makes himself "visible". He forms Christ in us; He unites us to God through Christ Jesus. We're not the stars of the show, though. The act isn't about us and what we can or cannot do. The act is about Him. Our role is supporting -- we help to show Him off. That's what faith and repentence are -- what taking the Lord's Supper at church is, what preaching is, what ministry in Christ's name is. In the process He, as the Savior God, does in and through us for our world what neither we nor the world can do for ourselves. What is impossible for human beings is possible for God. God overcomes sin and death. When the curtain is lifted at The End, the grand finale will show Christ (and us who trusted Him) glorified, ruling and reigning over a creation in which the power of sin and death is no more.

When you view things this way, a lot changes. Before, when I sinned I thought things like, "Whoops. Well, I guess I'm just a sinner still. Try better next time, since right now I couldn't help myself." -- Which is a wrong way of thinking, because it isn't repentant. Alternatively, I have a break down: "*%&W&SD. I did it again! I'm so embarrased. I hate myself. How can I ever be forgiven? Am I even realy saved? I'm doomed. The Holy Spirit must have taken a vacation; God must hate me. How can I ever call God 'Father'?" (Literally, I've felt like this before. Even the *@&#&&SD part!) This isn't a right way of thinking either. Actually, it's blasphemous -- because "nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Both ways of thinking -- the way I think when I think *I* can overcome sin, and the way I think when I think I can't -- are wrong. The way to think is "The God who raised Christ from the dead can and will overcome this." Then, I confess my sin -- to a brother in Christ sometimes even -- ask for forgiveness and get up again. Through the week, then, I look for ways to join God in what He is already doing as He destroys the works of the Devil. My salvation from this point of view isn't about me or what I can or cannot do, have or have not done. In life and in death I belong to my faithful Lord Jesus, and the anchor holds.

I hope that answers the question, at least in part! Feel free to squeek if it hasn't! Meanwhile, Pastor Mike?

Pax Christi,
Matt

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Suicide: Forgivable but not Permissable

Does God forgive suicide? I have read many responses to this question (as it is asked often). There are some with a hardline approach, saying that no, he will not, supported by reasons that one is taking away God's gift of life, one cannot repent for the sin after death, and also that it falls under the commandment "thou shalt not kill". For them, those reasons over rule any reasons for suicide save perhaps mental illness. There is however another view I have read that no, a believer is not eternally damned, generally following the view "once saved, always saved". I am curious for your thoughts on the subject.

Before answering this question, I think it’s good to make note of a few things. The first is that SUICIDE IS NEVER A SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS. If you feel abandoned and tempted to commit suicide, know that you are cared for and loved by your family and friends more than you think. Tell a friend or family member what you’re thinking, and be as open and honest as possible (even the people who love you and care about you the most can’t read your mind). Also, if you ever suspect that a friend or family member is considering suicide, talk to them. Just ask, “You’ve seemed really upset lately. Have you been considering suicide?” and let the conversation go from there. I know this is intimidating, because we often fear that we’ll say the wrong thing. But trust me; nothing we say is worse than remaining silent. The main point isn’t necessarily for you to say the right thing anyhow; it’s for you to listen and show love. If you feel the situation is out of your control, contact a professional counselor. (If you don’t know where to find one, ask your pastor and he/she will help you.)

Now all that being said, the question this reader poses is not an easy one to answer, because the Bible doesn’t directly address the topic. We really don’t have any examples in Scripture of Christians committing suicide. (The closest we come to is Judas.) So, to find the answer to our question, we need to piece together things that we do know from the Bible…

Death is not the will of God. In the gospel of John, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Likewise, Jesus defeats death through his resurrection, implying that death is God’s enemy (and defeated enemy, at that). God is the giver of life. From the time of our birth, our life is in the hands of God. Suicide is, among other explanations, an attempt for us to take control of our lives, which are not ours to control. Even those who argue that God forgives suicide will still admit that suicide is not God’s will. If they though otherwise, they wouldn’t have to argue that God would need to forgive it.

God is a forgiving God because of Jesus Christ. Our sins are forgiven in and because of Jesus Christ, and not on our own merit. Those who argue that God does not forgive suicide are assuming something that often goes unmentioned: that our being forgiven depends on seeking forgiveness for every last sin we commit. Hence why suicide can’t be forgiven; once we’ve committed the act, it’s too late to repent and seek God’s mercy. The problem with this assumption is that it is entirely impossible for us to confess every last sin we commit. We’re just plain too sinful to be able to identify every sin. Our forgiveness rather rests in the act of Jesus Christ. God desires us to turn to Jesus Christ and to repent of our sins, even naming those sins to him specifically, but it’s not as if God is listening to our confessions with a checklist of every sin we’ve committed making sure we’ve covered them all. Christ, as our intercessor, makes sure that to confess all of our sins on our behalf for us. So, our salvation doesn’t rest on whether or not we confess every last sin we commit. It rests in Jesus Christ.

Given the above, we can conclude that God can, and does, forgive suicide. But, we also must be aware that this does not mean that God permits suicide. Forgiveness and permission are two very different things. Suicide is forgivable, but it is still a sin and still displeasing to God. God is the author of our life, he knows the plans he has for us, and desires to use our lives for the sake of His purposes.

Pastor Matt, your thoughts?