In the last newsletter I discussed the importance of needing to get rid of the term “serious sin” and take all sin seriously.
Naturally, our brains want to categorize concepts such as sin.
There is the really, reeeeally bad sin, and then there is the white-lie sin.
Obviously, there’s a difference between the actions of someone quietly burying bodies in their basement and the person that takes extra Costco samples from the same station.
As I said previously, if we take some sin lightly, we might accidentally take our needed healing from Jesus Christ lightly.
With that said, I think it is crucial for a leader to be able to adequately define sin.
We can no longer hang on to the overly simplified definition of sin as, “when we break a commandment.”
James 4:17 begins to take us a little deeper…
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
This scripture is referenced in the Church’s Gospel Topics section under Sin, which states:
“To commit sin is to willfully disobey God’s commandments or to fail to act righteously despite a knowledge of the truth.”
For those, like you and me, who have a more profound belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is hard to define why or how one sins with superficial or vague definitions.
I like how Latter-day Saint author and philosopher Adam Miller defines sin:
“Sin is what happens when I abandon God and reject his original offer of grace-filled partnership.”
My best personal definition of sin is:
“Any time we look to any other source but Jesus Christ for relief.”
For me, this definition of sin is powerful, as it allows me to immediately pinpoint the sin I struggle with in life in order to repent, turn to Him, and seek forgiveness and healing.
So, with that said, in your personal experience, what definition of sin helps you best identify sin in your life and repent?
Sincerely,
Kurt Francom
Executive Director
Leading Saints
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