Draw the Line

The question has been asked, ‘where is the line?’ concerning what is acceptable sin and what is not. Obviously everybody sins (Romans 5:12, 11:32, 1 John 1:8, e.g.), so what is ‘acceptable’, and what is not?

The Catholic religion, if I can call it that, have a thought about ‘deadly sins’, versus those not leading to ‘death’. Seven is their magic number: lust, anger, pride, sloth, envy, gluttony and greed. Guess murder and rape and the such are not deadly?????? Maybe they just consider these to be the ‘result’ of one (or more) of the SEVEN.

Paul seems to also separate sins into deadly and non-deadly ones: “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”—1 John 5:16-17. But the following verses do not seem to separate the different wrongdoings. (Except ‘keep away from idols’---seems minor compared to ‘the seven’, YET, it is God’s ‘first’ commandment!)

It is obvious to me that we all sin. Not just because of what the Bible says, but from observation of people. Oh, I am sure some folks sin a LOT less than others, but …..hmmm…a thought just hit me….I don’t remember my mom sinning! REALLY. Lust? Nope. Anger? Not really. Pride? Definitely not. Sloth? NOPE! Envy? Maybe, but she never seemed to show it. Gluttony? No way. Greed? Absolutely not? Murder, rape, and ‘all the others’? Absolutely not! Is my mom perfect? Probably not, but to me she is. Now, I didn’t know her in her younger years (she was 27 when I was born), but her actions today sure seem to reflect on a very good life. I love my mom. Okay, sorry, back to the subject….is there a line between what is acceptable sin and what is not?

In society, there certainly is. Laws have been developed over the years to separate allowable actions, vice those punishable. And these laws are continuing to be developed. For example, it is now a ‘crime’ to spank your child in some locations. I don’t mean ‘harm’ your child, but a simple ‘spank on the butt’ is taboo, and is actually punishable by law in some states. Simply amazing. Also, it is now against the law to ‘talk bad’ about somebody, ESPECIALLY if it is along racial lines. You can get fired, or even go to jail, for saying things concerning race. Again, simply amazing. Where did our first amendment rights go? I can see if someone DOES something that causes harm to some one of a different race, but someone calling me ‘a honky’, or a ‘mick’ (I’m of Irish descent), or even ‘wasp’ (white anglo-saxon protestant), certainly doesn’t, in my mind, violate any laws nor cause me ‘harm’. Now, it might cause someone ELSE to sin, and I guess, in doing that, the person causing them to sin, sins as well (1 Cor 1:8 and Rev 2:14). But should that be against a ‘law’? Oh well, I digressed again.

John, one of the original Disciples quotes Jesus concerning sin: "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Yet Paul says, “… We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Yet, starting in Romans 6 verse 4, and continuing through Romans 8, around verse 6, Paul says that we should NOT be in sin (at all!).

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends and followers, tells us that by the wounds of Jesus, we have been healed, and that we ‘died to sins’.

And again, John writes that ‘no one who lives in him (Jesus) keeps on sinning’.

YET, we KNOW we sin most every day (and probably my mom does, but she hides it well!!!).

I don’t believe, after all I’ve written here, and read throughout the Bible, that there IS a line. I also don’t believe that there isn’t a ‘gray area’, which could mask a line. I believe all sin is sin (and we aren’t limited to just seven ‘deadly’ ones either…they are all bad in God’s eyes. The confusing part about all this, separating sin into groups, or drawing lines between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ ones, is that there is NOT a simple solution. We know Jesus died for us. We know we (Christians) died ‘with’ Him during our baptism. We know we continue to sin. We know that any sin can keep us from Heaven. We know a lot about what sin is, what it can do to us, and how to ‘avoid’ it. We DON’T know much about the ramification of committing sin and then confessing it. Do we NEED to continually confess sins? Or did the death of Christ answer for all of them already? Is there a separation from adulterers, murderers, rapists, and liars (or any other of the many, many sins listed within our Bible? Will God take into Heaven a murderer just as ‘quickly’ as he’d take one who is greedy? Will he take neither? So many questions one simple question begs. I can’t draw a line between sins, however, I can draw a line between a sinFULL life and one where the individual fights it. I believe, without the intervention at some point by God, that those who live a life full of sin (Galatians 5:21), will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The line is between constant fighting sin, and giving it to it all the time. I can’t draw one between any individual, or set of, sins. Only between wanton, sinful lifestyles, versus one in which people actually try to live for Christ.

Mom, I love you! (Even though you're not reading this.)