Sin, Structural Evil, and Moral Responsibility in Christianity

Introduction and Thesis

The concept of sin is a central theme throughout the Bible. It permeates the text and is a fundamental element that defines what is displeasing and unacceptable behavior before God. Unfortunately, sin continues to be used more as a passing term without much regard for the gravity associated with it. Interestingly, the concepts of forgiveness and the death of Jesus appear to have had a negative impact on how many modern Christians view the world. Although Jesus died on the cross as a means of washing away the sins of humanity, his sacrifice has also made the punishment for sin seem somewhat less severe to many believers. The act of forgiveness can be misconstrued as a means of absolving a Christian from displeasing behavior. Through repentance, the Christian can correct their course and begin anew. However, it is possible that some Christians abuse this process as a means of excusing actions they would otherwise commit willingly.

Due to this abdication of responsibility, sin is often seen as a necessary evil — one whose consequences are fleeting so long as the individual repents. This has, in many ways, diminished the weight that Christians attribute to sin. As a result, it is important to focus on what sin really is, why it matters, and why it should be taken more seriously than many younger Christians do today (Adams, 1985).

Thesis: Sin has caused a broken relationship between God and man. It has created severe spiritual, emotional, and eternal consequences for all of humanity.

The Biblical Origins of Sin

What exactly is sin from a biblical perspective? Genesis 3 provides the foundational answer to this complex question while also explaining the dilemma facing all human beings. According to scripture, all of the problems that humans face — whether physical, spiritual, financial, or political — have their origins in human sin. Prior to the introduction of sin into the world, there was no concept of evil prevalent on earth. There was no chaos, no death, and none of the horrors that the world currently experiences. Sin entered the world through disobedience and direct transgression against the divine law of God.

Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve, who according to scripture were perfect creations. God gave them a specific command: not to eat from the fruit of the divine tree within the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had dominion over all other animals and elements of the world, with the single exception of that tree. Unfortunately, Eve was tempted by a serpent, which said to her, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." This was a critical moment, as Satan masterfully introduced doubt about the authority of God and his goodness (Blocher, 1997). That doubt ultimately manifested in action, producing a rippling effect for all of mankind ever since.

From the account in Genesis, we see that sin often begins with a subtle and seemingly minor appeal — something an individual finds desirable. In this case it was an unobtainable fruit. In modern times it could be sex, money, material possessions, power, influence, or any number of things. Sin then merges with the psychological workings of the individual to make the action feel plausible or justified — in Eve's case, the promise of greater knowledge (Barrett, 2009). Due in part to the serpent's temptation and the desirability of the tree, Eve took the fruit and ate it against the will of God, then gave it to Adam to eat as well. This direct disobedience introduced sin into the world.

Because all human beings descend from Adam and Eve, each person has directly inherited what many biblical scholars call original sin. Due to their blatant disregard for God's instruction, Adam and Eve brought death not only upon themselves, but upon the entire human race through their lineage. They elevated themselves above God and rebelled against his word. Romans 5:12 describes the implications plainly: "Through one man, sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." All the issues of the world trace their origins to the critical mistake of Adam and Eve (Adams, 1988).

The Pervasiveness of Sin in Modern Society

Even more alarming is that children are born into sin. This creates a disheartening reality: human beings are, in a sense, born sick and commanded to be well through repentance. Due to the seeming impossibility of living without sin, combined with the sobering reality that even children inherit a sinful nature, there is a widespread reluctance to discuss sin openly. This natural avoidance only exacerbates its prevalence in society. It is difficult for people to admit that they are in some sense corrupt at birth, or that they carry innate desires to disobey God and violate his commands (Boyd, 2009). Nevertheless, humanity does have a natural proclivity toward sin, and avoidance only makes society worse.

In response, many people try to "fix" the problem through moral behavior and doing good in the world. Although well-intentioned, many such individuals focus on their own abilities rather than relying on God to help mitigate the influence of sin. As a result, sin continues to spread in even greater measure than before (Bauerschmidt, 2016). With this in mind, we can define sin as the lack of ability and willingness to adhere to the words, principles, and teachings of God (Alston, 1988). Sin is an evil act that violates the divine law of God and causes humanity to depart from God's nature. Sin is the crossroads between obedience and rebellion.

Interestingly, throughout the Bible, most instances of sin involve things with some form of intrinsic value — value often defined by man and the society of the time. These temptations have changed very little over two millennia: financial security, power, pleasure, and knowledge. This is where the central difficulty of sin lies. Will you pursue your self-interest, or obey God? Will you eat the forbidden fruit, or keep his command? The problem in today's society is that sin is more pervasive than ever. Sexually charged advertisements run on television during prime-time hours; the internet allows sin to be accessed virtually, anonymously, and without apparent repercussions. Cybercriminals steal vital information for personal gain. Some preachers and pastors exploit social media to expand their popularity and enrich themselves at the expense of the people they claim to serve. This environment makes it very difficult to resist the influences of sin day after day, night after night. At some point, human nature is simply too weak to ward off every influence — creating a constant battle between obedience and rebellion.

Even more troubling, those who commit sin often do not seem to suffer the swift punishment so frequently depicted in the Bible. To a new or untrained Christian, sinners appear to be "winning" in the sense that their behavior goes unnoticed and unpunished. Prosperity gospel preachers teach doctrines of abundance and wealth that frequently contradict biblical teaching, yet their followings continue to grow. This, combined with the inevitability of sin, numbs society to its consequences, further alienating people from the will of God. Society is fleeing from God in much the same way Adam and Eve did in the Garden — once they realized they were naked, they hid from him. The symbolism is profound: many sinners today alienate themselves from God and from one another out of shame, or what might be called their "moral nakedness." Just as Adam blamed everyone but himself — indirectly blaming God for creating Eve, and blaming Eve for offering the fruit — many people today excuse themselves by blaming society, the media, or corruption in the church, avoiding personal responsibility for changing their behavior. Through the grace of God, Adam and Eve were not punished as fully as their transgression warranted. Similarly, God continues to restrain judgment on humanity today. In the case of Adam and Eve, God clothed them and allowed them to reproduce — yet because of sin, they experienced profound and lasting losses (Alexander, 2016).

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