Sin is a prominent theme in The Bible. It’s often used to represent the darkness in our life, and the role of sin is punctuated with the pinnacle of Jesus’s life: He dies for our sins.
I’ve come to recognize sin not as mistakes we make – but as the universal challenges and hardships we endure within the human condition. Sin happens upon us by circumstance we can’t control and by the decisions we fail to handle with proper care.
We can apply this definition to the crucifixion of Jesus. His death was a sacrifice for our sin in the sense that his death is a reminder that he was human. His crucifixion – death at the hands of another human – is the hardest sin to endure, and by Jesus’s choice to embrace this sin, he illustrated to all humanity that he was a human.
Sin occurred in his life the way sin occurs in our lives. He wasn’t a mythological creature. He was a man. He died like we will one day die, yet he was able to mitigate sin in his life by showing it kindness, empathy and love. “Jesus died for sins” is another way of saying, “practicing the teachings of Jesus will give you tools to manage sin – before sin manages you.”
FEAR & FORGIVENESS
The Bible encourages a habit of asking God and the church for forgiveness from sin. This direction can create a pessimistic paradigm for the individual.
When you’re constantly addressing the challenges and flaws in your life, you can overlook the joy and beauty in our world. It’s easy to become trapped in the fear of hardships instead of celebrating your triumphs.
The intention of seeking forgiveness is not to dwell on your mistakes – not to fear your wrong doings – but rather, seeking forgiveness is a practice of kindness. The human condition is riddled with adversity to navigate. We know from the life of Jesus that it is impossible to completely make the right choice at every turn. So in the spirit of universal love, we need to remember to love ourselves. We deserve the kindness we share with others. Forgiving ourselves is the cornerstone of being kind to ourselves. Jesus radiated love. For our us to generate the same positive energy in our universe, you must first love yourself.
