Sin

Problems in our behavior can be both mental health problems and “sin problems.” Part of the confusion on the topic of mental health among conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists is the assumption that a life problem has to be one or the other.

Consider a physical health analogy: Suppose I lose a leg in an accident. Because it’s a lot harder to walk now, I lay on the couch excessively, experience a lot of unhealthy weight gain, and neglect important duties.

An article at Proclaim & Defend last week raised the question “Do We Still Believe in Backsliding?” For me, the answer is, “Yes, but not in the way you mean.”

In general, we should describe the Christian life using biblical language in a biblical way. When we do that, we avoid a lot of misunderstanding or misemphasis. So, considering the topic of backsliding, we should start with three questions:

For more context on this question, see the article and discussion at “Does 1 John 3:9 Actually Say a Christian Can’t Sin?”

The basic interpretive problem in 1 John 3:9 is that John seems to say Christians do not sin. We know this can’t really be what he’s saying, because he says pretty much the opposite in 1 John 1:8 and 10.

The Question

There is no shortage of passages exhorting Christians not to sin.¹ So it is no surprise that John also acknowledges in his first letter that Christians can sin.² It might be surprising, then to discover that John says that “All those who are born of God sin they do not do.”³ John adds that they do not, “because His seed abides in him.”⁴

Posted previously in 2010.

Men and women, young and old, rich and poor—they all gathered at the square by the water gate. They wanted to hear the Book of the Law read. Ezra was more than willing and read from dawn to noon while everyone stood with rapt attention. Teachers helped translate and explain words grown unfamiliar after decades of neglect.