Metanoia 8

SIN... The Greatest Evil
The Worst Sins in the Bible: Theological and Moral
Mortal and Venial Sins
We are all Sinners
The solution of God to Sin: The "Lamb of God"
What to do when we Sin?

Judas at Gethsemane

    "Sin" is the greatest evil of a Christian… and of a pagan.

    "Sin came to the world through one man and death came through sin, and thus death spread through the whole human race, because all have sinned (Rom.5:12)…

    All the deaths in the world have come because of sin… when you go to the hospital, all the sickness you see are due to sin, and all the car accidents... and all the earthquakes and hurricanes and murders and abortions... all of it due to sin!

    With every sin we crucify Jesus again in our flesh, says the Bible, and we spit Him on His face... they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Heb.6:6).

    Sin is an infinite crime, because it is an offense made against the Infinite, against God... consequently it can't be repaid by the best works of all humans and angels put together... only can be repaid by the Infinite, by God Himself... by Jesus on the Cross it was paid!.

    One single Sin is something horrible, it is worse than the death on fire of a million babies... for only one Sin, God would have become man and offered His Blood to erase it... metanoia!.

    God Himself became the Man Jesus to pay for our sins... But you know that Jesus appeared so that he might take away our sins (1Jn.3:5)...the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1Jn.1:7).
 
   "Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin", says Jesus Jn.9:34. And John says still more: Everyone person living on earth, you and I, are right now either "children of God" or "children of the devil" (1Jn.3:10): If we are in the grace of God, we are children of God, if we are in sin, we are children of the devil… what do you think you are right now?

    The worst of all: Sin will make us live an unhappy life on earth and will bring us to eternal Hell... that's what the Bible says.

    Yes, Metanoia!... we have to change some values of our life.
 

What are the Worst Sins in the Bible?:

    Theological and Moral Sins:
    There are two main kind of sins: Theological and moral: The theological sin, is to do something bad against God Himself. The moral sin, is to do something bad against a creature of God... Is like hurting you: If I slap your own face, that would be a theological sin. If I hit your car, or stain your dress, that will be a moral sin.

   1- Theological sin:

    It is to do something bad directly against God himself. They are the sins against the first Commandment of God, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mr.12:30).
    They are the most serious sins, much worse than murder or abortion or steeling or adultery or lies which are only moral sins, against the creatures of God… and, ironically, they are the sins we never confess, and that's why we are often in trouble, living in sin, while thinking we are saints!… have you ever heard, I am good because I don't lie, I don't steel, I don't kill?… well, those are secondary sins!.

    The Bible calls the theological sin "prostitution against God", it is to trust not in God, but to trust in other "gods" like bad spirits, superstition, witchcraft, astrology, horoscope, zodiac, psychics, crystals, magic… or simply to trust in money, or the power of men, or the power of a nation, or to trust it all in our abilities or strength or intelligence… we make a "god" out of drugs or sports or soap operas… or even make a god out of our work or profession...

    ... It is "prostitution against God", because it is like a wife who trusts and delivers herself into the hands of another man , and it is the main reason of the troubles of the People of God all along the Bible (Hosea 1, Is.1:21, Jer.2:20, Ex.34:15, Lv.17:7, Dt.31:16).

    In fact, the message of every page of the Bible is "trust in God", or "faith in Christ", "trust in Jesus".

    Judas had the Sin against the Holy Spirit... not to trust in God!

    A definition of Sin: "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Rom.14:23).

    Faith is so important because the only way to have "Love" is to have God in the heart, and the way to have God in the heart is "by Faith". Sin is understood in the Gospel of John primarily as unbelief (Jn.16:9, 3:36).

    Our attitude in life should be to do the very best in any circumstance, and then trust in God, it is the formula that never fails... always trust in God!, no matter what… "trust" is the first step to love God, and the first fruit.

   "Blaspheme" against God, is also a theological sin (Mt.12:31-32), as well as "Sacrilege", because it is to do or to say something bad to something or to someone who is intimate to God, consecrated to Him, sacred to God: Against a temple, against priests, nuns, pastors, bishops, Saints, the Mother of Jesus, the Angels, the Church, the Pope, the Bible…

   2- Moral sin:

    It is to do something against a creature of God, specially something against a man or a woman, or against oneself. It is against the Second Commandment of God: "The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mr.12:31): To kill, to steal, to lie, adultery, abortion, suicide, drugs, alcohol, smoke, homosexual activity, racism, slander, gossip, pornography, masturbation, pride, cheat, disobedient, cruel, thieves, prostitution, depraved, greedy, miser, boastful, conceited, traitor.

    Another Definition of sin in the Bible:

    Sin is the transgression of the law. (1Jn.3:4):
   
    Sin is to disobey the Commandments of God, the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ in Matthew 5... and actually, it is also because of lack of Faith:

    These Commandments are not something to restrict us, but the rules to live happily on earth, they are like the rules of traffic: If we pass the red light or drive into a sidewalk we may hurt ourselves or others... if we keep the Commandments, if we obey God, we are going to have a good and happy drive on earth... we are going to have love and joy and peace here on earth, and, on top of it, we will go to eternal Heaven for ever and ever.
 

We are all sinners, Christians and non-Christians:

    The Bible says, "the just, the righteous, the upright, falls seven times an rises again" (Prov.24:16)... rises again through the Blood of Christ!... 7 times a day!
    "There is no one just… All have gone stray; there is no one who does good, there is not even one… all have sinned" (Rom.3:10,12,23).

    And St. Paul goes on, "I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want" (Rom.7:19)…

    And still more talking about himself, "I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan… three times I begged the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "my grace is all you need, for power is made perfect in weakness"… for when I am weak I am strong" (2Cor.12:8-10).

    And St. John adds, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1Jn.1:8).

    Christianity is not a museum of perfect people but a clinic for sinners... Are you a sinner?... you are welcome to Christianity.

    Christians commit sins... they are still "free people"... Jesus did not make Christians impeccable robots... what He did is to give us an infinite bank account, from where we can get pardon always and from any sin... we can erase our bad karma anytime.

    Don't you ever get surprised when a good Christian sins... every Christian sins, as prophesied... Judas was an apostle, and Peter... yes, every Christian!: Your pastor or priest, your husband or wife, and the good nun, even the Pope!... the just man sins 7 times a day (Prov.24:16).

    If you commit just one sin, you can't erase it with nothing you can do!... not by giving all your money to the poor, not even converting the whole world to Christ... it is an offense made against the Infinite, an Infinite offense... but you can erase it very easily, simply going to Confession... cleansed for sure!... guaranteed! (Jn.20:24, 1Jn.1:9).

    Catholics ask daily, "pray for us sinners now".

    Pope John Paul II goes to Confession daily, Mother Therese of Calcutta weakly, the good Pope John XXIII used to go daily, as he says in his dairy... because "Confession of Sins" not only cleans the bad sins, but also the little stains... it is like when we take a bath or we clean our face daily, it is not because we are very dirty, but the water cleans out the sweat, the dust... Confession of sins is the Sacrament where we appropriate the merits of the Blood of Christ after Baptism.

    Mother Mary, pray for us sinners now. Thank you. I bless you, the most blessed among women. (Lk.1:48, Ps.45:17).

    We already mentioned that God Himself became the Man Jesus to pay for our sins... But you know that Jesus appeared so that he might take away our sins (1Jn.3:5)...the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1Jn.1:7).

   The solution to sin is to go to God, to Jesus, and trust in Him, in His Blood… in John 8, the Adulterous Woman went to Jesus… or rather, she was brought to Jesus!... And Jesus did not condemned her, He forgave her, He cleansed her sins… only with an admonition, "from now on do not sin anymore" (Jn.9:11)… as He did to the crippled man in Jn.5:14, "do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you".

   The solution of God to sin is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" of John 1:29,36…
    If Jesus could come again today to save us of all our problems in the third millennium, he would not come as a great politician or scientist, nor with a great social or economic or political plan of action, he would come to "take away the sin of the world". And he would use exactly the same method, by just being "the Lamb of God".
    And that's what he just did 2000 years ago!… it is done!… it is the solution for our sins, the solution for our entire lives, the solution of all the problems we may have of sickness, money, depressions, housing, jobs, family difficulties… the solution of it all!... yes, metanoia!

    This expression "Lamb of God" is mentioned only twice in the Gospels, those mentioned above, but 28 times in the Book of Revelation, the preferred title of Jesus in that Book... Thank you, my dearest Lamb of God, my sweet Jesus, that with your Blood redeemed the whole world, including myself. Y adore you, and I love you, and I praise your name. Fill me with your love and joy, for the glory of the Father and for the good of your Church, and for the whole world. Amen. 
 

What to do when we Sin?:

    It is easy: To have an encounter with the Lamb of God… but Jesus in not in person anymore on earth, as he was at the time of the Adulterous Woman. At that time you had to go where Jesus physically was. Now it is easier, he left us His Church, and now we can find Jesus all over, exactly the same Jesus of the Adulterous Woman…

    Sin can not be erased by good works of charity... all the wood works of all Christians put together can not erase one single mortal sin!... but now it is easy, just believe in Jesus, and if you believe, you do what He orders to do, as you do what the Doctor orders if you believe in him.

    In the criminal courts of the world, if you declare yourself guilty, you go to jail... in the Court of Jesus, in his Church, if you declare yourself guilty, your are pardoned totally and completely... guaranteed!... praise the Lord!.

    In the first apparition to his disciples, Jesus specifically gave them the power to forgive sins, or not to forgive them!. The power that only God had before, it was a blasphemy to forgive sins by anyone else than God! (Mk.2:7). But Jesus tells now to his disciples, "receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven tem; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Jn.21:23).

    The ministers of the Church of Jesus now can forgive sins, or retain them!. That's why the penitent has to confess to the minister what are his or her sins, so the minister can decide either to forgive them or to retain them. If the sinner tells the minister he has stolen $1,000, may be the minister would say to him that to forgive this sin he has first to return the $1.000. Or if the sinner confesses he is living in adultery, the minister may ask him to stop the life of adultery, or a serious promise to do so, before forgiving his sin….

    Jesus left us a divine Church, but a very human one on earth. If in your church there are no ministers of Christ with the power to forgive sins, it is a church without power, it is not the Church of Christ!. In the Church of Christ there are ministers of the Lord with the great power to forgive sins, or to retain them!.

    Of course, God can still forgive sins directly!. But the usual plan of God, is to go to him through a minister of his Church. However in any case of emergency, when there is not available a minister of the Church, the sins can be forgiven by an act of contrition and trust in the Mercy of God, with the purpose of doing a normal Confession to a minister of the Church as soon as possible.

    St. John makes a general statement in his First Letter: "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1Jn.1:9). Here does not say "to whom" we must confess our sins: To God?, to a minister of his Church?, to a wall?… of course it is to God, but the usual way it is through a minister of his very divine and very human Church.

    However Catholics are taught to make an act of contrition at least every night before retiring, to ask God to forgive them the sins of that day, and if there is a mortal sin, to go to Confession as soon as humanly possible...

    The Pope goes to confession daily... how often do you go?... metanoia!.

    Forgive me, Lord, by the Blood of Jesus, cleanse me of all my faults. Help me to amend my life, and fill me with your love and joy to help others to go to Heaven. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Mortal and Venial Sins:

   John says there are two kind of sins: Mortal and Venial, "If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal" (1n.5:16-17).

    For example, Venial sin may be someone who steals $1. Mortal sin the one who steals $1000... or may be just $1 to a mother who only has $1 to feed her children.            

    Peter and Judas... the Two Thieves at the Cross:

    Both sinned gravely against Jesus in person. Both had an encounter with Him personally.

    Peter was forgiven as God does, forgives and forgets!:
    God not only forgave Peter, but He named him the head of His Church: Peter received afterwards from Jesus, the Keys of the Kingdom offered to him in Mt.16:19... he was ordered by Jesus "to feed my lamb", "to feed my sheep" ... the lambs and sheep of Jesus on earth! (Jn.21:15-17)... and became the first head of his Church, being the one who always spoke in the name of all Apostles, with 6 long sermons in the first chapters of the Book of Acts.

    … Judas hanged himself in desperation!…
    He repented, he confessed he had sinned by betraying innocent blood, he even returned the 30 pieces of silver (Mt.27:3-5)…
    But the great difference was that Judas did not trust in the mercy of Jesus!… Judas could never conceive that Jesus wanted to forgive him completely, and forget his sin, and make a great apostle out of a sinner!…
    Judas had the sin against the Holy Spirit (Mt.12:31), the sin of not trusting in the infinite mercy of God, the sin of trusting only in himself, in his nothingness, but not in God… the biggest sin of Judas was that he wanted Jesus to trust in him, but not he to trust in Jesus...

    Lord, help me to be like Peter, to weep for my sins, and to trust always in You. Thank You, my Lord and My God. Amen

    At the side of the Cross in Calvary there were two sinners: One of them was forgiven, and offered nothing less than Paradise, today!, with Jesus himself. The other one just made mockery of Jesus (Lk.23:39-43)...

    On what side of the Cross I am?... like Peter or like Judas?... like the good thief or like the bad one?...

    Metanoia!... Sin is our only evil!... if we erase sin of our lives, we erase even death!.

    Quotations: NIV at the Bible Gateway