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| Modern Idolatry series |
- Why is Faith the Answer to Sin?
- Why is Good So Good?
- Have We Idolized Reason?
- Can Society Be An Idol?
Sometimes it feels like the Scripture is full of paradoxes. Two things we know are true, that operate side by side but are hard to reconcile. Among the most fundamental of these is works and faith. We know that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But we also know that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). We have all read the sobering verses that if we practice sin, ranging from sexual immorality to lying, we will not receive eternal life (Revelation 21:8). But, ironically, we also know we would be lying if we said we don’t sin (1 John 1:8).
I have good news: this paradox is not some unanswerable mystery. In fact, understanding it flows very naturally when we have a proper understanding of sin and faith. When we see why faith is the answer to sin, we understand how faith and works are intertwined. I think that we have misunderstood the concept of “sin” as it’s explained to us in the Bible. Let’s go deeper, moving beyond quick answers so that we can receive revelation that transforms the way we think.
The First Sin
What is sin? What makes something sinful? What is the origin (cause or source) of sin? To understand the origin of sin, let’s start with the original sin. I want to read this story as if it were for the first time:
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,
Genesis 2:16-17
The first hint that there’s more to this story is the name of the tree. It surprised me that it’s not called the tree of sin or the tree of evil, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I mean… that kind of sounds like a good thing doesn’t it?
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
To know good and evil, to know the difference between right and wrong: isn’t that what we try to teach our kids? That is actually the goal of virtually every world religion and philosophy. But Christianity is different. What the Bible tells us here is that “sin” is a different concept from “evil”. In other words, this verse isn’t trying to demonstrate how “evil” is sinful, but that “the knowledge of good and evil” is sinful.
The Knowledge of Good and Evil
So, what makes “the knowledge of good and evil” sinful? I think it’s most clear in what the serpent says later:
(Genesis 3:4-5, emphasis added)
It was right after this that Eve gave in to the temptation when she saw “that the tree was desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). You see, up until now, God had defined good and evil for them. This was His role as God; in other words, part of what it meant to be God was that He defined good and evil. That’s why “knowing good and evil” would make you “like God”.
Choosing the “knowledge of good and evil” means rejecting God’s definition of good and evil. More fundamentally, it means rejecting God as God and choosing instead to become “like God” ourselves by taking on His role. We are deciding for ourselves what is good and what is evil, what is good for us and what is harmful. Every time we choose sin, we look at something God told us would bring death and we say, like the serpent, “I won’t surely die”.
Every time we choose sin, we look at something God told us would bring death and we say, like the serpent, “I won’t surely die”.
This desire to reject God and instead become “like God” ourselves is the very essence of sin. This same temptation that Satan peddled here in Genesis was even at the root of his own sin, recounted in Isaiah 14:
Isaiah 14:13-14, emphasis added
The Role of Faith
Armed with this understanding of sin, we can now see the answer of faith in its proper light:
- Sin is choosing not to trust God’s definition of good and evil, of what brings life and what brings death.
- Faith is just the opposite: “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”. Faith is choosing to put our trust in God. To have faith in God is to trust His definition of good and evil rather than our own.
This is why faith is the answer to sin. We aren’t called to choose between good and evil, but we are called to choose between trusting God and trusting ourselves. Becoming a Christian isn’t deciding to do good with our lives, it’s deciding to trust God with our lives.
We aren’t called to choose between good and evil, but we are called to choose between trusting God and trusting ourselves. Becoming a Christian isn’t deciding to do good with our lives, it’s deciding to trust God with our lives.
Faith and works are not two opposing concepts needing to be balanced. Faith and works are intertwined like the two strands of our DNA as Christians. When we have faith, we trust God’s leading in our life, submitting to whatever He tells us to do. He then leads us to do good works because He is good. When we have faith in one area of our life, that trust in His leading causes us to follow Him in doing good works in that area. When we have faith in all areas of our life, God leads us to good works throughout our life. This is what James was describing when he said, “I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). This is why it says, “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
Who Is Our God?
As we’ve just seen, God alone has the right to define what is good and what is evil. Whatever takes His place as the definer of good and evil in our lives has, by definition, become an idol. Whenever we are swayed by our reason or our feelings to overturn God’s commands, we have set these things up as an idol. Whenever we decide if something is loving based on whether our society approves, we have allowed society to become our god.
In this series, we’ll take what we’ve learned here and use it to expose the areas where we all struggle with idolatry, where we all struggle to subtly allow something or someone else to define good and evil for us. Before we explore some specific examples, we’re going to start by understanding why this is so exciting. Next time we’ll see how a proper definition of good and evil is not about following rules but finding joy. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out as we walk this journey together!