Sin¶
Sin, in the ancient Christian understanding, is not merely a moral failing or a tally of wrongs, but a profound turning away from God, the source of life. Derived from the Hebrew chata and Greek hamartia, meaning to miss the mark, sin is a relational breach, a deliberate straying from the path of communion with God. The early Church viewed sin as a condition of separation, leading to spiritual death and enslavement to destructive forces. Distinct from evil, which is the consequence of sin’s absence from God and lacks substance on its own, sin is a choice to prioritize lesser goods over the divine. As we explore this ancient perspective, we’re invited to reflect: How does sin’s subtle pull draw us from God, and how can we master it to restore our divine purpose?
Genesis 4:7
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Sin’s Nature¶
The ancient Christian view of sin, rooted in Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers, frames it as a deliberate turning away from God, the source of all life. When God warned Cain, “sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:7), He revealed sin as a lurking temptation, eager to enslave but subject to human dominion. Sin is not evil itself but the act of choosing lesser goods over God, leading to evil’s consequences -- alienation, death, and chaos. Unlike evil, which has no independent existence, sin is a relational failure, a refusal to align with God’s will.
This perspective distinguishes sin from our God-given passions, such as anger or lust, which have a purpose when rightly ordered. Anger can fuel justice, and desire can lead to love, but when elevated to idols, these passions become sinful, pulling us from worship of the true God. Christ’s response to Satan’s temptation, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8), models this mastery. Jesus did not banish Satan to hell but placed him “behind,” affirming that sin and its temptations belong beneath us, not as objects of worship. This challenges us to consider: How do we reorder our passions to serve God’s purpose rather than enslave us to sin?
The Desert Fathers spoke of logismoi -- intrusive thoughts or temptations, often demonic in origin, testing whether our spiritual “door” is unlocked. These are not sin itself but invitations to sin, which we can resist through vigilance and prayer. Sin’s power lies in our consent; by choosing God, we exercise true free will. Jesus taught, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34), describing those enslaved as predictable pawns of demonic forces. Free will begins with turning to Christ, aligning our desires with His. In a world that glorifies indulgence, how do we guard against the logismoi crouching at our door, choosing God over fleeting temptations?
Luke 4:7-8
If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Sin as Weakness¶
In the ancient view, sin is fundamentally a weakness -- a failure to exercise the dominion God granted humanity over creation and its temptations. This weakness manifests in our susceptibility to deception, as all evil stems from ignorance and lies. The original sin in Eden was not merely disobedience but a turning away from God’s truth, believing the serpent’s lie that humanity could “be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). This ignorance, born of mistrust, opened the door to sin’s dominion, leading to a cycle of spiritual slavery.
Honesty, by contrast, is strength. Truth aligns us with God, who is Truth Himself, and overcomes deceit, the root of sin. The ancient Fathers, like St. John Cassian, taught that resisting logismoi requires vigilance and truthfulness, both with God and ourselves. Hiding from passions like lust or anger -- suppressing them rather than mastering them -- inverts their God-given purpose, turning them into idols or “literal demons” that control us. Christ’s example in the wilderness shows mastery: He faced Satan’s temptations directly, countering lies with Scripture’s truth, placing sin in its proper place beneath Him.
This perspective challenges modern tendencies to excuse sin as inevitable or to suppress passions out of fear. Instead, we’re called to exercise dominion through faith, as Christ did. In a culture that often masks weakness with pride or denial, how do we cultivate the honesty to confront and master our sins, aligning our will with God’s purpose?
Divine Hatred¶
The ancient understanding of sin includes a sobering truth: God hates sin, and Scripture reveals He also hates those who persist in it. Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things the Lord hates: “A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” This divine hatred flows from God’s perfect love, which cannot abide what destroys His creation. His hatred targets sins that fracture communion -- pride, deceit, violence, division -- and those who willfully embrace them.
Psalm 139:19–24 echoes this: “Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.” Yet, the psalmist immediately prays, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” This “perfect hatred” is not personal malice but a reflection of God’s holiness, hating what opposes His love while seeking purification from sin.
This challenges modern misconceptions of love as unconditional tolerance. God’s love is perfect, but it includes a holy hatred of sin and those who persistently sow lies and discord. As Christians, we’re called to mirror this divine hatred -- not hating people but the sins that enslave them, praying for their repentance. In a world that equates love with acceptance, how do we cultivate a holy hatred of sin while loving sinners, reflecting God’s perfect love?
Proverbs 6:16-19
These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Modern Implications¶
The ancient view of sin as missing the mark -- a turning away from God -- reshapes our understanding of human failure and redemption. Unlike modern tendencies to trivialize sin as mere mistakes or to equate it with evil, the early Church saw it as a relational breach, leading to spiritual slavery. This perspective confronts our culture’s glorification of unchecked passions -- whether lust, anger, or pride -- often celebrated as self-expression. Instead, we’re called to master these passions, placing them beneath us to serve God’s purpose, not to worship them as idols.
The concept of logismoi -- tempting thoughts as demonic probes -- challenges us to stay vigilant, guarding our hearts against subtle invitations to sin. In an age of distraction and misinformation, where lies and division proliferate, this ancient wisdom urges us to seek truth and align with Christ, who restores our free will. Sin’s predictability -- enslaving us to demons -- contrasts with the freedom found in choosing God, prompting us to ask: Are we trapped in predictable patterns of sin, or do we exercise dominion through faith?
God’s hatred of sin, and of those who persist in lies and discord, challenges our culture’s relativistic view of morality. It calls us to hate sin with a “perfect hatred,” not out of malice but out of love for God’s truth and His creation. This requires humility, as the psalmist’s prayer shows, asking God to search our hearts for hidden wickedness. In a world that avoids accountability, how do we embrace this call to master sin, reflect divine truth, and walk in the way everlasting?
For deeper exploration, read St. John Cassian’s Conferences or St. Maximus the Confessor’s writings on the passions, which illuminate the ancient understanding of sin and its mastery.
Psalm 139:19-24
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.