Sin¶
Genesis 4:7
sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.
Sin means literally to miss the mark; to turn away from God.
Although they are obviously related, sin is not the same as evil. Evil is the consequence of sin (being apart from God). And sin by itself is not evil as evil has no substance by itself.
In fact, as God explained to Cain, we must master the sin crouching at our door, master the temptations that would pull us away from God and into death. These are the temptations Christ overcame.
Put all things in their place, even the sin crouching at your door.
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 in its right place is beneath us, as our worship is towards the highest ideal, God, not to the temptations that would attempt to enslave us.
These imclude our passions like anger and lust, each has its God-given purpose, and it is not to be worshipped; not made into an idol.
The right place is beneath us. For we are to master our passions and our sins.
Hiding from lust and anger is to let sin control you, an inversion of an explicit idol, a literal demon all the same.
Jesus does not rebuke Satan by sending him to hell, if anything Christ affirms that the world belonged to Satan, the very world that man is to have dominion over.
Logismoi, thoughts, dark/evil thoughts -- demons checking if the door is unlocked.
There is no evil if one has perfect knowledge. All evil is born of ignorance and lies. And the original sin was to turn away from God.
Those who sin, are slaves to sin, which means they lack free will, that is, no ability to actualize one's will. A slave to sin is perfectly predictable, a plaything of demons. And it always ends up in the same evil.
Free will begins with choosing God, turning to Christ.
Weakness¶
Sin is weakness. This is why honesty will always overcome deceit.
Hating sin¶
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.
What could God (perfect Love) hate?
- a proud look
- a lying tongue
- hands that shed innocent blood
- a heart that plans wicked ideas
- feet that run to mischief (into sin)
- a person who speaks lies
- a person who sows discord
Importantly, while God is love, let us not confuse this to fit our prideful and subjective misuse of the word love; nor ever imply that God does not hate (when He has told us the contrary). There is a divine hate: God hates sin, and yes He hates those who speak lies and sow discord -- these are people created in his image and God will hate them due to their sin.
We as Christians should hate sin, and should hate the wicked that speak lies and sow discord; we should pray to know God, to know His perfect (divine) hatred born out of his perfect love for us.
Psalms 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.