Understanding our sinful nature

Questions and Answers on how God views sin

What is Sin?

Sin is the transgression against the laws of God

sin1

sin/

noun

1.

an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

"a sin in the eyes of God"

synonyms: immoral act, wrong, wrongdoing, act of evil/wickedness,

transgression, crime, offense, misdeed, misdemeanor; More

wickedness, wrongdoing, wrong, evil, evildoing, sinfulness, immorality,

iniquity, vice, crime

antonyms: virtue

an act regarded as a serious or regrettable fault, offense, or omission.

"he committed the unforgivable sin of refusing to give interviews"

synonyms: scandal, crime, disgrace, outrage More

verb

verb: sin; 3rd person present: sins; past tense: sinned; past participle:

sinned; gerund or present participle: sinning

1.

commit a sin.

"I sinned and brought shame down on us"

synonyms: commit a sin, commit an offense, transgress, do wrong, commit

a crime, break the law, misbehave, go astray;

verb

1.

commit a sin.

"I sinned and brought shame down on us"

synonyms: commit a sin, commit an offense, transgress, do wrong, commit

a crime, break the law, misbehave, go astray; archaictrespass

"I have sinned"

offend against (God, a person, or a principle).

"I had sinned against my master"

Origin

Old English synn (noun), syngian (verb); probably related to Latin sons,

sont- ‘guilty.’ sin2

sīn/ abbreviation

symbol: sin

1.

sine.

Translate sin to

Use over time for: sin

Why does sin exist?

In Romans 12: 6- 21 it says this that will answer the question

Why does sin exist and from the King James Version

of the bible this is how Romans 12: 6- 21

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;

and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13(For until

the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no

law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them

that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is

the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the

offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by

grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And

not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by

one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto

justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much

more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of

righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to

condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon

all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience

many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made

righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound.

But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath

reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto

eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

How does God view sin?

A while back the thought came to me and that thought is the thought

" We must hate sin like God hates it but not hate the sinner

the one who commits the sin

God loves the sinner he does not hate him/ her who commits the sin

but he hates the sin that is in that person and of that person

and he wants the sinner to come to him and repent

and come out of there sinful nature

Can people come out of sin?

People allow sin to control them instead of them controlling sin

but the truth is you can come out of sin

You do not have to be about your own sinful nature but you can come

to the Lord by coming to him asking him to save you and deliver

you for your sins

How do we come out of sin?

If we accept Jesus as Savior, can we then sin all we want?

by Matt Slick

Being saved is not accomplished by reciting a few special words. We do

not say a magic phrase and become saved. We do not merely say, "Jesus

please forgive me" and suddenly all of our sins are automatically wiped

away simply because we uttered a special sentence. It isn't a formula for

salvation or an incantation that somehow cleanses us and then permits us

to go out and sin. The Bible says, "What shall we say then? Are we to

continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we

who died to sin still live in it?" (Rom. 6:1-2).1 Unfortunately, there

are those who accuse Christians of having a license to sin. To this, the

Bible says, "And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some

affirm that we say), 'Let us do evil that good may come?' Their

condemnation is just," (Rom. 3:8). Notice that Paul says that those who

accuse the Christians of doing evil are being slanderous.

On the contrary, salvation is an appeal to God for cleansing from sin,

forgiveness, and repentance so that we might not sin. This appeal is a

heartfelt confession of our hopelessness before God and an acceptance of

Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. It is simultaneous with sincere

repentance which is a turning from sin, not to it.

To receive Jesus in our hearts means we have first acknowledged that we

are sinners and that we are incapable of saving ourselves or of appeasing

God in any way. We acknowledge before God that we are helpless and worthy

of damnation. But with this, we also acknowledge that Jesus is the one

who paid the penalty for our sins. We realize that there is no possible

way that we can make things right with God by our own works. When we

accept Jesus as our Savior we are accepting the call to repentance from

sin. God then calls us His children: "But as many as received Him, to

them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who

believe in His name," (John 1:12).

New Creatures

Furthermore, when we receive Christ, we are regenerated; we are changed;

we are born again. This means that there is something different about

us. Something has happened to us. This is why Jesus said, "Truly,

truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom

of God," (John 3:3). To be born again means that something new has

happened in us. This "something" is the change in us that is the result

of regeneration. "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new

creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come," (2

Cor. 5:17). The old things were the sinful passions and desires. Our

enslavement to them is broken when we are born again. Furthermore, once

we are born again, we are no longer our own and we are indwelt by the

Holy Spirit who convicts us of our sins, "And He, when He comes, will

convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment," (John

16:8). This conviction of sins occurs in the believer and is a method

that the Lord uses to help us stop sinning. We are not saved so that we

are free to go out and do that which is wrong. We are saved so that we

might bring glory to God and demonstrate the work of regeneration in us

as we turned from our sinful ways. This is why it says in Rom. 6:1-2,

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might

increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in

it?" And also, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but

under grace? May it never be!" (Rom. 6:15). And again, "Whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God," (1 Cor. 10:31). How can we bring glory to

God by going out and sinning? We cannot. In fact, anyone who says that

he is a Christian and then continues in his sins without seeking

repentance and without conviction is a liar. The Bible clearly states,

"The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,'� and does not keep His

commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps

His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we

know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought

himself to walk in the same manner as He walked," (1 John 2:4-6).

The Bible says that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet.

2:24) and that salvation is a free gift we receive by faith (Rom. 6:23;

Eph. 2:8-9). When we accept Jesus, we are accepting the sacrifice of

Jesus for our sins, by faith. We are trusting Jesus alone for salvation.

When we do this, the Holy Spirit lives in us. Since the Holy Spirit

convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8) we then seek to

please God and avoid sin. It is a natural result of being saved.

No, accepting Jesus does not mean that we can then go out and sin. It

means we have turned from sin and we are new creatures who desire to

bring glory to God and not use the grace of God to sin.

Scriptures Quoted

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might

increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in

it?" (Rom. 6:1-2).

"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a

repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the

world produces death," (2 Cor. 7:10).

"With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God

may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth," (2 Tim.

2:25).

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become

children of God, even to those who believe in His name," (John 1:12).

"And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die

to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." (1

Pet. 2:24).

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life

in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Rom. 6:23).

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of

yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one

should boast," (Eph. 2:8-9).

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and

righteousness, and judgment," (John 16:8).

How should we view sin?

Christian views on sin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The doctrine of sin is central to Christianity, since its basic message

is about redemption in Jesus Christ.[1] Christian hamartiology describes

sin as an act of offence against God by despising his Person and his

commandments, and by injuring others.[2] It is an evil human act, which

violates the rational nature of man as well as God's nature and his

eternal law. According to the classical definition of St. Augustine of

Hippo sin is "a word, deed, or desire in opposition to the eternal law of

God".[3][4]

Among some scholars, sin is understood mostly as legal infraction or

contract violation or violation of Christian ethics, and so salvation

tends to be viewed in legal terms, which is similar to Jewish

thinking,[citation needed] see Judaism and Christianity#Sin for a

comparison.

Other Christian scholars understand sin to be fundamentally relational—a loss of love for God and an elevation of self-love ("concupiscence", in

this sense), as was later propounded by Augustine in his debate with the

Pelagians.[5] As with the legal definition of sin, this definition also

affects the understanding of Grace and salvation, which are thus viewed

in relational terms.[6][7]

Sin in the Bible

Old Testament

The first reference to "sin" as a noun is of sin "lying at the door,"

waiting to overpower Cain,[Gen 4:7][cf. 1 Pet 5:8] a form of literary

theriomorphism.[8] The first use of the verb is God preventing Abimelech

from "sinning against me" by touching Abraham's wife in Genesis 20.

Isaiah announced the consequences: a separation between God and man, and

unrequited worshipping.[Isaiah 59:2]

Original sin

According to mainstream Christian theology, at the moment Adam and Eve

ate the fruit from the tree—which God had commanded them not to do—both sin and death were born. The years of life were limited. Since Adam

represented the human race, he is held responsible, for which reason the

Fall of man is referred to as the "sin of Adam", which is deemed to be

inherited from him as a condition of fallen human nature. This doctrine

is closely associated with Augustine of Hippo. The extent to which it was

held by early Christians is debated.[9]

The concept of Original Sin is said to be cause of Adam and his

descendants losing unrestricted access to God: "Wherefore, as by one man

sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon

all men, for that all have sinned."[Rom 5:12] In Christian theology, the

death of Jesus on the cross is the atonement to the sin of Adam.[10] "For

as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."[1 Cor

15:22] As a result of that act of atonement, all who put their trust in

Jesus (and, in some denominations, are baptized) now have unrestricted

access to God through him.

Thomas Aquinas[edit]

The way St. Thomas Aquinas viewed sin and vices was radically different

from later approaches, especially that of 17th century moral theology.

The difference is as evident as in the case of gothic and baroque

architecture. He presented sin and vices as contraries of virtues. He

discusses the subject in his Summa Theologica part Ia-IIae (Prima

secundae) qq.71-89.[11]

In one of his definitions of sin Thomas quotes Augustine of Hippo's

description of sin as a thought, words and deed against the Eternal

Law.[12]

Now there are two rules of the human will: one is proximate and

homogeneous, viz. the human reason; the other is the first rule, viz. the

eternal law, which is God's reason, so to speak (quasi ratio Dei).

Accordingly Augustine includes two things in the definition of sin; one,

pertaining to the substance of a human act, and which is the matter, so

to speak, of sin, when he says, word, deed, or desire; the other,

pertaining to the nature of evil, and which is the form, as it were, of

sin, when he says, contrary to the eternal law. (STh I-II q.71 a.6)[13]

To recognise the possibilities of sin in man is equal to acknowledge his

human nature, his control and mastery of his own actions. Sin is a motion

to the goal, it is judged by the object to which it is directed. The

field of sin is the same as the field of virtue. There are three major

fields: relationship with God, with oneself and with the neighbour.

Thomas distinguished between mortal and venial sins. Mortal sin is when a

person has irreparably destroyed the very principle of his/her order to

the goal of life. Venial sin is when he/she has acted in a certain

disordered way without destructing that principle:

Consequently it is a mortal sin generically, whether it be contrary to

the love of God, e.g. blasphemy, perjury, and the like, or against the

love of one's neighbour, e.g. murder, adultery, and such like: wherefore

such sins are mortal by reason of their genus. Sometimes, however, the

sinner's will is directed to a thing containing a certain inordinateness,

but which is not contrary to the love of God and one's neighbour, e.g. an

idle word, excessive laughter, and so forth: and such sins are venial by

reason of their genus. (STh I-II q.72 a.5)

Aquinas distinguished between sins of omission, and sins of

commission[14][15][16]

According to Aquinas the gravity of sin depends also on some disposition

of the agent (cf. STh I-II q. 18, aa. 4, 6). Sin, venial by reason of its

object, may become mortal. It happens when person fixes his/her ultimate

happiness, last end of his/her life (Lat. finis ultimus) in the object of

that venial sin. When venial sin is used as a way to provoke mortal sin

it becomes mortal as well, e.g. when someone uses empty conversation or a

chat to seduce someone to commit adultery. Also sin, mortal by reason of

its object, may become venial because of the agent's disposition when

his/her evil act does not have full moral capacity, i.e. is not

deliberated by reason. That may happen for instance when sudden movements

of unbelief arise in the mind. (Cf. STh I-II q.72 a.5).

The difference and gravity of sins may be discerned on the grounds of

spirit and flesh – even mortal sins may differ in gravity. Carnal sins like lust, adultery or fornication, gluttony and avarice, because the

person who commits them is inordinately directed towards material goods

that are a serious matter, are mortal sins. They may cause much shame and

infamy. But spiritual sins like blaspheming of God or apostasy are,

according to Thomas, still greater evil, as they have more of the

aversion from God. They are directed against greater object. The formal,

essential element of sin is more at the centre in them. (cf. STh I-II

q.72 a.2)[14][17]

According to another formulation of the concept of sin in the Summa, at

the heart of sin is the turning away from the immutable good, i.e. God,

and inordinate turning to mutable good, i.e. creatures. (STh I-IIae q.87

a.4) This cannot be understood as if in the concrete sinful deed the

sinner commits two separate and independent acts. Both aversio and

conversio constitute one single guilty action. At the root of the

inordinate turning to the creatures is self-love which expresses itself

in disordered desire (cupiditas) and rebellion towards God

(superbia).[18]

Speaking about sloth (Lat. acedia) Thomas points out that every deed

which by its very nature is contrary to charity is a mortal sin. An

effect of such deed is the destruction of spiritual life which is the

effect of charity, whereby God dwells in us. Sin of a mortal character is

always committed with the consent of reason: Because the consummation of

sin is in the consent of reason. (cf. STh II-IIae q.35 a.3) Venial and

mortal sins can be compared to sickness and death. While venial sin

impairs full healthy activity of a person, mortal sin destroys the

principle of spiritual life in him/her.[19]

Catechism[edit]

Roman Catholic doctrine distinguishes between personal sin (also

sometimes called "actual sin") and original sin. Personal sins are either

mortal or venial.

Mortal sins are sins of grave (serious) matter, where the sinner performs

the act with full knowledge and deliberate consent. (cf. CCC 1857)

The act of committing a mortal sin destroys charity, i. e. the grace in

the heart of a Christian; it is in itself a rejection of God (CCC1855).

If left un-reconciled, mortal sins may lead to eternal separation from

God, traditionally called Hell.

Venial sins are sins which do not meet the conditions for mortal sins.

The act of committing a venial sin does not cut off the sinner from God's

grace, as the sinner has not rejected God. However, venial sins do injure

the relationship between the sinner and God, and as such, must be

reconciled to God, either through the sacrament of reconciliation or

receiving the Eucharist.

Both mortal and venial sins have a dual nature of punishment. They incur

both guilt for the sin, yielding eternal punishment, and temporal

punishment for the sin. Reconciliation is an act of God's mercy, and

addresses the guilt and eternal punishment for sin. Purgatory and

indulgences address the temporal punishment for sin, and exercise of

God's justice.

Roman Catholic doctrine also sees sin as being twofold: Sin is, at once,

any evil or immoral action which infracts God's law and the inevitable

consequences, the state of being that comes about by committing the

sinful action. Sin can and does alienate a person both from God and the

community. Hence, the Catholic Church's insistence on reconciliation with

both God and the Church itself.

The Roman Catholic view of sin has recently expanded. Monsignor

Gianfranco Girotti, Regent of the Catholic Apostolic Penitentiary, has

said that "known sins increasingly manifest themselves as behavior that

damages society as a whole,"[20] including, for example:

"certain violations of the fundamental rights of human nature, through

genetic manipulations [or experiments],"

"drug [abuse], which weakens the mind and obscures intelligence,"

"environmental pollution,"

"abortion and pedophilia," and

the widening social and economic differences between the rich and the

poor, which "cause an unbearable social injustice" (accumulating

excessive wealth, inflicting poverty). The revision was aimed at

encouraging confession or the Sacrament of Penance.

Mortal sins, which are any severe and intentional actions that directly

disobey God, are often confused with the seven deadly sins, which are

pride, envy, lust, anger, greed, sloth and gluttony. They are not,

however, the same.

Another group of four or five sins distinguished by the Church are the

sins that cry to heaven: murder, sodomy, (oppression of a people,)

oppression of the weak and defrauding the laborer.[21]

See also: Seven deadly sins

Protestant views[edit]

Many Protestants of Calvinist persuasion, teach that, due to original

sin, humanity has lost any and all capacity to move towards

reconciliation with God (Romans 3:23;6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3); in fact,

this inborn sin turns humans away from God and towards themselves and

their own desires (Isaiah 53:6a). Thus, humans may be brought back into a

relationship with God only by way of God's rescuing the sinner from

his/her hopeless condition (Galatians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:4-10) through

Jesus' ransom sacrifice (Romans 5:6-8; Colossians 2:13-15; 1 Timothy 2:5-

6). According to Calvinism and classical Lutheranism, Salvation is sola

fide (by faith alone); sola gratia (by grace alone); and is begun and

completed by God alone through Jesus (Ephesians 2:8,9). This

understanding of original sin (Romans 5:12-19), is most closely

associated with Calvinism (see total depravity) and Lutheranism.

Calvinism allows for the "goodness" of humanity through the belief in

God's common grace. Methodist theology adapts the concept by stating that

humans, entirely sinful and totally depraved, can only "do good" through

God's prevenient grace.

This is in contrast to the Catholic teaching that while sin has tarnished

the original goodness of humanity prior to the Fall, it has not entirely

extinguished that goodness, or at least the potential for goodness,

allowing humans to reach towards God to share in the Redemption which

Jesus Christ won for them. Some non-Catholic or Orthodox groups hold

similar views.

There is dispute about where sin originated. Some who interpret the king

of Tyre in Ezekiel 28 as a symbol for Satan believe sin originated when

Satan coveted the position that rightfully belongs to God. The origin of

individual sins is discussed in James 1:14-15 - "14but each one is

tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it

is full-grown, gives birth to death." (NIV)

Defined types of sin

Within some branches of Protestantism, there are several defined types of

sin (as in Roman Catholicism):

Original sin—Most denominations of Christianity interpret the Garden of Eden account in Genesis in terms of the fall of man. Adam and Eve's

disobedience was the first sin man ever committed, and their original sin

(or the effects of the sin) is passed on to their descendants (or has

become a part of their environment). See also: total depravity.

Concupiscence

Venial sin

Mortal sin

Eternal sin—Commonly called the Unforgivable sin (mentioned in Matthew 12:31), this is perhaps the most controversial sin, whereby someone has

become an apostate, forever denying themselves a life of faith and

experience of salvation; the precise nature of this sin is often

disputed.

Eastern/Oriental Orthodox views

The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox use sin both to refer to

humanity's fallen condition and to refer to individual sinful acts. In

many ways the Orthodox Christian view of sin is similar to the Jewish,

although neither form of Orthodoxy makes formal distinctions among

"grades" of sins.

The Eastern Catholic Churches, which derive their theology and

spirituality from same sources as the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental

Orthodox, do not use the Latin Catholic distinction between Mortal and

Venial sin. However, like the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, the Eastern

Catholic Churches do make a distinction between sins that are serious

enough to bar one from Holy Communion (and must be confessed before

receiving once again) and those which are not sufficiently serious to do

so. In this respect, the Eastern Tradition is similar to the Western, but

the Eastern Churches do not consider death in such a state to

automatically mean damnation to Hell.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that sin is inherited, like a disease, and

has been passed on from generation to generation of humans, beginning

with Adam and Eve, whom Witnesses believe are real historical

characters.[22] They believe that it began with the Devil, and then with

humans wanting to decide for themselves what was "Good and Bad." They

believe that at that very moment they lost perfection and began to die.

Jehovah's Witnesses consider human beings to be souls, and so when a

human dies due to sin, they believe that his soul dies as well.[23] They

believe that Jesus is the only human ever to have lived and died sinless.

Within Liberal Christianity, individual sins such as abortion or

homosexual acts are often less emphasized. Sin can be seen as

interpersonal (harming one's neighbours, friends, or families with

negative actions), environmental (pollution, overconsumption), structural

(misogyny, racism, etc.), or personal (actions which are harmful to

oneself). As a result of this re-interpretation of the traditional

concept of sin, new concepts of liberation and salvation are created. Old

Testament writers like Amos (2:7), Jeremiah (cf Book of Lamentations

3:34-36) and Nehemiah (1:6f) emphasise social justice and the rights of

the oppressed. Modern figures like Martin Luther King, Catholic Dorothy

Day [1] and evangelical Jim Wallis have campaigned on issues like social

justice, Immigration reform and peace [2]

Liberal theology

Within Liberal Christianity, individual sins such as abortion or

homosexual acts are often less emphasized. Sin can be seen as

interpersonal (harming one's neighbours, friends, or families with

negative actions), environmental (pollution, overconsumption), structural

(misogyny, racism, etc.), or personal (actions which are harmful to

oneself). As a result of this re-interpretation of the traditional

concept of sin, new concepts of liberation and salvation are created. Old

Testament writers like Amos (2:7), Jeremiah (cf Book of Lamentations

3:34-36) and Nehemiah (1:6f) emphasise social justice and the rights of

the oppressed. Modern figures like Martin Luther King, Catholic Dorothy

Day [1] and evangelical Jim Wallis have campaigned on issues like social

justice, Immigration reform and peace [2].

See also Collective Salvation and Liberation theology

Christian teachings on atonement, or the remedy for sin

In Christianity, atonement can refer to the redemption achieved by Jesus

Christ by his virgin birth, sinless life, crucifixion, and resurrection,

thereby fulfilling more than 300 Old Testament prophecies. Its centrality

to traditional interpretations of Christian theology means that it has

been the source of much discussion and some controversy throughout

Christian history. Generally it is understood that the death of Jesus

Christ was a sacrifice that relieves believers of the burden of their

sins. However, the actual meaning of this precept is very widely debated.

The traditional teaching of some churches traces this idea of atonement

to blood sacrifices in the ancient Hebraic faith.

Christian theologians have presented different interpretations of

atonement:

Origen taught that the death of Christ was a ransom paid to Satan in

satisfaction of his just claim on the souls of humanity as a result of

sin. This was opposed by theologians like St. Gregory Nazianzen, who

maintained that this would have made Satan equal to God.

Irenaeus of Lyons taught that Christ recapitulated in Himself all the

stages of life of sinful man, and that His perfect obedience substituted

for Adam's disobedience.

Athanasius of Alexandria taught that Christ came to overcome death and

corruption, and to remake humanity in God's image again. See On the

Incarnation by St. Athanasius.

Augustine of Hippo said that sin was not a created thing at all, but that

it was "privatio boni", a "taking away of good", and uncreation.

Anselm of Canterbury taught that Christ's death satisfied God's offended

sense of justice over the sins of humanity. Also, God rewarded Christ's

obedience, which built up a storehouse of merit and a treasury of grace

that believers could share by their faith in Christ. This view is known

as the satisfaction theory, the merit theory, or sometimes the commercial

theory. Anselm's teaching is contained in his treatise Cur Deus Homo,

which means Why God Became Human. Anselm's ideas were later expanded

utilizing Aristotelian philosophy into a grand theological system by

Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, particularly in his masterpiece, the

Summa Theologica, which eventually became official Roman Catholic

doctrine. It is often known as the moral influence view, and has

dominated Christianity.

Pierre Abélard held that Christ's Passion was God suffering with His

creatures in order to show the greatness of His love for them.

Martin Luther and John Calvin, leaders of the Protestant Reformation,

owed much to Anselm's theory and taught that Christ, the only sinless

person, was obedient to take upon Himself the penalty for the sins that

should have been visited on men and women. This view is a version of

substitutionary atonement and is sometimes called substitutionary

punishment or a satisfaction theory, though it is not identical to that

of Anselm. Calvin additionally advocated the doctrine of limited

atonement, which teaches that the atonement applies only to the sins of

the elect rather than to all of humanity.

D.L. Moody once said, "If you are under the power of evil, and you want

to get under the power of God, cry to Him to bring you over to His

service; cry to Him to take you into His army. He will hear you; He will

come to you, and, if need be, He will send a legion of angels to help you

to fight your way up to heaven. God will take you by the right hand and

lead you through this wilderness, over death, and take you right into His

kingdom. That's what the Son of Man came to do. He has never deceived us;

just say here; "Christ is my deliverer.""

Arminianism has traditionally taught what is known as "Moral Government"

theology or the Governmental theory. Drawing primarily from the works of

Jacobus Arminius and Hugo Grotius, the Governmental theory teaches that

Christ suffered for humankind so that God could forgive humans while

still maintaining divine justice. Unlike the perspectives of Anselm of

Canterbury or Calvinism, this view states that Christ was not punished

for humanity, for true forgiveness would not be possible if humankind's

offenses were already punished. Christ's suffering was a real and

meaningful substitutionary atonement for the punishment humans deserve,

but Christ was not punished on behalf of the human race. This view has

prospered in traditional Methodism and all who follow the teachings of

John Wesley, and has been detailed by, among others, 19th century

Methodist theologian John Miley in his classic Atonement in Christ and

20th century Church of the Nazarene theologian J. Kenneth Grider in his

Wesleyan-Holiness Theology. Variations of this view have also been

espoused by 18th century Puritan Jonathan Edwards and 19th century

revival leader Charles Grandison Finney.

Karl Barth taught that Christ's death manifested God's love and His

hatred for sin.

Barbara Reid, a feminist Dominican, argues[citation needed] that

atonement is a harmful theology, especially to women and other oppressed

groups. Other liberal theologians[citation needed] have also challenged

the traditional view of atonement. See Collective salvation

Mary Baker Eddy taught that atonement exemplifies our underlying

spiritual unity with God, whereby we reflect divine Love (God): Christ's

atonement reconciles man to God, not God to man.9

We must view sin as being sin whether it is a big sin or a small sin to

us it is still sin

And that sin is doing something against God and his holy standards

and the fact that sin displeases God and does not honor him and make him

okay

with it when we commit it

But understand that God provided a way of escape for us to be delivered

from

the bondage of sin

and that we cannot stay in sin because sin will lead us in the wrong

direction

and lead us down the wrong path

So instead of letting sin control us we must control it

and that Jesus died for our sins and he wants to save us and us to not

stay

in our sins because he paid the price for us to set us free and once

we are delivered from sin it is up to us to stay on the right path

and that when sin seems to come in our life, we must resist it

and not allow ourselves to be in it