Let’s talk about sin, baby

by Emma Strelan Werner

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If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over (Matthew 18:15).

Read Matthew 18:15–20

Sin in the church is especially uncomfortable. We don’t like the idea that within our loving community of faith, there are ugly moments. Yes, every Sunday we have a time of confession and forgiveness, but how often do we actually name the sins we have committed?

And if we do talk about sin with each other, is it just gossip? Will it really fix the problem? Will someone truly listen to my (hopefully) gentle correction? What right do I, a sinner myself, have to call out someone else’s sin? These are all questions that have stopped me from reaching out to someone I could see was hurting others and themselves.

In our individualistic culture, ‘working through my sin is a matter between God and me’ is a statement we tend to go by.

But Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it well in the book The Cost of Discipleship: ‘If the church refuses to face the stern reality of sin, it will gain no credence when it talks of forgiveness.’

What I find interesting is that Jesus doesn’t seem to put the responsibility on the sinner to seek reconciliation, but on the one who has been sinned against. So, in fact, it’s a challenge for those of us who have been holding a grudge against a fellow believer, thinking, ‘I’m willing to forgive them, as long as they’re willing to take the initiative in apologising.’

As Christians, we’re called to radical forgiveness. God didn’t wait for us to bring him our sins before forgiving them (as Romans 5:8b says, ‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’). We are to do the same for others.

It is sin that separates a community, and God’s forgiveness given to us that restores it.

Who in your community can you offer the gift of radical forgiveness to this week?

Lord God, forgive me for the sins I ignore for the sake of comfort rather than deeper relationships with you and others. Thank you for the wonderful, radical forgiveness you have offered me. May I never grow weary of extending that forgiveness to others. Amen.

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