Every worldview includes a perspective about our identity as people. Understanding who or what we are as humans greatly impacts the rest of our worldview. In many places, what the Bible tells us about ourselves resonates with our reality, but also rubs us the wrong way. What it says is uncomfortable. Sin is one of these uncomfortable topics.
Why the Bad News About Sin Is a Good Thing
No one likes to hear about sin. It’s not comforting to read what the Bible says about us and our sin. In fact, what the Bible tells us about ourselves and our world is really bad news.
The Bible doesn’t paint a pretty picture of us. In fact, it’s a much darker picture than we would imagine on our own. But friend, please don’t leave at this point in the conversation! What the Bible teaches, though really bad news, is very good for us to know. This is true for two reasons.
What the Bible teaches, though really bad news, is very good for us to know.
Knowing the Truth About Ourselves
First, simply, because it’s what’s true! Imagine you’re suffering from pains all over your body that you can’t explain. You go to the doctor. After looking at your test results and seeing cancer, the doctor does not want to discourage you, so he says, “You’re healthy!”
You’d probably be upset if you found out he lied. You would want to know what’s wrong, not only to understand your experience, but also to know how to respond accordingly.
In the same way, God’s Word diagnoses the state of our souls. It’s clear that there is much wrong in our world and within ourselves. We need to know the truth about ourselves. And, like a good doctor, the Bible tells us our issue straightforwardly.
A Cure Only Comes After a Proper Diagnosis
This brings us to the second reason that the bad news about sin is a good thing. When we’re properly diagnosed, we can find the proper cure.
When, in our thought experiment, your doctor lied about your cancer, he also cut you off from any cure. Unlike the doctor, the Author of the Bible loves us enough to give the dismal diagnosis so that he can lead us to the cure.
We want you to understand this before we talk more about what the Bible means by sin. Understanding sin can be a hard pill to swallow.
One of the wisdom books in the Bible, Proverbs, instructs us that only fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7), reminding us that when we reject truth because it’s distasteful, we’re only hurting ourselves.
We believe the Bible to be the authoritative truth written by our loving Creator to lead us to him. Therefore, we believe his Word that there’s something terribly wrong with us (Jeremiah 17:3). We also believe he has provided the cure.
We share his Word with you because we know ourselves to be sinners in the way the Bible describes, sick with rebellion, regret, and wrongdoing—yet we have also discovered the cure in its pages. We know that if you understand yourself to be a sinner too, then perhaps we may have the joy of introducing you to our Great Physician.
He’s ready to see you, whatever your malady. For he told us, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
We’re sick and in need of a cure. Will you entrust yourself to the Great Physician?
