What is sin? That's the topic of chapter 3 in Shane Claiborne's 'Rethinking Life.' And, let me say first off, for a short five pages long, this was an incredible chapter!
The chapter title is "Sin Destroys Life," and Shane starts it off by bringing to light that the first time the word sin is used in the bible is not in connection with Adam and Eve. Most of us think "original sin" began with them. But the first mention of sin is when Cain, a son of Adam and Eve, commits the first act of violence recorded in its pages by taking the life of his brother.
When we get to the sixth chapter of Genesis it says the whole earth "was corrupt in God's sight and full of violence." So God decides to start over by sending the great flood. Then, for the first time in human history, "thou shalt not kill" becomes a thing.
Shane points out how, ultimately, sin hurts us/people. It damages God's creation. Therefore, God hates sin, because God LOVES us/people.
Which brings us to hell. He quotes Fyodor Dostoevsky who says, "What is hell? . . . The suffering of being no longer able to love."
Sin causes pain and death, and God's love is about healing these wounds. And this gem of a sentence made the whole chapter (and maybe the book as far as I know):
"If God is love, then hell is a loveless place and heaven is where love rules supreme."
And not only that, "...if Scripture is true, we are not just to wait until we die to experience heaven but also to bring heaven to earth. We are to destroy every expression of hell and death on earth... with love."
Hate, violence, killing, etc. - these have no place in heaven (or the 'kingdom of God'). Only love.
Whew... this is some powerful stuff in my opinion. But also convicting. Because it makes a person wonder: how full of love, or love-less, is my world? my workplace? my relationships? my own life???
See, I told you this was a powerful little chapter!
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