Responding to Sin

Here's a quote that got me thinking:

“Christians get very angry toward other Christians who sin differently than they do.” ~ Philip Yancey

Gets you thinking, doesn't it?  I suppose we respond by saying that all sin is seen equally in God's eyes as it separates us from God.  All sin has the same affect on an individual's relationship toward God.  Coveting, stealing, lusting, murder, lying, failure to love, failure to obey Jesus and adultery all have the same result of alienating God from our lives.  Of course forgiveness through the cross of Jesus heals that result.

But all sin does not have the same consequence in our relationship with others.  Some sin has long lasting results.  Some sins destructive actions cause what seems to be irreparable harm between people.  Christians tend to look at these sins as reprehensible (and almost unforgivable except by God) and we ostracize these individuals from the fellowship.  And we get angry.

We get angry because we are let down by someone.

We get angry because of the harm an action does.

We get angry because we characterize some sins as worse than others, and we don't do the "bad ones."

We get angry because we think if we would have been there to help, these actions wouldn't have happened.

Unfortunately our anger ends up being directed not toward the sin, but toward the very people who need us now more than ever, and we end up losing the opportunity to be not only the conduit of forgiveness, but the people who can help in the transformation of an individual's sinful behavior.

I rarely get angry anymore by sin.  I do get very sad, though.  Because when I experience another person's sin  I see the Deceiver winning a battle that the Holy Spirit could win if we would allow it.  I see what people could be in Christ and their sin is keeping it from happening. 

And it makes me very sad.