One of the core teachings of the Christian faith is that Christ died to take away the sins of the world. And that is of crucial importance to us because it gives us the assurance that we can inherit eternal life in spite of our sinfulness because, through Christ’s death on the Cross, we can be forgiven for the sins we commit. Having said that, I think the Church does confuse matters at times because of the words it uses to speak about this in our liturgies. Sometimes we say that Christ died to take away the sin of the world, but at other times we say he died to take away the sins of the world. So which is it, sin or sins? And does it make any difference?
Actually, yes it does because although those two statements of faith are very similar they’re not the same, and they mean two different and clearly distinguishable things. And we can see this in this morning’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews where we’re told that
‘…Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.’
So why do we use these two different terms and what is the difference between sin and sins?
It’s probably easiest to start with sin because if it weren’t for sin there would be no sins. As St Paul tells us in his Letter to the Romans, sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam, and this brought death into the world because all people since then have sinned. So sin is a state of being, it’s a predisposition to act in ways that are contrary to God’s will and God’s law. Sins on the other hand are the concrete acts of disobedience towards God that we actually carry out. We could say that sin is a condition we all suffer from, a pandemic illness of sorts, sinners is what we are because we suffer from that condition, and sins are what we do because of what we are, because of what sin has made us. It’s a bit like telling someone what our occupation is and then describing what we do because we have that occupation; this is what I am, and this is what I do because of what I am. I’m a doctor, I diagnose illness, I’m a priest, I celebrate Mass, and so on. So did Christ’s death on the Cross take away the sin of the world or the sins of the world?
I think the best way to explain this is to say, as our reading from Hebrews implies, that Christ dealt with sin by bearing our sins on the Cross. In one sense, Christ’s death on the Cross doesn’t take away the sin of the world, we know that because we all still suffer from sin, that is, we still have a predisposition to commit sins, but it deals with sin by taking away the guilt of our sins. Without Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross we would still be liable to the punishment due for our sins, alienation from God and death. In taking upon himself our sins and suffering that alienation from God and death on our behalf, Christ has removed the necessity for us to suffer those things. So Christ has taken away the effect of sin by taking away the guilt of our sins and the punishment due to us for our sins.
But sin is still in the world and if there is any time of the year when the reality of our continuing state of sin is brought home to us, it must be today, Remembrance Sunday, when we remember those who’ve died in time of war. Because what is war other than the sin and sins of human beings writ large?
We read in scripture that as children of God, disciples of Christ, people who live by the Spirit, we should show the fruits of the Spirit in our lives:
‘…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…’
We’re told that that we should
‘Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.’
Sin is nothing other than a predisposition not to show these virtues in our lives. Sins are the concrete acts that we carry out in not showing these virtues in our lives and in our dealings with other people. And if we think about these virtues what is war other than the end result of nations not showing these virtues in their national lives and their dealings with other nations?
So today, as we remember all those who’ve died in time of war, let’s also remember that they are the victims of the sin and sins of the world and that they paid for the sin and sins of the world with their lives. Not as Christ did because he alone was, in every sense, sinless, but victims of sin and of the sins of the world, nonetheless. And let’s remember too that we live in a state of sin, that we are sinners, and we commit sins. Our sinfulness makes each and every one of us responsible in part for the trouble that sin brings to the world and sins cause in the world. So let’s ask too for God’s forgiveness for the part that we all play in the sinfulness of the world and the suffering that sinfulness causes. But let’s not forget to give thanks too that through the Cross of Christ, the problem of sin has been dealt with. We don’t have to suffer the eternal punishment our sins warrant but can be forgiven and enjoy the eternal reward of the sinless.
Amen.
Propers for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (3 before Advent: Remembrance Sunday) 10th November 2024
Entrance Antiphon
Let my prayer come before you, Lord; listen, and answer me.
The Collect
Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Readings
Missal (St Mark’s)
1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm 146:7-10
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
RCL (St Gabriel’s)
Jonah 3:1-5
Psalm 62:5-12
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 1:14-20
Parish Church of St Mark Chadderton 