Sin again!

I guess, if you have been reading my blog posts sequentially, you may have been amazed that I have written two longish posts on sin without mentioning God at all. Well, that's about to change!

The reason that I didn't mention God before was that sometimes people read the word "God" then switch off to everything else that is written in the same paragraph. I guess I wanted to show how sin is part of our everyday experience and inseparable from many of our troubles and problems in life(whether we believe in God or not) . I also wanted to recognise the fact that sin isn't just "out there" but is also "in me".

Where that leaves us is.......sunk! Because sin is endemic, we are in no position to help ourselves out of the mess we are in.

That's why I have to mention God now. Christians believe that God reveals himself and his plans through the Bible, but also that they can and do experience him in their day to day lives.

Atheism seems to be very fashionable at present, with some high-profilers making a lot of noise about trying to get rid of religion. They cite wars and injustices done in the name of God as the justification for their claim that religion is a poison. They unsurprisingly do not document wars and atrocities carried out by atheists such as Stalin, PolPot and others.

These atheists have been very successful at spreading their views but if you stand back and look dispassionately at organisations fighting for social justice, looking after the poor and marginalised and improving conditions for everyday people, it is hard to find one which was not started by Christians. Many still have a strong Christian ethos today.

We can all point to terrible historical events carried out in the name of religion, but honesty compels us to acknowledge that our world would be a very different place today if it weren't for the influence and actions of Christians throughout the ages, in all spheres of life.

In addition are the evidences of radical changes in people's lives. Churches are places where you will find ex-alcoholics, ex-drug-addicts and ex-criminals. Why? Because God has made a change in them from the inside out.

That is why God has to come into the picture if you want to find a remedy for sin. God can change people inside, in a way which no education programme or prison rehabilitation programme can.

So how does God deal with sin and make a difference in our lives? You'll have to wait for another installment, as I have to go and make supper!