SIN

People usually do
not want to talk
about it.
 The root cause of
social problems is
immorality.

People have lost the

“sense of sin”.
 DEFINITION OF
SIN
• Sin is an offense against reason,
truth, and right conscience.
• It is an utterance, a deed, or a desire
contrary to the eternal law.
• It is an offense against God; saying
NO to God, to love, to personal
growth, and to others.
• It is evil intentionally committed by
man/woman. It is a bad free human
decision
 CONCEPT OF SIN IN
THE OLD TESTAMENT

Sin is a transgression of
God’s law and willl,
disobedience against the
Decalogue of God (Dt.
28:15-68), ingratitude and
forgetfulness of the God of
the covenant (Num 1-3,
Ex. 16:5a, Is1:2-4)
 3 MAIN CONCEPTIONS OF
SIN

1. Sin is a defilement
or stain, the sense of
being unclean before
the face of God
 3 MAIN CONCEPTIONS OF
SIN

2. Sin is a crime,
an internal violation
of Yahweh’s
covenant
relationship (Is
59:2-8)
 3 MAIN CONCEPTIONS OF
SIN

3. Sin is a personal
rejection of a love
relationship
Sin is basically a free,
responsible malice
of the sinner and
the harm inflicted
on other persons
By committing a sin,
sinners alienate
themselves from
their neighbours, all
creation, God and
their own true
selves.
 BASIC NOTIONS OF SIN
PRESENTED BY THE OLD
TESTAMENT

1.
“Missing the mark”
focuses on the
offense inflicted on
another by failing to
meet one’s covenant
obligations. (e.g.
idolatry vs. worship
of Yahweh)
 BASIC NOTIONS OF SIN
PRESENTED BY THE OLD
TESTAMENT

2.
Depravity and
perversity refer to the
defect of character or
disorder that weighs
the sinner down.
 BASIC NOTIONS OF SIN
PRESENTED BY THE OLD
TESTAMENT

3.
Rebellion and
transgression
picture sin as a
conscious choice
which destroys
positive
relationships.
 CONCEPT OF SIN IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT

Sin is an ungrateful
desertion of the Lord
(Lk. 15:11-32)
 CONCEPT OF SIN IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT

Sin is an
antithesis of
charity, an
offense against
love (Lk. 7:47)
 CONCEPT OF SIN IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT

Sin is a desecration
of a person’s own
body because his/her
body which is the
temple of the Holy
Spirit is destroyed by
immorality.
Lack of belief is the most radical sin:
“Ëvery sin will be forgiven, but the
blasphemy against the Spirit will not
be forgiven (Mt. 12:31)

Sin is lawlessness and

unrighteousness
Sin is to love oneself inordinately, not
open to God and to one’s fellowmen
 SIN CAN BE REDUCED TO 2
FACTORS:

1.
Pride – refusing to be subject to God and not
desiring to receive one’s perfection from Him.
 SIN CAN BE REDUCED TO 2
FACTORS:

2.
Sensuality – not trying to
permeate one’s body by the
Spirit
 CHURCH’S TEACHINGS ON SIN

Three DIMENSIONS of Sin

. . . as a spiral
 CHURCH’S TEACHINGS ON SIN

Three DIMENSIONS of Sin

. . . as a sickness
 CHURCH’S TEACHINGS ON SIN

Three DIMENSIONS of Sin

. . . as an addiction
 SOCIAL ASPECT OF
SIN

A person’s sin affects his/her

fellow human beings more or
less directly by causing harm to
them, which is a deprivation of
graces or friendship with God.
Social sin is committed when
sin’s power affects others and
directly attacks human rights
and basic freedoms, human
dignity, justice and common
good
 WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
SINS COMMITTED BY OTHERS
WHEN:
1. we cooperate in them by
participating directly and
voluntarily with them;
2. we order, advise, praise, or
approve them;
3. we do not disclose or not
hinder them when we have
an obligation to do so;
4. we support and protect
evildoers.
 Sins give rise to social
situations and
institutions that are
contrary to the plan of
God.
“Structures of sin” are
the expression and effect
of personal sins. Personal
sins constitute a “social
sin”
By committing “personal
 Capital Sins
-sins that engender other sins and other
vices: pride, avarice, envy, lust,
gluttony, anger/wrath, sloth or acedia
 Internal Sins

-sins that remain in the mind

... sinful or lustful thoughts

 Internal Sins

... Evil desire

 Internal Sins

... sinful joy

 Internal Sins

... sinful regret

 DISTINCTION OF SIN

Mortal sin
a deliberate reversal of our option to be for God and for
others.

One commits a mortal sin when:

1. there is full knowledge or awareness of the wrong
choice,
2. the gravity or seriousness of the object of the act is a
significant matter (grave matter),
3. there is full and deliberate consent of the free will that
presupposes the actual doing of this wrong option
 VENIAL SIN

- a morally wrong option aggravated by

lack of clear insight or insufficient
awareness of the consequence involved
in a “sinful” act, or by the imperfect
consent of the will
One commits sin in a less serious
matter and without full knowledge and
consent
 CONVERSION AND
RECONCILIATION

The teachings of Jesus

start from an urgent call
to conversion (Mk. 1:15).
This metanoia (change
of heart) implies total
reconciliation, both
personal and
communitarian.
 CONVERSION: AN ONGOING PROCESS
OF TRANSFORMATION

Conversion invites all…

It cannot be realized without sacrifice and
laborious effort.
CONVERSION presupposes the following
conditions:
1.Humble admission of guilt;
2.Readiness for the efforts of more renewal;
3.Openness for the gift of grace; and
4.The sacramental enactment and realization
 CONVERSION IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT
It implies a change of heart. (Isaiah 1:16-17, and Amos 5:14)
The nature and manner of conversion depend on the religious
ideal envisaged, and the manner in, and the measure to which
one is removed from that idea.
 CONVERSION IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
The coming of God’s kingdom calls for a change of heart
(metanoia) which affects moral attitude and behavior. It
implies one’s turning away from the wrong path and striking
out towards the opposite direction.
Conversion, therefore, also implies resolute turning towards
God (repentance) and atoning for one’s sin (reparation).
 The coming of the Kingdom of God is a call to
metanoia (cf. Mk. 1:15) or a critical change in the
depths of one’s heart, and a faithful commitment to
Christ through whom the Good News comes.
It should be noted that the initiative for repentance
and conversion of heart comes from God. It is not the
works of penance that effect the inner change of
heart but God’s gracious gift.
Human effort is only the sign of one’s willingness to
abandon inordinate attachments and turn one’s heart
wholly to God.
 HUMAN RECONCILIATION IS
RECONCILIATION WITH GOD

Reconciliation is an expression of the new

situation that has been brought about by
the death and resurrection of Christ. It is
to end a relationship of enmity and begin a
relationship of peace and goodwill.

St Paul conceives the work of redemption

as breaking down the wall of hostility
between humanity and God, between Jew
and Gentile. (Eph. 2:13-16).
The need for human reconciliation is our
need for reconciliation with God.
(horizontal & vertical dimension)
 THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN
RECONCILIATION

The fruit of reconciliation brought

about by the death and resurrection of
Christ is “a new creation” (cf. 2Cor.
5:17). This is now achieved principally
in and through the Church, the Spirit-
filled community of redemption,
gathered by Christ from all peoples to
be formed mystically into His Body.
St Paul defines qpostolic activity as
the ministry of reconciliation, which
he expresses by different vivid terms.
(2Cor. 5:18-20)
 MERCY AND SIN

The Gospel is Jesus Christ’s revelation of

God’s mercy to sinners.
St. Augustine emphasizes that “God
created us without us: but He did not will
to save us without us” (CCC, #1847). To
receive God’s mercy, we must admit our
faults.
St. Paul: “Where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). But
to do its work, grace must uncover sin so
as to convert our hearts and bestow on
us “righteousness to eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21)