A Gentle AnswerPrimjer

God responds to our sin with reassurance instead of shame; kindness instead of punishment; mercy instead of judgment; and love instead of abandonment. This reality presses us to consider why we would ever want to continue sinning.  If it is true that it is not our repentance that leads God to be kind but rather that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repent (Rom. 2:4), then why would we ever consider not repenting of our sin? If God has moved our judgment day from the future to the past through the perfect life and atoning death of Jesus, why would we ever think it right or good to continue living in ways that are worthy of judgment?

Sin is absurd and futile, especially for Christians who are aware of the love and redeeming grace of God through Jesus. It is absurd and futile because sin is not only an act of rebellion against the law of God, it is also an act of hatred against the love of God.

This is precisely why King David, reflecting on his adultery, murder, and abuse of power, wrote about how his sins brought him no joy but instead caused his bones to feel crushed and his spirit sapped of joy (Ps. 51:8, 12). Going against the law and love of God tormented his soul, blocked his vision, sapped him with grief, and wasted him physically (Ps. 31:6–10).

To sin against the law of God is to sin against the love of God. Therefore, every time we sin against God, we also sin against ourselves. We cannot be happy and healthy and whole when we are outside the blessed boundaries of God’s law any more than a fish can be happy and healthy and whole outside of water. Since we are created in God’s image, his law is our road map for how to “image” him. His law is our design and our most natural habitat. Eugene Peterson captures this truth well in his translation of Matthew 5:19: “Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself” (msg).