In this part...
Anytime you dive into unfamiliar territory, you need gear to help make the most of your effort. This part equips you for the long haul as you discover the core messages and beliefs of Christianity. You begin by looking through Christian goggles at that nasty business of sin. From there, you take out your compass and follow the trail that leads to Christianity’s answer to sin – Jesus Christ, who Christians believe came to earth as God in human flesh and died for all the sins of the world. Next, you check out the Christian’s sword – known as the Bible – which is where Christians after Jesus’ day found out about sin and the Saviour in the first place. Further, you don your pith helmet as you run head-on into who Christians believe God is (known as the Trinity), how Christians express their faith through sacraments (or ordinances), and what God’s plans are for humans after this earthly life.
Sin: Why “Do’s and Don’ts” Miss the Bigger Picture
In This Chapter
Considering the origin of sin
Defining sin
Getting a grip on the Christian idea of God’s perception of sin
Viewing life thousands of years after the Fall
Deconstructing Satan
Discovering the tactics of temptation and responses to it
Seeing how sin affects Christians
Sin sells. In years gone by, sin was considered a dirty word, something to avoid like the plague. But these days, more often than not, sin is thought of as cool. If you watch any TV ads, you see this in action; a popular advertising trick used on products ranging from chocolate pudding to sandwiches to automobiles is tying the product to sin. Slogans like “Sinfully delicious,” “Wonderfully decadent,” “Indulge yourself,” and “Join the fun in Sin City” all associate sinning with fun and pleasure.
Consider whether sin is like these ads say: Is it just another word for “having a good time”? Or is the pleasure of sin like a Trojan horse – fun on the outside, but insidious danger lurking within? In this chapter, you explore what sin is, where and how it originated, and what Christians believe about people’s general understanding of sin and temptation compared to how God sees it.
Desiring to Be Different: The Original Ego Trip
When I used to live in Silicon Valley, I often drove along Highway 101 and came upon a prominently displayed series of black-and-white billboard ads by Apple Computer. These ads featured such people as Albert Einstein and John Lennon with a simple slogan at the bottom: Think different. These Apple ads have been one of the company’s most popular campaigns; they’re effective because they appeal to something deep inside of people – a desire to not conform and a perceived need to go against the flow to be successful.
Although the desire to “think different” can be positive for entrepreneurial and creative activity, oftentimes people twist and manipulate this motto. They tend to see rebelling or going against anything – even good things – as “hip” or “cool.” This idea is exactly what Satan, the prime enemy of God, used to confuse humans a long time ago – see the section, “Warring with Satan (And Knowing Who You’re Fighting Against),” later in this chapter. Satan didn’t use a Macintosh computer as part of his manipulation, but he did feature an apple (well, some sort of fruit, anyway) as part of his scheme.
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