Review article
»If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.« (1 John 1:10). On the dignity of man the sinner
Ivica Raguž
orcid.org/0000-0002-0083-0325
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Đakovo, Croatia
Abstract
The article reflects on the reality of sin, approaching it from the opposite side of today's attitude toward sin, which prevails outside, but often within the Church as well. The first part provides an overview of the state of modern discourse on sin. It is primarily marked by what the author terms the excuse culture, in which man does not want to face the fact of sin and, consequently, does not want forgiveness. There are three reasons for this state: the crisis of Christian faith in God who is different from man and demands something from him, the crisis of the contents of faith that causes relativization of sin, and the weakness of the Church, stemming from this relativization, which puts it in danger through mitigating and frivolous gestures of mercy to confirm its weakness, that is, to fail to take itself seriously. In such a climate, people are no longer asking for forgiveness, which makes them seriously confront and recognize their own sin, but instead they seek excuses. Excuses do not take sin seriously, as if it never happened. True forgiveness and mercy, however, demand recognition and serious confrontation with sin. The second part analyzes the notion of sin in the Old Testament. Many places in the Bible affirm a completely opposite approach to sin to that of the excuse culture. The history of sin begins in the chosen people precisely because of the fact they were chosen, and in them congregates the sinfulness of mankind. The people of Israel have a strong awareness of sin, without making excuses and relativizing sin. On the other hand, the chosen people is the place of God's promises of salvation, awareness and experience of God's special, great, and radical love, mercy, and forgiveness of sins. The third part of the article shows the New Testament image of sin and Christ's approach to sin. The arrival and proclamation of Jesus Christ has sin as the central theme, and is understood in the wake of the Old Testament history of salvation. From the standpoint of the Old Testament, Christ is seen as the one who takes on and destroys the sin of the world, as the suffering Servant of the Lord, and as the Son of Man with whom comes the final showdown with evil. In his public ministry, there is no sign of relativizing and excusing sin, but the unmasking of sin, without embellishing, to lead man to repentance. The fourth part of the article discusses the need and importance of the mission of the Church, always aware of its own sinfulness and holiness, to expose and with holy anger warn of sin, and to proclaim the novelty of God's forgiveness and mercy, because it lives forgiveness in itself. Man who in the Church recognizes himself a sinner before God gains his true dignity.
Keywords
sin; excuse; mercy; C. S. Lewis; forgiveness; reconciliation; the Church
Hrčak ID:
171263
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2016.
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