The psychology of sin

“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people.

For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” (Ps. 117:1,2).

“The sting of death is [because of] sin; and the strength of sin is [because of] the law.” (1Cor. 15:56).

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2).

“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Ps. 85:10).

What do all of these texts say? Put them all together and they give us the secret to life and success. Mercy and truth are the perfect combination for man’s reclamation from rebellion. Merciful kindness and truth.

God holds us accountable. He sends us necessary reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. “In the day that I lifted up Mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of His eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” (Eze. 20:6,7). But we balk at them. We say, “But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.” (Isa 30:16).

I know of someone who is very belligerent when corrected. This seems to be a humanity wide problem. Why does this happen? Why do we hate to be corrected and reproved? Prophets have been killed for rightfully correcting and reproving. Even when Abel lovingly advised Cain in the way of blessing, he still died at the hands of his brother. What’s going on here?

Years ago I went to a church where the pastor quit his job and ran from the ministry. It was a rather large church, his first large congregation. And the seismic tectonic pressures among certain people overwhelmed him. One person in particular was very self-centered and that caused reactions in the whole group. She believed she was following the Bible. She had been a church member for decades. She could not see that she was wrong in anything she did. She was always in the right. She could not have her vision corrected. She could not humble herself and be corrected even by the pastor.

How does this happen in the human being? What makes a person deny the truth about his faults and flaws? What is the psychology of sin? And more importantly, what is the psychology of righteousness?

Truth without mercy is sin and death. Truth without mercy creates rebellion and denial and every other element of sin. Man, no matter how smart and talented, has a distaste for rebuke. He cannot endure the humiliation of reproof unless he perceives that it is said in love. Unless spoken kindly and dealt gently, correction is utterly impossible for the human to accept. I’ve seen two people yelling at each other because of a problem, each accusing the other, and neither hearing their accusation. Each laid the blame on the other. Both believed he was in the right.

So how do we fix their problem? How has God fixed the same problem that plagues humanity?

By shewing us kindness. “That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7).

First He gave fallen, stubborn, rebellious mankind the sacrificial system. The descendants of Adam around the world could see what their sins were doing to others. Their sins were killing everyone around them.

“Your hands are full of blood.” (Isa. 1:15).

They were to look at the innocent lambs and be humbled. But Cain couldn’t be hit by conviction because his offering shewed no kindness in its death. Flora expresses no pain and death. Only fauna expresses the wages of sin. By his offering to God Cain’s proud self-sufficiency couldn’t be slain. Self couldn’t be abased and then swallowed up in God’s love. Therefore the Lord rejected it.

This is the condition of the whole world. They don’t get loved. No one has laid down their life for them. No one has pitied them. No one has suffered their indiscretions and loved them anyway. “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” (Heb. 12:15).

They have not known grace, even from their parents. Therefore they never experienced the high privilege of hearing the voice of divine grace or seeing its counterpart among the people nearest and dearest to them; and satanic hosts are always on hand to accentuate the root of bitterness that grows out of that “gall of bitterness, and…bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:23). They can’t trust in God’s omnipotent kindness and therefore refuse to admit to any of their wrongs. And they grow increasingly vile through the years.

“Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their feet are swift to shed blood:

Destruction and misery are in their ways:

And the way of peace have they not known.” (Rom. 3:13).

None of us can hear God if we can’t trust in His goodness. No one can obey Him like He wants unless He is sharing His Spirit of peace with theirs, their spirit of anger entangling with His Spirit of supplication.

“I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints.” (Ps. 85:8).

But this kind of union can only come when we’ve seen the mercy of God in His Son. Before any one of us can be like Him our hearts must melt under the merciful kindness of God. Our wars will not cease without the total abasement of our pride. But unless we have an infinitely faithful friend we utterly oppose humiliation.

And that is exactly how God fixed our sin problem. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a Man lay down His life for His friends.” (John 15:13).

Our murderous ways can be stifled only by the Son of God dying at our hand, Him looking up at us in pity and love in our theocide stabbing thrusts.

“And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face.” (Luke 22:60-64).

And only by our will dying at others’ oppressions, while treating at them in mercy, will they ever be able to stifle their murderous ways. We can and must hold them accountable for their oppressive ways, but only while simultaneously holding out to them our loving-kindness. “In principle firm as a rock, [Jesus’] life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy” The Desire of Ages, p. 68.

The world holds each other accountable. Accountability is the foundation of God’s throne. But, the world doesn’t know the mercy of the omnipotent One. So, the best of the human race must force themselves to accept criticism, constructive or destructive. But they don’t and can’t love correction. They can only force themselves to comply. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:7).

But, the kingdom of God is a kingdom of God’s love. He has an infinite supply of love and power and resources. He will recreate us to love correction, criticism, and discipline, just like He does. We will be subject to the Law of His God.

If we will go to the cross upon which our loving Saviour hung from the beginning of creation, then we will have the fortitude to stand before discipline, whether it comes from God or man. When our hearts are sealed by the love and Law of God, then we will be able to stand before the perfect One. Even in this life, we will bear up under His constant expectation of perfection, and we will be patient with those who are less perfect than we.

Our focus will be trusting a Friend who is infinitely perfect, and we will see love in His looks upon us and everyone else. He will be the sun in our sky. The Law by itself, without its Author will cease to exist. Only the Law with its Author will exist and be followed. And sin and death, rebellion and stubborn denial, will flee away. Forever, “even for ever and ever.” (Dan 7:18).

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2).