I have trouble with the word sin. It feels judgmental. I am so much happier saying, “We all make mistakes” or “We all screw up” or even “we all do things wrong.” But as soon as I have to say, “We all sin,” I’m afraid to say that to someone who isn’t already following Jesus, for fear it will put them off.
But, as I was watching Billy Graham’s “The Cross” video with some friends last Sunday, he said something that got through to me. “The cross is an offense.” The cross is supposed to offend people.
It’s not supposed to be easy to hear, “I did morally unacceptable things, and he died because of that.” No one wants that consequence. No one wants to confront the fact that because of something I did, someone else died.
Once we know Jesus and love him, everything about that changes. Once we know Jesus, we understand it’s washed clean. All the bad stuff, all the consequences — all of them white as snow.
But before we know that, being confronted with the reality of those consequences makes us want to turn away. The word sin is offensive and judgmental for a reason. It’s part of the process of wanting freedom from the past.