Sin

Sin and the Repentance That Takes Us Out of Ourselves

Introduction

For a long time, I believed, like so many others, that sin was simply making mistakes, breaking rules, doing what God does not want. I also believed that I was already born in the image and likeness of God, and that repentance was changing my behavior, doing good, avoiding evil.

But not long ago, something began to bother me deep inside.
The words of the Scriptures I already knew began to shine again with a different light.
And I realized, with fear and with joy, that the problem is deeper, and grace is much greater than I imagined.

What I am going to share next is not a new doctrine.
It is an ancient, eternal revelation, but one that the Spirit only now began to show me clearly.
Maybe you have already noticed it. Maybe not yet. But if you open your heart, the Spirit will show you too.

This is my confession, my discovery, and also my cry:
that Christ be formed in us, and that we stop trusting in ourselves, to live from Him, by faith.

The image we thought we already had

For a long time I thought, as many sincere Christians still think, that I had already been created in the image and likeness of God. After all, that is what I had been taught.

But that is not quite what the Scriptures reveal.

Yes, Genesis 1:26 says: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.”
But in Genesis 5:3, after the fall, we read that Seth was born in the image and likeness of Adam, not of God.

Adam's separation and the illusion of goodness

What does this reveal?

That the image of God is a promise, not a starting point.
That we are born with a potential, a calling, but separated from God.
And everything that is born of Adam is born in separation, death, unbelief.

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always and only evil.” (Genesis 6:5)

Even when we do good, we do it for ourselves.
We trust in ourselves.
That is the root of all sin: self-confidence.

The sin hidden in self-confidence

Sin, therefore, is not simply transgressing commandments.
It is not only stealing, killing, lying or committing adultery.
It is trusting in oneself.
It is living by oneself.
It is acting from oneself.

Tradition called sin what can be seen.
Jesus revealed what is hidden:
“Sin is that they do not believe in me.” (John 16:9)

Not believing in Jesus is continuing to believe in oneself.
It is living disconnected, even while attending churches and doing good works.

The Law that reveals, but does not transform

And that is why the Law, although holy, never perfected anyone.
As Hebrews 7 says:
“For the Law made nothing perfect, and on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”

The Law, in fact, awakens something perverse in us.
Because we like the Law.
It gives us a ruler to measure others.
It makes us feel “right,” it allows us to accuse, and we like that.
Paul wrote:
“Sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of evil desire.” (Romans 7:8)

Jesus: the only one not contaminated by Adam

The Law incites sin, because sin loves to look righteous.
The ego loves to be right.
And religion feeds on this: on effort, comparison, accusation and guilt.

But then Jesus came.

Not born of Joseph.
Not an heir of Adam's flesh.
Begotten by the Holy Spirit.
The only man who never trusted in himself.
The only one who lived in perfect communion with the Father.
The only one without sin, because he was begotten by the Spirit, lived as an ordinary human being and, to show us the Way, received the Holy Spirit after the baptism, and was never separated.

Repentance as surrender, not effort

And that is why He calls us to repentance.

But not to a moralistic repentance.
Not to the tears of guilt.
Not to remorse for having erred.

The repentance Jesus expects is much deeper:
It is to stop believing in oneself.
It is to renounce trust in one's own judgment, one's own righteousness, one's own strength.

But this, as was said, is not easy.
Because trusting in oneself is in our hardware.
It is the Adamic nature working in us since birth.

That is why repentance is not something we do.
It is something that happens to us, when we believe.

The new commandment: a new reference, a new source

It is a surrender.
It is a handing over.
It is the recognition that, without Him, everything in me is always and only evil, even when it seems good.

That is why Jesus gave a new commandment.
Not to replace one list with another, but to introduce a new way of living:
“Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

In the old covenant, the measure was: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
But now, I am no longer the reference. Jesus is the reference.

This love can only be lived in Christ, through the Spirit He gave us.

Without the Spirit, we remain in sin

It is the Spirit who enables us to forgive.
And when we forgive, the Father forgives in us.
It is no longer I who live, it is Christ.

That is why Jesus warned us:
“Without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Nothing. No work. No true love. No real forgiveness.
Even our best intentions, without the Holy Spirit, remain the fruit of the self, and therefore remain in sin.

Repentance is changing the source, not the direction

Without the Spirit, we remain in Adam.
Even “doing good,” we remain separated.
Even “obeying the Bible,” we remain operating from the flesh.

That is why repentance is not just changing direction,
it is changing the source.

This is the repentance that saves:
to go out of oneself, to enter into Christ, and to receive from Him grace upon grace.