Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. ~ Martin Luther
A week and a half ago Christians all over the world celebrated Easter by recalling Christ’s victory over sin and death through his Resurrection. Christ overcame death, not by fighting it or running from it, but by entering into it’s very depths in order to destroy it from within.
Some may find this a curious thing since there is still sin and death in the world. But isn’t it curious too that we often pretend both don’t exist. We don’t talk about death as a society and the word “sin” is all but extinct in our modern world. Instead, we have a multi-billion anti-aging industry to help us pretend that we can beat the effects of aging. We spend extraordinary amounts of time and money presenting our best selves to the world. We work hard to hide our secrets and shortcomings.
This is understandable of course. But how often have we found ourselves doing this with the people closest to us, to those we love the most. Compare all this to the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The very first step asks the alcoholic to admit total powerlessness over alcohol. This requires extraordinary humility, that kind that is often available to us only when we have run out of options.
All this got me to thinking about Martin Luther’s provocative exhortation to “sin boldly.” Rather than inviting us to sin, this phrase is a reminder that we are sinners, that we are not perfect even if we tried, and that we can be honest about our weaknesses and struggles. This statement, in classic Martin Luther fashion, cuts through the illusion that we are okay on our own. It is a call to radical humility.
There is something so freeing about giving up the act. It is like dropping a heavy burden after carrying it for many miles. So here is the truth:
I am a sinner.
Spend a day with me and you will quickly see my impatience, my self- absorption, my addictions, my doubts, my biases. As if that is not enough, I also find myself often pointing out the sins of others in order to boost my pride. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis calls Pride “The Great Sin” because of the many other sins which flow from it.
To “sin boldly” means to fully face the truth of our frailty, like Jesus faced death in order to destroy it. To “sin boldly” means to surrender ourselves in humility to Christ’s saving power so that we might overcome sin. This is how the victory won on Easter is claimed, not by our own strength and perfection. And just as Christ died and rose, I too must surrender to death in order to overcome it. Lewis writes “submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life.”
So “sin boldly” and let God’s saving grace and mercy have the last word.