Living the Dream: Repurposing Sin

Four Pictures of Christ’s Triumph over Sin

Sin is described through a number of different pictures in the Bible. Below are four of the most common descriptors, along with how Christ’s death and resurrection addresses each one:

1. Slavery: In John 8:34 Jesus says that “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” The picture of bondage or slavery is often used to picture those in sin as those who cannot get free. This is why the work of Christ on our behalf is often described in terms of “freedom” (John 8:36).
2. Going astray: Sin is often pictured as wandering off on a wrong path, such as in Isaiah 53:6, where we are described as having “gone astray” and turned to our own way. In response Jesus refers to himself as the only “way” to the Father in John 14:6, contrasting with the “easy way that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13).
3. Stain: Another image of sin, particularly seen in the prophetic books, is that of a stained garment (Jeremiah 2:22, Isaiah 1:18). In response, forgiveness is then described as a washing or removing of the stain (Psalm 51:2, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
4. Sickness/Death: Finally, sin is pictured as a deadly disease that robs one of life (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1, James 1:15). Thankfully, Christ offers healing from the disease of sin and restores to life (John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 2:24).
Try spending some time praying through each of these images, offering thanks to Christ and also asking for his help in avoiding temptation toward sin.