Sin and Addiction: Steps to Christ by Ellen White

1255 Words3 Pages

Many face different addictions, from all walks of life day to day to the point where some are even diseased by it. So does that mean that addiction is sin? Can addiction be separated from sin as much as it is connected to it, and how does it affect salvation?
By definition, sin is a transgression of God’s law or an act that is highly reprehensible. Sin is often something that occurs in many facets of our everyday life, and it is very hard to escape the grasp of sin. In biblical society, the keeping of God’s law was taken more seriously and literally than it is today, so how then does our blatant disrespect of sin affect our chance of salvation.
Sin in the bible is referred to as “deviation, rebellion, burden of guilt, etc” . We see evidences of these definitions, by way of various verses like Ezekial 44:10 where it says, “But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity.” Another verse to look at is, James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knows to do well, and does it not, to him it is sin”. In these verses it is clearly stated that sin is basically, knowing what is right, yet choosing to do the opposite of that which is right. However, more often than none, we continue to sin, choosing the latter between good and evil.
Usually when people cannot help themselves from making the same mistakes over and over, and doing the same behaviors/actions over and over, it is considered an addiction. An addiction is defined as, “a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance or behavior”. Therefore could it be said that sin is some form of addiction, if it seems to be a pattern that occurs repeatedly, and is compulsive in nature.
...

... middle of paper ...

...eformed Theology 7, no. 1 (2013): 69-90.
Lyon, Jodie L.. "Pride and the Symptoms of Sin." Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 28, no. 1 (2012): 96-102.
Nelson, Derek R.. Sin. London: Continuum International Pub. Group, 2011.
Newsom, Carol A.. "The Economics of Sin: A Not So Dismal Science." Harvard Theological Review 103, no. 03 (2010): 365-371.
Payne Jr., Franklin E. M.D. “Addiction as Besetting Sin” (2003)
Peels, Rik. "Sin and human cognition of God." Scottish Journal of Theology 64, no. 04 (2011): 390-409.
White, Ellen Gould Harmon. Patriarchs and prophets: or, The great conflict between good and evil : as illustrated in the lives of holy men of old. Oakland, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1890.
White, Ellen Gould Harmon. Steps to Christ. Brookfield, Ill.: Pacific Press, 1945.
Willis, Timothy M. “Restoration Quarterly”, 53 no 1 2011, p 1-15. Publication Type: Article

Open Document