The Problem of Sin

Woe is us! The church is plagued with bad practice and bad doctrine. Maybe we could solve it by electing the right guy as synodical president. What if that doesn't work? Maybe we could go to a different church body which has a cardinal or a patriarch that will enforce the rules properly.

Woe is me! I'm a sinner. I keep on being a sinner. Even when I can control my behavior, my thoughts don't comply with my self-improvement plan. I guess I need a new self-improvement plan since the one I have seems to be such a failure.

Sin in the world.
Sin in the Church.
Sin in our relationships.
Sin in our selves.

This is a problem.




There is ONE solution to sin. Only one.

But we protest: No, surely not. Jesus' blood shed on the cross isn't enough. I have to do something. I have to find something else. I have to help. I have to try harder. Forgiveness of sins just doesn't cut it; it doesn't do enough to rid me and my world and my home and my church of sin.



If the blood of God, who made me and you and everything else, if His love and mercy and His death ain't enough to solve the problem of sin, does it make any sense whatsoever to think that something I can do will fix the problem? Do we really think the absolution is that impotent?