Sin & Its Consequences

Original Innocence Original Holiness Original Justice The state of being in complete communion with God Original Justice The state of being in complete harmony with each other and nature

“O Happy Fault” Original Sin Salvation History Rejection of God’s gift Misuse of free will Results in consequences for all of humanity “As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering, and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "concupiscence"). Salvation History History of God’s saving action that focuses on how God saves us from sin and death. Culminates in Jesus and the Paschal Mystery "O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!“ St. Augustine

Sin the Old Testament Rebelling against God Begins with the disobedience of God’s command not to “eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” Grumble against God in the desert and build the golden calf Passages speak of the Israelites as a “rebellious and stiff-necked people” We rebel because we want to be in control

Sin the Old Testament “Missing the Mark” Missing the goal of holiness Gideon worships a golden idol Samson marries a foreign woman Sons of Samuel take bribes and pervert justice David commits adultery and murder Solomon oppresses the people and worships false gods Consequences of Sin-OT thought Sin affects ones children and the community God directly punishes them for their sin God withdraws his support

Sin in the New Testament Missing the Mark or falling short of God’s will Crossing a boundary established by God Breaking the Natural Moral law Everyone, except Jesus and Mary, is affected by original sin and, therefore, is subject to death and a weakened nature, prone to evil Contrasts of light/ dark, truth/ lies

Consequences of Sin “The wages of sin is death” “The eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” Hell is the ultimate consequence Hell is the absence of God who is love, goodness, beauty, truth, peace, and justice God does not directly punish sinners or their descendants. God lets the sun shine on both the good and the evil; He lets the rain fall on the good and the evil. Luke 13: 1-5 “…do you think that they were more guilty than others in Jerusalem? Buy no means”

What is a Sin? An offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth, and right conscience A deliberate thought, word, action or omission contrary to the Eternal Law of God The gravity of sin can be classified as venial or mortal

How do we Sin? Object Intention The act, word or thought that is chosen Intention The goal of the person choosing the action In order for an action to be moral, both the object and intention must be good Circumstance The situation, condition or facts affecting the decision. This can either increase or decrease the goodness or evil of the action

Types of Sin Commission/ Omission Mortal/ Venial Commission: A direct result of a freely chosen thought, word or deed Omission: A result of a failure to do something required by God’s Moral Law Mortal/ Venial Venial: a less serious offense that damages our relationship with God. Related to vices, habits of bad actions Virtues are the opposite of vices; they are habits of good actions Mortal: A offense so contrary to the will of God that it results in a complete separation from God and his grace.

Criteria for Mortal Sin Grave matter Against the commandments Knowledge of the evil of the offense Knows the action is wrong Full consent Commits the action of his/her own free will, without coercion, real or imagined

Capital Sins Seven sins that are particularly harmful because they lead to and reinforce other sins and vices. Pride Believing you are better than someone else Avarice Greediness toward material things, and money Envy Uncontrolled resentment toward another’s success Wrath Anger that prevents reconciliation and promotes vengeance Lust Uncontrolled desire for self-enjoyment, especially of a sexual nature Gluttony Excessive eating or drinking or an obsession with either Sloth Habitual laziness that hinders fulfilling obligations

Social Sin A collective effect of many personal sins over time, which corrupts society and institutions by creating structures of sin “Isms” Racism Anti-Semitism Ageism sexism Right to life issues Abortion Euthanasia Capital punishment Oppression Slavery Institutionalized poverty

Human Dignity All persons are created in God’s image and likeness therefore every human being has infinite worth and dignity. Social Justice The defense of human dignity by ensuring that essential human needs are met and that essential human rights are protected: fight against social sin Common Good Social conditions that allow for all citizens of the earth, individuals and families, to meet basic needs and achieve fulfillment

Forgiveness Jesus teaches that we need to practice generous forgiveness. He teaches the importance of forgiveness through the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Unforgiving Servant, and the Prodigal Son. In the Sermon on the Mount he teaches that we must also practice loving forgiveness, explaining that we will be judged in the same way we judge others. Jesus tells Peter that we must forgive seventy-seven times—by which he means an unlimited number of times. Above all, Christ wants us to understand that God is primarily waiting to forgive us, not to condemn us.