Syndaren och Spindeln.

Syndaren och Spindeln.

av John Bunyan översatt av Ingemo och Håkan

Syndaren; Vilket svart, vilket otäckt krälande ting är du ?

Spindeln; Jag är en spindel

Syndaren; En spindel, en vidrig smutsig varelse.

Spindeln; Smutsigare än dig, det är jag ej, varken till funktion eller namn, Gud skapade mej, liksom dej, frälsningens Gud för även mej i hamn.

Syndaren; Jag är en man, skapad till Guds avbild, jag har en själ, som varken ska dö eller förtvina. Ett mänskligt förnuft, det har min Gud mig gett, om du talar mot mig, du dig själv, förräderi berett. Om jag är gjord, en bild av Gud, förtala mig, ger strängt påbud.

Spindeln; En högre varelse, långt över mig du är, dock skyr, fruktar och älskar jag dig här. Gud skapat dig till den som han bestämt, i förräderi du ofta handlat, vilket skämt. Du handlat mest i synd, sluta med skrytet, Guds avbild, själv, den du har brytit´. Ett odjur, själv du dig skapat har, så långt från den som du kallar Far`.Ditt rena tillstånd, förnuft och själ, till dessa har du nu sagt farväl. Mens jag är kvar, likadan som förr, en liten spindel, uppå din dörr.

Syndaren; Du giftiga sak, inget namn kan dig passa, bland naturens drägg, får du väl svassa. Du jordens avskum, gjord av krafs, Du blev blott till i just ett nafs. Av ej nån´ mening har du blitt´ till, Det kallas inbillning, om du vill.

Spindeln; Mitt gift är bra för nåt´, för Gud det gjort, Din förnedrande syndanatur, är inget litet, utan stort. Av mänskliga dygder, även om jag inför dig känner fruktan, ska jag inte förakta och håna, även om du behöver tuktan. Du kallar mig för drägg, din synds natur, är satans ägg. Du säger människan hatar mig, nätets spindel, men du bespottare lever livet i vindel.

Mitt gift hjälper min överlevnad, dina dumheter skapar ingen trevnad. Jag följer reglerna för hur Gud mig gjort, dina synder fört dig långt, långt bort. Ingen blir skadad av mig, medans döden följer dig. Du älskar ondska, följer ej vad Gud befallt, din vandring är med Satan, det är allt.

Syndaren; Du vanskapta skapelse,, avsky råder mellan oss jag ljuger ej, jag trotsar dej, kommer du mig nära, med min fot jag krossar dej.

Spindeln; De dåligt formade är, som förvrängda är och synda´, jag förundras, om du i trots kallar mig för hynda, Du har länge varit antipatisk mot din Gud; där du låtsas ditt namn är din heliga skrud. Min närvaro tränger dig inte, så varför stå emot? Det är inte mitt gift, utan din synd, som gör ditt inre svart som sot.

Kom jag ska lära dig visdom, snälla hör på mig, jag är skapad dig till vinning, frukta inte, säg inte nej. Men om din du Gud inte vill höra, vad kan svalan, myran eller spindeln göra? Jag kommer ändå tala, jag kan av dig avvisas, dock kan stora saker med små medel bevisas.

Lyssna så, även om människan var skapad ädel, har han nu urartat, förfallit, är helt utan medel. Människan en vuxen slarver, är nu förvirrad och berusad, Men vi bör inte sörja, fastän han sina egna förhoppningar grusat. Människan störtat sig själv, kommit från sitt ursprung, bundit allting skapat från spindel till konung. Detta vi känsliga kan känna och se, lagd under förbannelse får allting nu ske. Gå inte från mig, överge mig inte, jag får be´, ni människor är de som lagt världen under ve.

Min skapelses lag bjuder mig undervisa dig, Jag tillåter inte dig och din stolthet emot Gud, anklaga mig. Jag spinner, jag väver och visar dig bara, (att) dina framträdanden visar sig, som spindelnät vara. Din ära har nu blivit dragen tillbaka, att den överglänser spindelns nät är en saga. Mina nät är flugornas fällor och snaror, se alla lockelser de är helvetets faror. Dess trassliga natur vill dig väcka, att din trassliga natur kan dig gäcka.

Mitt nät saknar botten i jämförelsen här, fördömelsen visar sig varaktig är. Jag ligger på lur tills flugan fåtts fast, helvetet ruinerar dig i en hast. I det jag flugan tar fast och fångar, visar helvetet, hemlighetens gångar. I det jag griper en fluga lätt, visar jag på vem Gud har övergett. Flugan ligger och surrar i mitt nät, berättar att synderna ylar i helvetet. Jag visar hur dessa mysterier vandalisera´, hur kan du då mig hata och skandalisera?

Syndaren; Ja, ja, ej mer jag kommer att bespotta, tänk att en spindel kan sådant blotta.

Spindeln; Kom var tyst, lyssna till min lag, om du lyssnar det hjälpa kan nån´dag. Jag en otäck och giftig varelse är, dock finns det likheter mellan båda oss här. Min vilda och aktlösa löpning, liknar de ruinerade själarnas stöpning. Jag jobbar på natten inte på dagen, för att visa dessa som hatar lagen. Tjänarn´städar bort ett nät, jag på nytt det väver, visar på hur de hänsynslösa övertygelserna kväver. Mitt nät är intet alls försvar för mig, inte heller ditt falska hopp på domens dag för dig.

Syndaren; Åh spindel, jag hört dig och undra`, ska en spindel så blixtra och dundra?
Spindeln; Om du tar det lugnt, så ska du väl få skåda, att på mitt sätt fler mysterier här råda. Skall jag ej dig göra gott, om jag dig det förtäljer, en fyrfaldig väg till helvetet det finns, om det är det du väljer. Jag väver mina nät på platser här och där, människor går mot undergång, följer sina begär. Ett nät jag vävt i fönstrets ljus det glittra, det visar hur helvetet kan evangeliets ljus kväva och förvittra.

Ett nät i en hörna jag vävde, där kanske får vara i fred, för att visa hur hemliga snaror människan fller, ondskans väg den är bred. Stora nät det väver jag på olika mörka orter, för att visa hur fräcka människorna är, deras syndar är av olika sorter. Ett annat nät vävde jag i höjden, det visar några bekännande män, som måste dö på grund av fröjden. (nöjen).

Jag ligger gömd och väntar på flugor att fånga,så gör Satan för att få fast många. Om mitt byte jag räds för att mista, lägger jag fler snaror, tar bort levnadens gnista. När jag håller flugan kvar, sås i den ett rädslans frö, flugan räds för livet sitt, tänker nog jag kommer dö. Försöker flugan smita undan rappt, med gift jag stoppar henne snabbt. Allt det som jag gör, det Djävulen imiterar, han hatar Guds frälsnings-plan, vill fånga många flera.

Syndaren; Åh spindel, du med din skicklighet mig gläder ! Fyll mig med ditt gift i alla väder!!

Spindeln; En spindel jag är som kan besitta, kungens palats och mycket lycka där hitta. Så mycket överflöd hittar jag där, frågar de varifrån, hur eller när. När jag vandrar gör jag det fort, de låter mig passera på vandringen bort.

Jag intar palatset med de händer jag fått, tar tag i dörrar, lås och bultar, jag gör det så flott. När jag är inne jag klättrar så djärvt, upp på konungens tron som om jag den ärvt. Ingen lag kan förbjuda mig heller, att i palatset jag stannar och dräller.

Palatsets historia bestiger jag så, skådar och ser härligheterna gå. Själv är jag omgiven av allting som där finns, som om jag vore en gammal hovman som minns. Damer och herrar här flockas omkring mig, allvarligt uppträder de sig. Mitt modiga äventyr struntar de i, de kommer, de går, men mig låter de bli.

Du anklagare kanske du tycka, jag försöker stjäla din lycka. Dock jag spindeln vill dig väl, Kristus, Han rädda kan din själ. Fast du värre är än mig, vill Han ändå rädda dig. Jesus är nyckeln till himmelens slott, gå äventyrets väg, så kan det bli din lott.

Närma dig tronen, var inte rädd, tala så, och låt dig bli ledd. Varken ängel eller helgon kommer för dig sätta stopp, de dock flyttar undan hinder och röjer opp. Giftet mitt stoppar ej mig, låt ej dina laster stoppa dig. Även om en syndare du är, lär dig nu av spindeln här. Vill du dig i paradiset finna, lär dig då av en som kan spinna. Ej med ord du härligheten kan smycka, fastän du där finner evig lycka. Ibland är palatsdörren för mig ej ens reglad, andra gånger är den tätt förseglad.

Blir jag skrämd nej, jag kan dock ej stanna, söker båd´här och där, slår mig för min panna. Hittar jag en liten springa eller kanske hål, jag tränger igenom om så det än smärtar min bål. Genom besvärligheter många jag når palatsets borg, där mången prins regerat i både skratt och sorg. Jag trängt mig fram ibland närpå´slitits sönder mig då, om så din strävan krossar dig, det inget är att undra på. Några kommer knappast in, fast in de ändå träder, våga knacka och in sen´gå i rena nya kläder.

Kungen själv kommer ej kasta smuts på dig, så som du har hånat mig. Du avfälling, han kommer ej dig hata, på samma sätt som du mig, spindeln rata´. Nu som avslut en lära dig jag ger, tala inte längre illa, kalla mig inte ful mer. Även pissmyran har Gud visdom gett, och vi spindlar kan leda människan till himlen rätt.

Syndaren; Åh ja, min goda spindel, mina misstag jag nu ser, jag öste ovett över dig om förlåtelse jag ber. Både Ditt gift och Din skrämmande karaktär, visar klart hur vidrig syndanaturen är! Ditt listiga sätt och mörka verk de båda två förtäljer, att vi två vägar så kan gå till himmelen och helvetet, men det är vi som väljer. 

The Sinner and the spider. poem by John Bunyan.

 The Sinner and the Spider. by John Bunyan

Sinner;

What black, what ugly crawling thing art thou?

Spider;

I am a spider.

Sinner;

A spider, ay, also a filfthy creature.

Spider;

Not filthy as thyself in name and teature, my name entailed is to my creation, my features from the God of salvation.

Sinner;

I am a man, and in Gods image made, I have a soul shall neither die, nor fade. God has possessed me with human reason, speak not against me, lest though speakest treason. For I am the image of my maker, of slanders laid om me, He is partaker.

Spider;

I know thou art a creature far above me, terefore I shun, I fear and also love thee. But though thy God hath made thee such a creature, thou hast agains Him, often played the traitor. Ty sin has fetched thee down, leave off to boast; nature thou hast defiled, God´s image lost.

Yea, thou thyself a very beast hast made, and art become like grass, soon doth fade. Thy soul, thy reason, yea, thy spotless state, sin has subjected to th´most dreadful fate. But I retain my primitive condition, I´ve all but wat I lost, by thy ambition.

Sinner;

Thou venomed thing, not to call thee, the dregs of nature surely did befall thee. Thou wast made of the dross and scum of all, man hates thee; doth in scorn, thee spider call.

Spider;

My venom´s good for something, ´cause God made it, thy sin hath thy nature, doth degrade it. Of human virtues, therefore, though I fear thee, I will not, though I might, despise and jeer thee. Though say´st I am the very dregs of nature, thy sin´s the spawn of devils, ´tis no creature. Thou say´st man hated me `cause I am a spider, poor man, though at thy God art a derider.

My venom tendeth to my preservation, thy pleasing follies work out thy damnatin. Poor man, I keep the rules of my creation, thy sin has cast thee headlong from my station. I hurt nobody willingly, but thou, art a self-murderer; thou know´st not how. To do is; no thou lovest evil; thou filest God´s law, adherest to the devil.

Sinner;

Ill-shaped creature, there´s antiphathy, ´twixt man and spiders, ´tis in vain to lie. I hate thee, stand odd, if thou dost come nigh me, I´ll crush thee with my foot; i do defy thee.

Spider;

They are ill-shaped, who warped are by sin, Antipathy in thee hath long time been. To God; no marvel, then, if me, his creature, Thou dost defy, pretending name and feature. But why stand off? My presence shall not throng thee, 'Tis not my venom, but thy sin doth wrong thee.

Come, I will teach thee wisdom, do but hear me, I was made for thy profit, do not fear me. But if thy God thou wilt not hearken to, What can the swallow, ant, or spider do? Yet I will speak, I can but be rejected,
Sometimes great things by small means are effected.

Hark, then, though man is noble by creation, He's lapsed now to such degeneration, Is so besotted and so careless grown, As not to grieve though he has overthrown Himself, and brought to bondage everything
Created, from the spider to the king. This we poor sensitives do feel and see; For subject to the curse you made us be. Tread not upon me, neither from me go; 'Tis man which has brought all the world to woe,

The law of my creation bids me teach thee; I will not for thy pride to God impeach thee. I spin, I weave, and all to let thee see, Thy best performances but cobwebs be. Thy glory now is brought to such an ebb,
It doth not much excel the spider's web; My webs becoming snares and traps for flies, Do set the wiles of hell before thine eyes; Their tangling nature is to let thee see, Thy sins too of a tangling nature be.

My den, or hole, for that 'tis bottomless, Doth of damnation show the lastingness. My lying quiet until the fly is catch'd, Shows secretly hell hath thy ruin hatch'd. In that I on her seize, when she is taken, Shows secretly hell hath thy ruin hatch'd. In that I on her seize, when she is taken, I show who gathers whom God hath forsaken. The fly lies buzzing in my web to tell, thee how the sinners roar and howl in hell.

Now, since I show thee all these mysteries, How canst thou hate me, or me scandalize?

Sinner;

Well, well; I no more will be a derider, I did not look for such things from a spider.

Spider;

Come, hold thy peace; what I have yet to say, If heeded, help thee may another day. Since I an ugly ven'mous creature be, There is some semblance 'twixt vile man and me. My wild and heedless runnings are like those, Whose ways to ruin do their souls expose. Daylight is not my time, I work in th' night, To show they are like me who hate the light. The maid sweeps one web down, I make another, To show how heedless ones convictions smother; My web is no defence at all to me, Nor will false hopes at judgment be to thee.

Sinner;

O spider, I have heard thee, and do wonder A spider should thus lighten and thus thunder.

Spider;

Do but hold still, and I will let thee see Yet in my ways more mysteries there be. Shall not I do thee good, if I thee tell, I show to thee a four-fold way to hell; For, since I set my web in sundry places, I show men go to hell in divers traces. One I set in the window, that I might, Show some go down to hell with gospel light. One I set in a corner, as you see, To show how some in secret snared be. Gross webs great store I set in darksome places, To show how many sin with brazen faces; Another web I set aloft on high, To show there's some professing men must die. Thus in my ways God wisdom doth conceal, And by my ways that wisdom doth reveal.

I hide myself when I for flies do wait, So doth the devil when he lays his bait; If I do fear the losing of my prey, I stir me, and more snares upon her lay: This way and that her wings and legs I tie, That, sure as she is catch'd, so she must die. But if I see she's like to get away, Then with my venom I her journey stay. All which my ways the devil imitates To catch men, 'cause he their salvation hates.

Sinner;

O spider, thou delight'st me with thy skill! I pr'ythee spit this venom at me still.

Spider;

I am a spider, yet I can possess The palace of a king, where happiness So much abounds. Nor when I do go thither, Do they ask what, or whence I come, or whither I make my hasty travels; no, not they; They let me pass, and I go on my way. I seize the palace, do with hands take hold Of doors, of locks, or bolts; yea, I am bold, When in, to clamber up unto the throne, And to possess it, as if 't were mine own. Nor is there any law forbidding me Here to abide, or in this palace be.

Yea, if I please, I do the highest stories Ascend, there sit, and so behold the glories Myself is compassed with, as if I were One of the chiefest courtiers that be there. Here lords and ladies do come round about me, With grave demeanour, nor do any flout me For this, my brave adventure, no, not they; They come, they go, but leave me there to stay.

Now, my reproacher, I do by all this Show how thou may'st possess thyself of bliss: Thou art worse than a spider, but take hold On Christ the door, thou shalt not be controll'd. By him do thou the heavenly palace enter; None chide thee will for this thy brave adventure;

Approach thou then unto the very throne, There speak thy mind, fear not, the day's thine own; Nor saint, nor angel, will thee stop or stay, But rather tumble blocks out of the way. My venom stops not me; let not thy vice Stop thee; possess thyself of paradise. Go on, I say, although thou be a sinner, Learn to be bold in faith, of me a spinner. This is the way the glories to possess, And to enjoy what no man can express. Sometimes I find the palace door uplock'd, And so my entrance thither has upblock'd.

But am I daunted? No, I here and there Do feel and search; so if I anywhere, At any chink or crevice, find my way, I crowd, I press for passage, make no stay. And so through difficulty I attain The palace; yea, the throne where princes reign. I crowd sometimes, as if I'd burst in sunder; And art thou crushed with striving, do not wonder. Some scarce get in, and yet indeed they enter; Knock, for they nothing have, that nothing venture.

Nor will the King himself throw dirt on thee, As thou hast cast reproaches upon me. He will not hate thee, O thou foul backslider! As thou didst me, because I am a spider. Now, to conclude since I such doctrine bring, Slight me no more, call me not ugly thing. God wisdom hath unto the piss-ant given, And spiders may teach men the way to heaven.

Sinner; Well, my good spider, I my errors see, I was a fool for railing upon thee. Thy nature, venom, and thy fearful hue, Both show that sinners are, and what they do. Thy way and works do also darkly tell,
How some men go to heaven, and some to hell.

Talking about sin and repentence, important ?

Many who attend church regularly know this. But I still think that the subject should be addressed. If we go further back in time, there was a lot of talk about sin and repentance. That is not the case today, and not at the same level either. Which surprises me because that's what Jesus and the apostles actually preached about. Even John, who baptized Jesus, preached repentance for the kingdom of heaven is near.

Another aspect of this preaching of sin and repentance is that in the late hour we live in I have actually encountered those who don´t want to hear sermons on sin or even talk of sin. Why this surprises me is because today it´s hardly even preached or talked about. So where have these few heard of sin so much that it´s up to their neck.

Sin, in short, is everything we say or do that is not pleasing to God. That is why God gave us the commandments. Scripture shows us who He is and what He allows / forbids us, if we want to be called God´s children.

It's so easy to blame what we do or say on, Satan made me do it. If there´s anything that can be called a human trait, it´s blameshifting which starts already when we are really small children.

Blameshifting or take responsibility for what you have done? Most of us who are parents start by teaching the children to say sorry, because it does not come by itself. I also wanna believe that we teach children to take responsibility for what they´ve done.

So if we teach our children about what´s right and wrong, teach them to say I´m sorry and to take responsibility for what they have done; How, then, can we have such a hard time hearing about sin and repentance? We expect our children to listen to what we say, but we refuse to listen to God who created us. That´s just crazy!

There are many areas where we teach children how to act in order to become good adults. But a good adult can also make mistakes. Do most adults stop behaving well and stop saying sorry when they hurt someone? I don´t think so, not in most cases at least. The exception is if someone hurts us, then some people can go back to the caveman stage. But many non-Christians are good people from a human perspective.

Why are sin and repentance important to us? For the life of a Christian, it is a total necessity. It is necessary because;

1. We cannot be saved if we don´t ask for forgiveness and at least try to do things differently, after we´ve asked for forgiveness.
2. Continue to keep the way open between us and the God that we believe in.
3. The wages of sin is death.

We are not talking about the physical death here, but about the eternal death. Man is created in the image of God, God is an eternal being. Thus man is created for eternal life or death. Heaven or hell!

The choice we make down here affects us in a positiv or negativ way. The result is either eternal life or eternal death. It goes without saying that Satan does not want us to understand the difference. But why people wouldn´t want to understand isn´t as obvious to me. An eternity of life versus death = the result of sin versus repentance.

We already see from the beginning of the Bible, how sin creates a gap between us and God. In order for us to be pure before Him, a sacrifice of blood was needed, which was because of the evil that we humans have done, hence animal sacrifice. Then later came the real true sacrifice, Jesus, God's own son who died for all sins and opened the way to have contact with the God who created us.

God gave us commandments to show us, what's allowed and not. The commandments would probably be supported by the vast majority of people with a somewhat healthy attitude.

Ten Commandments of God Exodus 20: 1-17

So God gave us commandments to show us, what's allowed and not. The commandments would probably be supported by the vast majority of people who are somewhat healthy.

Ten Commandments of God Exodus 20: 1-17

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Nr 1 and 2 clatches big time with a lot of folks. Need to have a God over you who rules. I can do it myself, comes up in me. Our reaction many times are behaving like any 3-year-old.

3. Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy.
This commandment were made for our sakes, whatever day we shose to take frees is less important in the new testament time, we get to choose ourselves. But the idea with this is that we need to rest. Man is not made to work all the time, we need to rest too.

4. Show respect for your father and mother
In cases where they are not drunkerds, drug addicts or use the family as living beating objects, it is not a bad idea to treat mom and dad well.

5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
The vast majority of people would agree with this. If a person is unfaithful, it hurts their partner, and most people don´t wanna get hurt. I doubt there is anyone, other than those doing these things tat are ok with it.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. You shall have no desire for your neighbor's house
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

The same is true with these three, most people wouldn´t like that someone spread lies about them, they wouldn´t like if others were jealous of them However, behaving in the same way against others seems easy for many.

God has not imposed on us a lot of commandments that we cannot keep. Most of them are just things we teach our own children. So how can we have such copious difficulty in hearing the word sin? And why have we Christians bowed down and stopped talking about sin? Jesus said;

Matt 22: 37-40 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus even takes up God´s way of looking at sin;

5. Matt 5:21-22 You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

1 Joh 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

6. Matt 5:27-28 You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

8. Matt 5:33-37 You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

God goes deeper into what sin is. It´s not enough if we actually do it, just thinking certain sins and You´ve comitted them in your heart. Sin is born in our hearts, and the scripture tells us;

Jer 17:9 The heart is decietful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Sin is born in the heart, we speak it with our mouths and we´ve sinned. There is nothing supernatural or strange involved in sinning. Yet many act as if there is. The same people who teach their children to obey do not want to obey anyone but themselves. It's like we're just waiting to get big, so we can decide for ourselves.

Matt 15:10-11 And he called the people to him and said to them, Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.

Matt 15:16-20 Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.

Jesus gives it to us straight, sin is born in the heart. When we sin, whether we do not speak it or we do, repentance is necessary. Just as we teach our children to do as what they´re told, and not mimic us. The truth is that even though we are good in our own eyes, goodness isn´t always what comes out of us.

How can we refrain from talking about sin and repentance, when it is so central to our faith? This is talked about, over and over again in the scriptures. The prophets told the king and the people to repent, make amends. John the Baptist preached the same thing, Jesus and the apostles as well. In fact, if we read Christian history, sin and repentance were in the forefront, this is what was preached.

Today on te other hand, there´s no talk at all of sin and repentance. How tragically mischievous we have become. We agree with everyting because the trut is we´re to afraid of going gainst te flow. And if, contrary to expectation, we speak of sin, then homosexuality is brought up. As if that´s the ultimate sin, or the only one, for that matter. But it is only a sin among all others.

I can´t help but wonder, if a lot of Christians shose that as an example to somehow justify their own sin? A case of, I'm not as miserably fallen as that one. Maybe I'm wrong.

Sin came into the world with the fall of Adam and Eve, and it´s triving today. ´Cause of the fall, we are all sinners. If we are all sinners then why not talk about it, let people hear and have a chance to repent.

Sometimes I wonder about the 7 deadly sins of the Catholic Church, I´ve always had a hard time with that term. According to the standard list, they are; 1. pride, 2. greed, 3. anger, 4. envy, 5. lust, 6. gluttony, and 7. laziness, which contradict the seven heavenly virtues. This classification has its origins in the Desert Fathers, especially Evagrius Ponticus.

What do te bible tell us?

1 Kor 6:9-11 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Note that God actually also lists those who slander on the list of sins. How many of us Christians have ever spoken ill of someone behind their backs? But when we point out sin, then we resort to homosexuality, that which deviates properly. But according to God, we deviate even if it´s just a small thing like talking about someone behind teir back.

What are the consequences of sin? The result of sin is death, i.e. we end up in the eternal fire and are tormented forever. This terrible place was originally intended for Satan and the rest of the rebellious angels, not for us humans. Jesus died and bled for the human race.

In His wounds and the victory at Calvary there is forgiveness of sins. We just need to believe it. And Jesus took all the sins upon himself, every one of them. So forgiveness exists for everything, the whole point of mortal sins are that they are unforgivable. But Jesus explains to us;

Matt 12:31-32 Jesus sade Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

We can be forgiven of all sins, unless we blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Let us as Christians hold the banner high and speak again of sin and repentance. The subject can´t be so sensitive that we can´t even talk about it. Without sin, no forgiveness is needed, and we are not without sin. The Scripture tells us;

Rom 3:10-12 “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

We are all of the same scrap and grain, (as we would say in Sweden) all sinners, sitting in the same boat, whether we are saved or not. Their sin, who aren´t saved, is no worse than ours. If that´s what we´re imaginening, Satan has managed to dupe us real properly.

In the eyes of a holy God, we all fall short. He does not count anyone as good. Therefore, His Son Jesus needed to suffer and die in our place, so that through Jesus' sacrifice we could have eternal life. But we choose. How can we choose life or death if no one preaches it to us? We have to talk, we can not be silent. Again, the bands of our tongues must be loosened and speak of sin, forgiveness, and repentance.

I wish you the rich peace of God that transcends all understanding. Ingemo