SIN AND CRIME | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 20, 1898

SIN AND CRIME.

There is an important distinction to be made between sin and crime, a distinction which is becoming fast obliterated, and which it pleases the devil to efface. A right knowledge of this difference must lie at the basis of all true reform methods.

“Sin,” says an apostle, “is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. “All unrighteousness is sin.” 1 John 5:17. “The thought of foolishness is sin.” Prov. 24:9. In its etymological signification in both Hebrew and Greek it signifies missing the mark. From this and the above scriptures it will be seen that it embraces all wrong-doing in deed or thought. The standard is God’s perfect law, which is the reflect, or expression in words, of His character. The glory of God is His character or goodness. Ex. 33:18, 19. To miss that perfect standard is to miss the mark, to sin. This all have done; “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. “They are all gone out of the way.” Verse 12. “There is none righteous [that is, by nature with the righteousness of God], no, not one.” Verse 10.

This is sin, pertaining not only to outward deed, to overt act; but to the thought and motive which beget and conceive the act. This little word of three letters includes in its wonderful scope even the disposition to sin, or the desire and proneness to depart from God’s perfect standard.

Crime is the open transgression of statute law, upon which judgment may lawfully be passed if the crime be proved. It refers not to motive, only as motive is manifest in outward act. For example, two men may equally covet a bag of coin, and may desire to appropriate the same to their own use unlawfully. The one has not the courage to take the coin. The other has the courage, and steals the money. Both were equally guilty in the desire and motive, but it is patent to all that the law could have no jurisdiction over the former, while it would condemn the latter as a criminal. One would pass in society as “a good moral man,” but in God’s sight both are sinners. Again, A and B hate C with intense and bitter hatred. A fears nothing and takes the life of C. B wishes C dead, and would kill him did he not fear being found out and himself punished. Human law would hold A for the crime of murder, but could not in anywise condemn B. Yet before God both are condemned sinners. God’s precept, “Thou shalt not kill,” is so broad and spiritual that it covers not only the culminating act, but the root motives and thoughts which lead to the deed; for “whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.” 1 John 3:15.

Man’s law, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” covers only the overt act of unlawful union of the sexes, but God’s law, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” condemns the lustful thought which leads to the deed. “I say unto you,” says Jesus, “that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matt. 5:28.

All crimes that are the transgression of God’s law are sins. They are not sins because they are crimes, but they are sins because they transgress in thought and deed the holy, just, good, and spiritual law of God. See Rom. 7:12, 14. But as previously shown all sins are not crimes, nor are they criminal. It is not too much to say that men in high positions legally and judicially are lecherous, covetous, cruel men, tho man knows it not; but they are not criminals. The human penal code has no authority over them.

Neither are all crimes sinful. Crime is made by human law, and human law may be wrong. This has been frequently the case, as all history will attest. We need turn only to Sacred History for examples. It was a crime for the three Hebrew young men to disobey the order of King Nebuchadnezzar, that all at a given signal should fall down and worship a great golden image, under penalty of being burnt alive. The three young worshipers of Jehovah disobeyed, were condemned, and according to law cast into the furnace of fire. They were adjudged and condemned criminals, but in committing the crime they did not sin. In fact, to obey the law of the land would have made them sinners. See the account in Daniel 3.

In the sixth chapter of the same book is another similar instance. Darius made a law that for thirty days none should offer public worship to any being save himself. To obey that law was to sin against God. To disobey it was to commit a crime. Daniel committed the crime, but did not sin against God. He could have saved himself from crime only by committing sin.

Once again: the Jewish rulers commanded the apostles to teach no more in the name of Jesus. God had told them to preach and teach in His name. When the test came, the brave, true-hearted men preferred to be counted criminals rather than sinners before God, and answered, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29; 4:19.

But the Jews of that day supposed it to be sin to disobey their laws and traditions. They said of Jesus, “This Man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath day.” But the only thing that Jesus transgressed was not the law of the Sabbath, the law of God, but the Jewish tradition, mere human interpretation of the Sabbath law. He was, according to their law, a criminal; He was in the sight of God sinless.

History is repeated to-day. Men interpret the Sabbath law to mean the first day of the week, instead of the seventh, as God gave it. They construe the sabbath to begin at midnight, while the Lord gave it from sunset to sunset. These interpretations of men have in most States been crystallized into statute law. It is a crime to transgress that law, and work on Sunday, but in the sight of God it is not sin; nor has God anywhere set men up to determine what sin is, and the penalty which is its due; for the simple reason that they can not. Men may make, by unjust and unholy law, criminals, but let them be careful that these laws do not from fear of penalty compel men to sin. In that case the State sets itself against God. It may persecute God’s people, but at the last it will simply be ground to powder.

The true object of reform is not to save men from crime, but from sin. The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not propose to save men from crime, only as it saves from sin. It will, if applied by faith, save not only from the commission of sin, but from the disposition to sin. It will take a heart that loves sin and by the divine alchemy of the Gospel it will transmute it into a heart which loves righteousness, not because of the vengeance of an overhanging sword of justice, but because of the love of Jesus Christ. This is the only true reformation. It can not be accomplished by law, but must be wrought, if at all, by the power of God through faith and love.