The "Web of Sin" and the "Net of Grace"

While we are on the subject of community, let's go over another important reason why we must have a Church Community. That is, the hamartiological (The Study of Sin) principle which is what I call the catholicity of sin or the "web of sin." I define it as the fact that sin is transmitted back and forth between individuals through social behavior and communication. I give credit to Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, author of Love & Respect for the development of this principle.

Emerson gives the concept for husbands and wives of the "Crazy Cycle." What that means is based on Ephesians 5, husbands who lack respect tend to act unloving towards their wives; Wives who lack love tend to act disrespectfully towards their husbands, and thus it goes back and forth between them. With his other two cycles, I thought, "If this is taken from what Eph 5 says about marriage, then it must be the same with the other household relationships, children and parents and servants and masters." And then sometime after that I realized that every relationship, friend and friend, pastors and members, citizens and government officials, movie producers and movie viewers, authors and book readers, etc. is based on the same principle.

Here's an oversimplified diagram: ("Not Committed" means not following Christ wholeheartedly.) 

"Web of Sin" Diagram, Oversimplified

When you are able to think like this, it makes sense why individualism fails. It makes sense why our society is in shambles. It makes sense why our churches and families are ensnared in apathy and pessimism. 

Individualism fails because bad company corrupts good character. An optimistic person surrounded by pessimistic people will wear down and became ineffective in his/her example. A hard worker surrounded by sluggards will lose competence in his work.   

Now an person uncommitted to faithful Christian service may say, "Well, if that is the case, I better cut myself off from all relationships. I'd stop attending church so that they can progress in sanctification.  I'd stay away from friends that pursue life with purpose." However, Satan is on the assault here as well. If this person hypothetically were to carry this through, the church would be discouraged that a person departed from them, sowing a seed for despair in the congregation. This person after he or she leaves will nosedive into despair because he/she has cut him/herself from the special presence of God and he/she refuses to serve Christ and kill sin cheerfully and faithfully. The web of sin cannot be escaped by human means, it is interwoven in everything we do. 

Now if we stop here, we will descend into fatalism. "Well, nobody cares about Jesus anymore. There's nothing I can do about it. I might as well sit back and watch the world deteriorate around me!" God has not left us in this web. He gave us the Lord Jesus Christ to free us from this bondage. His Spirit enables us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We don't have to pursue sin, we are free from it. He brings His people to His church to learn how to live to Christ. All this brings about is a "net of grace," every person in doing their new pleasure in Christ encouraging each other to do what they were made to do. Emerson calls that the "Energizing Cycle." After that, hopefully we mature and serve each other regardless how each other respond to us. That is called the "Rewarding Cycle." We are not to be alone in our quest for higher pleasure; And that is why we need a robust, Christ-centered community.