Spirituality and sin

Calvinism is often described as a heavy, somber tradition with much emphasis on sin. It is true that Calvin wrote much about sin. And it is also true that certain forms of Calvinism have a very somber character. And it is equally true that one can become unbalanced and even pathological about sin and its dark hold on one’s life.

But then one should understand Calvin’s comments on sin within his spirituality. It happens, for example, that one may “knows” about one's sin without challenging it. Often believers live with sin, accept it, rationalize it and even accommodate it in some way or other. We tend to play down the destructive role of sin in our lives.

It is in the nature of sin that it makes one “hard” or “insensitive” for that which separates us from God.

Against this relativizing of sin, Calvin stresses that one should not only have an awareness of sin, but one should also feel contrition and remorse. One can talk much about sin without being transformed from it. Spirituality reflects an awareness of one’s own lack of holiness and of one’s own sinfulness. From this perspective, one cannot reflect enough about sin.

Whilst one can have an unhealthy, even pathological fascination with sin, one can also fall in the trap not to understand how one's inner worth is being destroyed by forces of evil which one allows in your life.