JACKSON, Tenn. — Jan. 4, 2005 — A cultural change in the understanding of sin means Christians now face new challenges in sharing the gospel, according to 黑料论坛 professor Hal Poe.
Poe, the Charles Colson Professor of Christian Studies, addresses these challenges in his new book, 鈥淪ee No Evil: The Existence of Sin in an Age of Relativism,鈥� published by Kregel Publications.
鈥淔or centuries people in the west have understood what sin was,鈥� Poe said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e lived in a culture where Christianity had made its mark. Even if you didn鈥檛 believe in God or have faith in Christ, you knew the vocabulary. All that鈥檚 changed.鈥�
For much of the last century, Christians talked about sin as a legal matter of breaking the rules. But now, Poe said, when people don鈥檛 believe the rules anymore, there is no sin.
鈥淪o we have a situation in which sin is no longer thought of as a reality,鈥� he said. 鈥淐hristians have a challenge in explaining to our culture what it means to be saved from sin. If that鈥檚 what Christianity is about 鈥� a savior 鈥� then what is sin?鈥�
Poe, the author of seven books and two more forthcoming, argues in 鈥淪ee No Evil鈥� that today鈥檚 culture is one of relativism in which people don鈥檛 believe in absolutes 鈥� there鈥檚 no right and wrong, there鈥檚 only feelings. What鈥檚 right for one person may be wrong for another.
鈥淲hen C.S. Lewis wrote 鈥楳ere Christianity鈥� in the 1940s, his whole approach is the moral argument for the existence of God,鈥� Poe said. 鈥淲e have this sense of right and wrong, and we have this evident evil in the Nazi attempt to conquer the world. He had a great advantage, because people during World War II understood what evil was. His argument made sense.鈥�
Now, however, Christians no longer have that advantage. Thus, Poe鈥檚 book is 鈥渁n effort to reintroduce people to the concept of sin, not as breaking the rules but as falling short of the glory of God.鈥�
The book deals with what sin is, how people experience it and how Christ deals with the different ways that sin affects people鈥檚 lives.
鈥淓veryone experiences the affects of sin,鈥� Poe said. 鈥淭he problem is most people don鈥檛 know that sin is what they鈥檙e experiencing. They will experience sin and not know what it is. Conversations with people about what鈥檚 bothering them are an avenue to share the gospel.鈥�