Biblical Criticism – Why Do People Still Sin Even After the Coming of Christ
In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III answers a common question:
If Christ came to save humanity from sin, why do people still sin?
He explains that Christ came to free humanity from the penalty of sin and to grant the power to overcome it, but He did not abolish human freedom, which remains an essential divine gift.
Salvation from Penalty and Action:
The Pope explains Christ’s work in two aspects:
-
Regarding the penalty: Christ offered Himself as a redemptive sacrifice, freeing humanity from death.
-
Regarding the act: He gave people the grace and spiritual strength to resist sin — through the Holy Spirit, new birth, and renewed nature in baptism — yet each person remains free to accept or reject this grace.
Freedom and Responsibility:
God never cancels one grace by another. The grace of freedom remains, because it makes humans in the image and likeness of God.
If freedom were abolished, there would be no reward or judgment. Thus, sin continues because people freely choose it.
Example from Jesus’ Words:
Jesus said: “How often I wanted to gather your children… but you were not willing.” This shows that God offers grace, but humans may refuse it. Christ did not come to remove sin by force but to give the way and the power to overcome it.
The Wheat and the Tares:
The parable of the wheat and tares illustrates this: good and evil grow together until the harvest day, meaning until the Last Judgment. Evil remains for now, but will end in God’s appointed time.
The Final Victory:
At Christ’s Second Coming, sin will be abolished completely. The righteous will enter the heavenly Jerusalem, where “there shall be no more death, nor sin.” Then Christ will hand over the Kingdom to the Father, and God will reign perfectly over all.
Faith Message:
Christ came not to take away human freedom but to redeem and empower it. Sin remains because some reject grace, but those who accept it live in victory over sin and await the day when sin will vanish forever in God’s eternal kingdom.
“For better translation support, please contact the center.
