Knowledge of Sin

We need, in fasting, a life of purity. God created Adam and Eve in His image, in complete purity—a purity we have not reached and will not reach in this world.

Adam and Eve did not know sin at all; they knew only good. Then they began to know sin…

Knowledge of Sin

Before eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were pure, knowing only good… They did not know what evil was. They were simple, not yet having entered into this frightening duality, that is, good and evil…

Thus, the first problem that disturbed the purity of الإنسان (man) was the knowledge of evil.

God knew that the knowledge of evil harms الإنسان, so He kept it away from him. But the serpent, knowing the danger of this knowledge to الإنسان, invited them to the tree of knowledge and said to them:

“On the day you eat, your eyes will be opened… and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”

And indeed, the eyes of الإنسان were opened, and he knew evil, and this knowledge wearied him…

His outlook began to change, and he felt shame, so he covered himself. And his pure mind began to receive thoughts that had not been in it before… and Adam “knew” Eve—a sexual knowledge that had never been in his thoughts before…

The knowledge of evil is what the wise man spoke of: “He who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” Truly, there are things that, after a person knows them, he cries out in pain and bitterness: “I wish I had not known this”…

I wish my eyes had not been opened; I wish I had not understood these matters… This knowledge has introduced into my mind thoughts I cannot get rid of, and has imprinted in my subconscious things that trouble me whenever I remember them…

My eyes have been opened to matters whose knowledge harmed me, and whose images shattered me! Be wise and discerning; do not care about people’s reproach when they say you are “naive” or “closed.” It is better for you to stay away from all kinds of knowledge that harm you, that enter your heart with feelings and sensations, and stir in you instincts and desires.

There are people who strive with all their power to know evil that harms them, whether through readings, scenes, or information they hear. In all this, they carve deep lines in their subconscious, storing information that returns to them as thoughts, suspicions, doubts, dreams, or appears in their hearts as lusts and desires…

This store in their subconscious brings forth images and feelings… how much the subconscious brings out, new and old, from what it has stored! Therefore, if you want a life of purity, stay away from the knowledge of evil.

And if you have previously known things that harm you, do not continue the path. Do not add anything new, and try to forget what you have known by not using it.

Do not think about this information, nor use it. And if you remember it, try to replace it with other information, so it is erased through lack of use…

For this reason, the Scripture says: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Why? Because it introduces harmful knowledge along with feelings and sensations.

For the same reason, you are commanded: “Do not sit in the seat of the scornful.” And the seat of the scornful does not mean only people, but also images and readings.

Through the knowledge of evil, you find that الإنسان has changed; new things have entered him!

This knowledge may be superficial in some, and very deep in others, sometimes leading them into another kind of knowledge—experiential.

Here, الإنسان develops from knowing sin to experiencing it… Here, it is not limited to intellectual knowledge but comes into contact with sin, entering into its taste and experience. Either he accepts it or struggles with it. He may succeed or fail.

Therefore, fleeing from sin is better than struggling with it.

When the righteous Joseph fled, he saved himself and did not fall. Thus, when you flee, Satan tries to bring you back into his domain by accusing you of fear and describing your escape as cowardice. Do not care, and do not let Satan’s words provoke you. Fleeing shows your purity and your rejection of sin.

The angel said to Lot: “Do not stand anywhere in the plain. Escape for your life.”

And one of the saints said: when you approach the matter of sin, two demons fight you—one from within and one from without. But when you are far from it, only one fights you: desire.

Why do you approach sin and place yourself in a struggle where your will may weaken and you fall?!

Why waste your life in struggle?!

Thus, before us are stages: knowledge of sin, contact with it, and struggle with it.

The Lord said to Cain: “Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Gen 4:7). But Cain, after ruling over it, was ruled by sin… he was defeated in the struggle.

At the beginning of your contact with sin, your will may be strong. But by remaining in its domain, sin may surround you, weaken your will, and subdue you.

Like a person at the beginning of smoking, saying he can quit at any time—but if he continues, he cannot.

Or like someone exposed to toxic gas who can escape at first; but if he remains and is surrounded, he can no longer move… Therefore, it is better to stay away so your will remains strong and you do not fall.

More difficult than falling into sin is reaching the love of sin. A person may fall, yet rise against his weakness, regret, and repent. Sin may have subdued his will, but his heart is still sound and loves God. Therefore, sin tries to take over his heart… so that he loves sin.

And the one who loves sin finds repentance difficult. He does not want to leave it because he loves it. And if he leaves it, he quickly returns… Worse than loving sin is desiring it.

Then he seeks it, after it had been seeking him. Sin may flee from him, and he runs after it, seeking it with all his heart.

He may desire sin and not find it, turning from desire to burning passion. He progresses from submission to sin to slavery to it. Sin becomes like a habit, like a nature!

This is the worst state to which a person descends from the knowledge of sin. Here, Satan no longer fights him; rather, he destroys himself. Indeed, he begs Satan to grant him an opportunity to sin!

Since the progression reaches this point, let us flee from the first step, which is the knowledge of sin, and try to forget what we have known.

When we pray, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow,” we do not only mean cleansing from sin and its love, but also from its knowledge.

We ask God to make us forget everything we have known about sin, to purify our thoughts, cleanse the subconscious and memory from all that has been recorded and settled in them, and purify the heart and senses from the remnants of past experiences…

I think that this complete purity from the knowledge of sin will be attained in eternity, when we return to the simplicity of the first Adam, knowing only good, and all connection with sin is cut off—its desires, thoughts, struggles, and even its knowledge…

Perhaps this is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said: “…Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only…” (2 Tim 4:8).

Then our experiences with sin in the world will seem like a disturbing dream from which we have awakened in eternity and completely forgotten…

But on earth, may it be that whenever the Lord washes us in repentance, we do not return again to a life of sin with its painful experiences…

And if we cannot attain the “crown of righteousness” in this present time, let us obtain what we can—not from our own righteousness, which is defiled, but from the righteousness of Christ, which He grants us by His Holy Spirit.

 An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – in El-Keraza Magazine – Year Eight (Issue Eleven), 18-3-1977

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