Loving Your Neighbor?

Sin seems like a simple concept. If you do wrong, that is sin. The Christian response should be to repent and refrain from repeating the sin. At one level that works. At another, sin is much more complex and nuance. While it is true that personal repentance and restoration are necessary, dealing with other people in areas where we are prone to sin calls for more than just dealing with our sins and moving on. It requires, in addition to repentance when called for, changing the focus of our concern from our own state to considering the best interests of the other person or persons involved. Lauren Winner is addressing this next step in our relationships in the following quote from Real Sex. She pulls our thinking away from us to others as she challenges us to “…consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3b)

How do we determine when our behavior toward others is proper? Winner, speaking of sexual ethics to a young woman regarding dating, said the following. The truth in her words apply to many other areas of our lives – gossip about, giving to, and judging others to name a few.

“I’m not sure … that the question you should be asking is At what point, precisely, did I sin? You may want to be asking if your behavior was prudent, loving, or wise. You may want to ask at what point you loved your neighbor.” (Theologian Christopher West puts the question this way: “Is this … behavior an authentic sign of Christ’s love, or is it not?”)


From Real Sex: the Naked Truth About Chastity by Lauren F. Winner