The Double-Effect of Sin: Guilt and Disorder

Have you ever forgiven someone in your heart, but still didn't trust them? Have you ever been forgiven of a sin, but still suffered ongoing effects of that sin? Have you ever heard that you're forgiven of your sin by God through Christ, but still felt like you had a long way to go before you were totally "whole"?

When we truly examine sin in our lives, we discover it's not merely an isolated event requiring forgiveness, but a disruptive force that disorders our entire being.

Scripture invites us to look deeper at sin's comprehensive impact and God's even more comprehensive remedy. Sin does more than leave us in "guilt," it actually disorders our souls.

 

The Dual Nature of Sin in Levitical Offerings

The book of Leviticus presents us with a sophisticated understanding of sin's effects through its sacrificial system. Hidden in the Hebrew text lies a crucial distinction between two types of offerings that address different dimensions of sin's damage: the חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭā't) and the אָשָׁם ('āšām).

The Sin Offering (חַטָּאת) - Addressing Guilt

"If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done... he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering" (Lev 4:2-3).

The Hebrew term חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭā't) derives from the root חטא (ḥṭ'), meaning "to miss the mark." This offering addresses the guilt incurred when one has violated God's commandments. The ritual centers on blood manipulation (Lev 4:5-7), indicating that atonement occurs through the offering of life-force (represented by blood) to cover the offender's guilt.

The grammatical construction in Leviticus 4:3 reveals much: וְהִקְרִ֨יב עַ֤ל חַטָּאתוֹ֙ (wĕhiqrîḇ 'al ḥaṭṭā'tô), literally "and he shall offer upon/concerning his sin." The preposition עַל ('al) indicates that the offering addresses something that stands against the person—their guilt before God.

The Guilt Offering (אָשָׁם) - Addressing Damage

While commonly translated as "guilt offering," the אָשָׁם ('āšām) more precisely addresses the damage or disorder caused by sin. Leviticus 5:14-16 states: "If anyone commits a breach of faith... he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation (אָשָׁם) a ram without blemish... and he shall make restitution for what he has done amiss" (Lev 5:15-16).

The Hebrew root אשׁם ('šm) conveys the concept of "desolation" or "damage." This offering deals with the actual disorder sin creates—both materially and spiritually. Significantly, the guilt offering frequently required restitution plus one-fifth (Lev 5:16), indicating that healing from sin demands more than restoration to the status quo; it requires a transformative surplus.

On the surface, the restitution make sense, depeding on the sin. If you steal someone's goat, and you are repentant, getting forgiven doesn't mean you get to keep the stolen goat. You still have to give it back. That's the "material damage" that sin causes. But it does spiritual damage, too... you might (or might not) be able to feel that damage, but it's real.

The renowned Leviticus scholar Jacob Milgrom observes that the 'āšām addresses sin's miasmic effect—its tendency to create a spiritual pollution requiring purification beyond simple forgiveness. The offering works to heal the damage sin has wrought in the cosmic order and in the sinner's own being.

 

The Spiritual Disorder of Sin

In the sin offering (ḥaṭṭā't), blood is applied to sacred objects in the tabernacle (Lev 4:6-7, 17-18), suggesting that sin damages not only the individual but the relationship between God and community.

The guilt offering ('āšām) typically involves more extensive reparation, indicating that sin creates disorder that must be actively healed, not merely forgiven. In Leviticus 6:1-7, when someone sins against a neighbor, they must first make material restitution before bringing their guilt offering to the Lord. The sequence is significant—healing the damage precedes the ritual of reconciliation.

Augustine recognized this disordering effect when he wrote that sin is "love of self to the contempt of God," a fundamental reordering of proper loves and priorities (De Civitate Dei, XIV.28). Sin disorders our loves, turning us inward rather than toward God and neighbor.

 

New Testament Fulfillment: Healing Beyond Forgiveness

James: Confession for Healing

James 5:16 offers a striking New Testament parallel to this dual understanding of sin: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." 

The Greek construction is revealing: ὅπως ἰαθῆτε (hopōs iathēte), "so that you may be healed." The conjunction ὅπως introduces a purpose clause—confession is not merely for forgiveness but specifically for healing. The verb ἰαθῆτε (from ἰάομαι, iaomai) primarily refers to physical healing but extends to spiritual restoration throughout Scripture.

James connects confession directly to healing, reflecting the understanding that sin creates a disorder requiring therapeutic intervention, not merely judicial pardon. This echoes the Levitical distinction between addressing guilt and healing damage.

Christ's Healing Ministry: Addressing Sin's Disorder

Jesus' healing ministry consistently connected physical restoration with spiritual renewal. In Mark 2:1-12, when Jesus heals the paralytic, he first declares, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mk 2:5). The Greek word used here, ἀφίενταί (aphientai), indicates a releasing or sending away of sins. But Jesus doesn't stop there—he proceeds to heal the man physically, demonstrating that forgiveness and healing are twin aspects of his redemptive work.

Similarly, in John 5:1-15, after healing the invalid at Bethesda, Jesus finds him later and warns, "Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you" (Jn 5:14). This suggests that sin and suffering are connected—not in a simplistic cause-effect relationship, but in a profound spiritual ecology where sin disorders human existence.

Paul: The Reordering of the Disordered Self

Paul's theology articulates how Christ not only forgives sin but heals its disordering effects. In Romans 12:2, he exhorts believers to "be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom 12:2). The Greek term μεταμορφοῦσθε (metamorphousthe) indicates a complete restructuring of one's inner being, not merely a change in legal status.

In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul describes this healing as putting off "the old self" and putting on "the new self, created after the likeness of God." The language of "new creation" in 2 Corinthians 5:17 similarly points to the comprehensive renewal Christ brings—not just forgiveness, but re-creation.

 

The Comprehensive Gospel: Forgiveness and Healing

Scripture presents salvation as a comprehensive reality that addresses both the guilt of sin and its disordering effects. The Cross accomplishes both aspects of what the Levitical sacrifices foreshadowed:

1. Christ bears our guilt, providing forgiveness: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree" (1 Pet 2:24)

2. Christ heals our disorder, bringing restoration: "By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Pet 2:24)

The original language of Isaiah 53:5 is particularly revealing: "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." The Hebrew text presents a comprehensive salvation addressing both moral guilt and the need for healing.

Let's put it plainly. Healing comes through the Body of Christ. Yes, his actual body that was crucified for us on Calvary, the same body given us in the Eucharist/Holy Communion. But as the James text shows us, healing also comes in the body of Christ, that is the body of believers. The Church is called the "body of Christ" precisely because the Church is His Bride--and together, united as one, we are one-in-flesh with our bridegroom, Jesus (see Eph. 5).

In this way, we're called to bring healing in the wake of our fellow believers' sins. We embrace one another, we help each other out, because when one part of the body aches, the entire body agonizes. Even using the metaphor of the human body, if you think about it, God heals us primarily by His design. He created our bodies to heal themselves. 99% of what medical doctors do isn't actually healing, directly, they do things (whether that's with a drug, a surgery, or another treatment) that help trigger the body's natural ability to heal itself.

Make no mistake. When the body heals itself--I'll say it again--it's still God healing us, because it's God's design that enables the body to heal. That's how God built his "Mystical Body," the church, too. He designed it to heal itself. In that way, when we speak healing words to each other, when our pastor or priest speaks healing words, we can hear those words as from Christ Himself. Why? Because as the church we are His body.

But isn't the Church the "bride" of Christ? Not actually Christ? Well, yes. But we are one-in-flesh. If my bride/wife signs my checks, they're good. Because she's my wife, she has the authority to sign my checks, to use my bank account, and the like. As the Church, Jesus has given us the ability to do what he does for each other, to speak forgiveness, to speak healing, so that when we embrace one another it's as though He's embracing us with his very pierced hands.

It's a beautiful thing. It isn't obvious to a lot of us, probably because in the West we're highly individualistic and we tend to think about our relationship with Jesus as a "personal relationship," and that's not totally wrong. We do have a personal relationship with Jesus, but it's a relationship that Jesus wants us to experience as His body, with one another.

 

In Jesus' name,

Judah