Without revelation people run wild,
but one who follows divine instruction will be happy. (Proverbs 29:18)
Discipline. Just the word can bring up feelings of defensiveness or stress or superiority. Were you the child who couldn’t stay out of trouble? Or the one who got away with things? Or the sibling who tattled? Being disciplined can feel frustrating or shameful, but parents and teachers know there is a healthy role for discipline to guide immature, young people into ways of living that bring shalom – a healthy, fulfilling, enjoyable interaction with God, other people, creation, and ourselves.
But once we become adults, there are few people in a position to discipline us. It’s much easier to sidle away from good habits, dabble with unhealthy things, and tell ourselves it’s not that big of a deal (Gen 4:7). What’s the harm in trying to win that argument, indulging in that dehumanizing show, wasting time at work, or putting off helping that person until later? These things won’t lead straight to the Big Sins, but they do reveal something about what’s important to us, indicating how much we care about what pleases God and is good for us and others.
At the simplest level, sin is something that causes estrangement between a person who harms and the one(s) they have harmed. Although it’s tempting to sweep sin under the rug, consequences push us to take it seriously (Heb 12:4-11). Part of God’s mission in this world is to show us that harm we’ve caused AND provide ways to admit it, resolve to change, and bring healing to those involved. Even though the Lord Jesus never sinned, He still modeled for us how to submit to discipline (Lk 2:51-52, 1 Pet 2:21-23) and confess our sin to God (Mt 6:12-13).
Part of this model includes being transparent with wise, trustworthy people who can provide discipline to us adults (Jms 5:16, 1 Jn 1:9). This isn’t about image management and token apologies; it’s about encouragement to live in a way befitting a follower of the Lord Jesus, practicing love and striving for justice with humbleness and integrity (Mic 6:8, Jms 2). When we choose to live the way God directs about the Big Sins and the not-so-big-a-deal things, we will mature and our behavior will align with what we say we believe, bringing shalom to ourselves and others that reflects God’s loving goodness (1 Pet 2:12).