Sin used to feel like this huge, heavy weight. It was something that would define me ...

Sin used to feel like this huge, heavy weight. It was something that would define me - a testimony to whether or not I am a worthy Christian. Growing up, I was told that sin was something to be feared, something that could cut me off from God, something that made me unworthy. If I didn’t measure up, if I messed up, I’d be separated from God.

I lived in constant fear of making mistakes, of failing to be perfect. I lived with shame because I was, of course, unable to reach perfection. I didn’t realize it then, but I was putting myself into a box where my identity became so tied to my behavior that I lost sight of the bigger picture: that God loves me even with all my imperfections.

The way we define and approach sin, especially in the church, can be incredibly damaging if we’re not careful. The church I grew up in wasn’t a place where mistakes were accepted or understood. It was a place where shame seemed to be a perpetual emotional state to stay in so you could find salvation. If you were struggling with something, if you didn’t have it all together, it was as if you didn’t belong. But the more I think about it, the more I question: What if sin isn’t the problem we’ve always made it out to be? What if there’s a better way to look at it - one that’s filled with grace, compassion, and unconditional love?

This post isn’t about dismissing the importance of sin. It’s about understanding it in a way that brings healing, not condemnation. Its about forgiving ourselves as Jesus does, and moving forward in an understanding that its impossible to be perfect. It’s about seeing ourselves as human beings who make mistakes, rather than defined by our mistakes. And it’s about finding hope in the fact that God loves us deeply and unconditionally. No matter what.

The Misunderstanding of Sin

For so many of us, sin has always felt like this list of “do’s and don’ts” that we can never quite get perfectly correct. It’s a fear-based system, one that tells us that our worth is inextricably linked to our actions. If we sin, we’re not good enough for God. If we fall short, we’re cut off from grace.

And let me tell you, that is heavy. It’s exhausting to live in a constant state of shame, thinking that every mistake makes us unworthy of love or redemption. Or maybe not every mistake, but the big ones, for sure. The ones the cause families to fall apart and churches to divide. It’s no surprise that so many of us have walked away from the church. When you’re told that you’re failing, that you’re not enough, it’s easy to think that God must be disappointed in you too.

But know this: God doesn’t love us because we’re perfect. He loves us because He created us, because we are His. No matter how many times we mess up or how big or small, God’s love for us doesn’t change. Sin is not the thing that separates us from God. Hear this: it is only the belief that sin separates us from God which actually create separation.

What If We Saw Sin Differently?

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what sin really is. It has always felt like an external thing - something we could do or avoid to either gain favor with God or lose it. But what if sin is less about a list of actions to avoid and more about a deeper issue?

In the Bible, we’re told that all sin is can separate us from God. Every wrong we commit, whether it’s a lie, an act of hate, or a judgmental thought, is just as significant in God’s eyes. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus equates anger with murder and lust with adultery (Matthew 5:21-30). It’s not about whether you sin in a “big” or “small” way - it’s all a matter of the heart, and it’s all covered by the grace of God.

Jesus taught that we have no right to judge others for their sins because we are all equally in need of God’s grace. In John 8, when a woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, He didn’t condemn her. Instead, He said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” The message was clear: We are all sinners in need of grace, and no one, no matter how “righteous” they might appear, has the right to cast judgment.

That’s been a life changing mindset shift for me: no human being has the right to define my worth based on my mistakes. And that includes the church. The church is not a place for perfect people, but for broken people who need healing and redemption.

Jesus’ Unconditional Love: The Truth That Changes Everything

What drew me back in to Christianity and what I love most about Jesus is His unconditional love. Jesus didn’t love us because we had it all together. He loved us because we were broken and in need of grace. And He didn’t just love us when we were behaving and achieving the every elusive status of “good.” He loves us through our mistakes, our failures, our doubts, and our messes. His love isn’t dependent on our actions. It’s dependent on His heart for us.

I think about all the many times I’ve failed, the times when I’ve felt like I’m too much of a mess to be loved by God, when my sins were too big for God to forgive me. And then I think about Jesus, who met people exactly where they were. He didn’t wait for them to be perfect. He came to them in their imperfection, showing them the power of love and grace.

And don’t forget, Jesus is still doing that today. He’s not waiting for us to have it all figured out before He loves us. He’s loving us right now, in the midst of our mistakes. That kind of love changes everything.

Why We Don’t Need to Be Afraid of Our Mistakes

When we realize that God loves us unconditionally, we don’t need to be afraid of our mistakes anymore. We don’t have to be held hostage in shame or guilt, thinking that we’re too far gone for God to love us. Sin doesn’t have to be a source of fear. Instead, it can be a reminder of how much we need God’s grace.

Instead of hiding from God when we sin, we can run to Him, ask for forgiveness from Him and then make sure to forgive ourselves too. We can say, “God, I messed up. But I know You still love me. I know You’re still here, and You’re going to help me learn and grow from this.” That kind of vulnerability doesn’t make us weak. It makes us open to God’s love, ready to receive the healing that He wants to offer. And it gives us the space to forgive ourselves too and release that shame and guilt.

Embracing Grace and Letting Go of Judgment

One thing I’ve learned is that grace is the key to freedom. When we understand that grace is not just something we receive but something we extend to others, we can begin to let go of judgment, both of ourselves and others. We can create spaces where people feel safe to make mistakes, knowing that their worth is not defined by their failures.

The church, at least in the way it’s often been seen by the younger generations, is in desperate need of a rebrand. It needs to be a place where people know they can come and not be judged for their mistakes, but to find love, grace, and healing. We need to build communities where people know they are welcomed, not in spite of, but because of their mistakes. Because they’re not perfect. Because none of us are. And because of that, we all need Jesus’ love and community in one imperfect human to another.

The church needs to embrace people where they are - broken, struggling, imperfect. That’s how we can begin to reclaim the people who have felt rejected by the church in the past. We are all sinners. We are all in need of grace. And none of us is beyond redemption.

Moving Forward: A New Way to Live

If we redefine sin in this manner, what does this new definition mean for us? It means we can stop living in fear. It means we can embrace our mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than evidence of our unworthiness. It means we can show up for each other, offering grace and understanding instead of judgment.

It means we can come before God with open hearts, knowing that His love is not based on our ability to be perfect, but on His ability to love us despite our imperfections.

We are all walking this journey together. None of us is without fault. But we don’t have to be afraid of our mistakes anymore. We don’t have to fear that we’re too much of a mess for God to love us. We don’t have to live in shame or guilt, worrying that we’re unworthy. Because God loves us. He loves us as we are, sin and all. And His grace is enough to transform us, heal us, and make us whole.

So, let’s stop letting sin define us. Let’s embrace the fact that we are loved unconditionally, mistakes and all. Let’s let grace define the way we see ourselves, the way we see others, and the way we see our relationship with God. Because when we do, everything changes for the better.