Can sinners transform into saints? Is it possible to shed the weight of our sins and return to a state of pure righteousness, standing as virtuous as someone who has never sinned in all his days? This essay explores an unconventional approach to complete repentance, one that demands great courage, inner strength, and a willingness to confront the profound suffering arising from one’s sins.
Our past actions, both virtuous and malevolent, bind us tightly. Consciously or not, these transgressions wield immense influence over our thoughts and behaviors. The burden of the past often obstructs personal transformation. Even when the desire for change is fervent, the remnants of past convictions continue to mold our worldviews, ensnaring our souls.
In a previous essay (accessible here), we delved into the concept of dissociating from past sins and distancing the current self from the former self. While effective in alleviating the burden of sin’s immoral effects on the soul, this approach can come at the cost of one’s agency and self-esteem, resulting in a different form of burden. It necessitates a sacrifice of the self. Therefore, we seek an alternative route that allows for transformation without repudiation, a form of repentance that doesn’t itself constitute a sin against the self.
Can we truly change while retaining our sense of agency and pride, without renouncing our old selves?
Indeed, there is another way. At its core, this approach involves accepting one’s sins as the evil they are and willingly bearing the burden of their deleterious effects. Unlike the previous approach, which evades the evil of sin, this method compels us to confront our sins head-on, acknowledging their harm and peril. Instead of avoiding the evil which is sin, one engages with his sin as the harmful and dangerous misfortune it truly is. Paradoxically, this engagement liberates us from the negative effects of sin and even offers a source of pride and greatness.
Understanding the mechanism whereby sin entraps the sinner will reveal how embracing its negative effects opens a virtuous path of escape from its vise.
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