The Encourager
“Is Sin Contagious? - by Jeff Curtis”
Is Sin Contagious?
By Jeff Curtis
A person who had the kind of leprosy described in Leviticus 13 was unclean but not sinful. But leprosy provides a good analogy for sin. Just as leprosy contaminated what it touched and eventually killed those it affected, sin contaminates and ultimately destroys those who practice it.
Comparing leprosy to sin raises a question. Leprosy was apparently contagious; otherwise, the precautions taken to isolate one who had the disease would make little sense. We can ask, then, “Is sin contagious?” Can a person “catch” sin, or become infected with sin, by associating with someone who is a sinner? The answer to that question is both a definite “No” and a qualified “Yes.”
The First Answer. The first answer to the question is “No,” in the sense that the guilt is sin cannot be passed from one person to another. Ezekiel 18 teaches that neither the practice not the guilt of sin is passed from father to son. Adam’s guilt was not, therefore, passed to the rest of the human race. The fact that men like Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon could live among sinners and maintain their righteousness proves that a sinful environment doesn’t automatically make an individual sinful. People become sinners because they sin, not because they associate with those who sin.
The Jews in Jesus’ day failed to understand that fact. They criticized Jesus for associating with sinners, as if to say that His relationship with such people defiled Him and made Him a sinner too. We know otherwise, of course; He associated with sinners and even became their friend so that He could save them.
The same is true today. Christians should not be concerned that they will “catch” another’s sinfulness b associating with them. In fact, if Christians don’t spend some time with sinners, they will have no opportunity to lead them to Christ.
The Second Answer. In another sense, sin may be thought of as contagious. It definitely spreads. Individuals, groups, and societies seem to go from bad to worse. Sin multiplies; the sins of some motivate others to sin. Christians should fight this tendency – first by not urging others to sin.
A more serious problem, though, is that sin may be contagious if we allow close friends to and associates to influence us to sin. Paul expressed the idea this way; “Bad company corrupts good morals” (1Cor. 15:33). We need to do our best to lead sinners to Christ, but we need to avoid putting ourselves in situations that allow our friends to lead us into sin.
Finally. Is sin contagious, like leprosy? No, no one becomes a sinner by inheriting sin’s guilt or by touching sinners. The answer however, could become “Yes” if we allow our friends to influence us to sin.
The good news is that Christ came to save sinners. He can take away our sin if we will turn to Him for salvation.Is Sin
