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 

The Blind Men

John 9

By Jeff Curtis

In John 9 we read the story of the man who was blind from birth. When we get to verses 39-41, we see the story isn’t quite finished. Jesus had contrasted the physically blind beggar who had come to faith and the spiritually blind Pharisees who refused to believe in Him. Even as the man had progressed toward the Light, Christ’s enemies had withdrawn further into darkness.

It was suggested earlier in the text that the Lord had found the healed man in a public place. The name Jesus was already on every tongue (Jn. 7:12), and now word had spread about the man who had been expelled (Jn. 9:35). The two notorious characters together in one place must have drawn a crowd, which included those who were seeking Christ’s life, the very ones who had cast out the beggar a short time before (Jn. 9:40).

Christ turned to the crowd and said, “For judgement I came into this world” (Jn. 9:35a). The reason He had come into the world was to save sinners (Jn. 3:17; 12:47; Lk. 19:10), but one result of His coming would be, judgment (Jn. 5:22; 12:48). Light not only illuminates; it also exposes.

He continued, giving this reason for His coming; “So that those who do not see may be see, and those who see may become blind” (Jn. 9:39b). The Lord was using a play on words, contrasting physical blindness with spiritual blindness. He had come so that He might cause the physically blind to see. At the same time, He had come to expose the spiritual blindness of those who claimed to have special spiritual insight.

The Pharisees who were listening suspected that He might be referring to them. They spoke up, “We are blind too, are we?” (Jn. 9:40). In other words, they were exclaiming, “Surely, You are not talking about us!” Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains” (Jn. 9:41). He was continuing His play on words. In effect, He told the religious leaders, “If you were physically blind, this would not affect your relationship with God; but as long as you refuse to admit your spiritual blindness, there is no hope for you.”

As terrible as physical blindness is, it of no consequence compared to spiritual blindness. One of the requirements for being God-approved is an honest heart (Lk. 8:15). We must love truth (2Thess. 2:10). We must approach the Word with humility (James 1:21). We must be aware of distorting the Scriptures because of our preconceptions (2Peter 3:16). Someone has said, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.”

We are told what happened to the man who received his sight. Considering the consequences of being put out of the synagogue, his later life would not have been easy, but his confrontation with the Pharisees had resulted in firm conviction.