Sin Insurance

The Apostle says "let sin not reign in your body" (Rom 6:12).

Chrysostom, in his 11th Homily on Romans, writes regarding this:

It is possible even for one with a mortal body not to sin. Do you see the abundancy of Christ’s grace? For Adam, though as yet he had not a mortal body, fell. But thou, who hast received one even subject to death, canst be crowned. How then, is it that “sin reigns?” he says. It is not from any power of its own, but from thy listlessness. Wherefore after saying, “let it not reign,” he also points out the mode of this reigning, by going on to say “that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” For it is not honor to concede to it (i.e. to the body) all things at will, nay, it is slavery in the extreme, and the height of dishonor; for when it doth what it listeth, then is it bereft of all liberties; but when it is put under restraints, then it best keeps its own proper rank.

So, for St. Chrysostom, sin is not an evil apocalyptic power with an ontological life of its own, but simply human action that caters to the body’s desires. What he says casts in one more light the slavery that wealth is. For to most, wealth is a good. But what Chrysostom says implies that the great jobs that we seek, the comfortable homes we scratch and claw for, the fine food and drink we consume, the fences we build around our possessions, the insurance policies we take out on everything from our cars to our pets, the prudence we exercise in separating ourselves from any hint of danger – in short, the comfortable, safe and secure life we are so lauded for at least trying to provide for ourselves in the name of prudence and foresight - this life is all built up to protect the desires of the body, as John says to “willingly concede all things to it." And it is simply slavery to the passions. For this is a life spent ensuring the gratification of the very body of sin that God sent his son to condemn (Rom 8:3). Houses, cars, security, privacy, bank accounts, insurance, tenure – all these castles we spend our lives building function only to secure the continued satisfaction of that from which our Savior died to deliver us.

But we keep insisting, in the name of responsibility, on such dying.

We keep insisting on purchasing such sin insurance.

“But see the abundance of Christ’s grace!”

“For if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live.” (Rom 8:13)