Sin is rebellion against God, and it is a terrible idea for a creature to try and frustrate the will of its maker (clay pots don’t tell their potters off! [Rom. 9:20–21]). Nothing good will ever come of it. In fact, sin destroys those who indulge in it. Our motivation to not sin comes not from fear of punishment (1 John 4:18) but out of gratitude for what God has done for us in Christ and our love for him and our neighbor. Grateful people do not want to disappoint their Maker and Redeemer.
John Bolt was born in the Netherlands; immigrated to Canada at the age of three; grew up in a sleeping village south of Vancouver, British Columbia. He is retired professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan; his favorite movie is The Sting; favorite smells are food smells, especially bakery (cinnamon rolls!!); favorite color is green; his first (paid) job was delivering a morning newspaper, The Vancouver Province (up at 5:00 AM); non-academic passions: watching sports, especially my grandkids, reading novels, especially good mystery novels.
