The distinction between active sin and the potential for evil

"Sin is lawlessness." If, therefore, one has sinned, he has in a certain way lawlessness; but he speaks of two things. For by a connective conjunction, he has shown that there are two. Then: "and sin is lawlessness." Sin is a genus of lawlessness; for he was saying that lawlessness is a species, when the one doing evil does not have law. And this is also called sin: the transgression or violation of the law, which I called lawlessness. It is like saying: "everyone having a horse has an animal"; the animal is a genus. Not everyone having an animal has a horse, but he having a horse has an animal. He who has the species has the genus. Thus also here he speaks, as if he were speaking of the same lawlessness and sin. But in thought there is a difference, because one is general and the other is in part; one is genus and the other is species; for he said that the name of sin lies both against transgression and against lawlessness.

Therefore both kinds sin: "for as many as sinned lawlessly" (Ps 51:2). Behold, these who are without law, they sin. "And as many as sinned in law": these are those having wisdom, having transgressions of the law. Both "sinned." But the forgiveness of lawlessness happens when the divine law, the spiritual one, the one "turning back souls," holds the lawless ones. Then the lawlessnesses are forgiven. And I say thus, the forgiveness of sins does not happen immediately. Jesus forgives if he says: "the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins" (Matt 9:6). And: "Child, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5); for he does not say: "Behold, your sins have been forgiven I." He has given a power that is making new. And the energy having come to pass destroyed the evil. Therefore those whose sins were forgiven are blessed. Consequently, they return to the blameless law of God which turns back souls.

Thus the forgiveness of sins happens when the divine law according to the gospel comes; for this is the "spiritual law" by which souls are turned back, as I said. And those sins which come to pass through transgression of the law and are added, have a covering. The sins are covered. But it is impossible for those baptized once to again find the bath. They are covered through works of repentance. But you say that the sins, having been covered, are saved. Not "love," he says, "but...

Does it love remove a multitude of sins? For it does not utterly annihilate sins, but in another way; for he who performs works of love performs them. For no one who shows love toward a neighbor speaks against him, insults him, or acts unjustly. But when he does this, he lacks love toward him.

All these things are examined not as being currently active, not because they are hidden as if they were destined, but because the arriving love has hidden those things, that is, it has departed from them, it has cast them out. And if one must speak briefly, the arriving love stops the sin in its active state, leaving the potential for sin remaining. If anything is examined, it is the activity; for example, the repentant robber had sin in activity; he had repentance; the Savior gave him remission; the activities according to which he had lived were cast away. But the potentials remain, and they are examined.

For one must not pay attention to those who say that evil is a deprivation. There are some, and indeed a whole heresy of the Stoics, saying this: 'It is impossible for one who has cast away virtue to take it up again.' Just as it is impossible for one who has lost sensation to take it back, and therefore through this blindness and deafness are a deprivation, so they reason concerning virtue. But to us, who are simpler, and rather more unlearned, they say that there is no longer such a thing; for they say that there is no repentance after these things, no taking up of virtue again, but the evil remains for ever and brings appropriate punishment.

Therefore, sins are examined in the way I have said; they pass into potentiality; for it is blessed to have the potential for evil. Opposites do not coexist. He who has virtue in activity has the potential for evil, and this is a blessed thing. Therefore, one must not have virtue in potential, but in activity. For this reason also, God from the beginning, having made man 'in image and likeness' (Gen 1:26) of himself and 'upright,' just as the good was in potential, immediately also gave a law to prevent sin, so that sin might always remain in potential.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Ps 32:2), nor is there deceit in his mouth (Ps 31:13). Paul took this regarding those of the circumcision and regarding the Gentiles; 'this blessedness,' he says, 'is upon the...'