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Recent issues of Christianity Today have carried ads for seminars and conferences on church leadership, justice, economic development, Christians in the marketplace, preaching and C.S. Lewis. Nothing about sin.

Sin might be called our dirty secret, considering how we try not to confront and provoke the world with the idea. President Bush got clobbered for talking about an “axis of evil.”

We can crow like morning roosters against various sins afflicting our world. But we are largely tongue-tied when it comes to talking about sin like the apostle Paul did in Romans 6-7, for example. We expend considerable amounts of missionary energy and money fighting sins that plague people around the world. The church stands against horrendous sins that cause so much hardship and suffering. No need to list them here.

But I wonder about our lack of understanding about the root cause. Paul said he was “a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (Rom. 7:23, NIV). I’d like someone to call a conference to help us dig beneath the acts of sin and discover what the Bible means by the “law of sin,” or the sin principle that indwells every human being. Until we do that, we’ll keep on blaming everything from murder to embezzlement on poor family life, poor schools, poor government, poverty and so on.

Even Christian institutions can forget to apply their theology. When I was a college chaplain-and student attendance was compulsory-faculty and administrators complained because students complained. I was amazed that they expected students not only to attend chapel services but also to like them. What does our theology teach us? The law of sin turns good food into rotten eggs. When I read of disputes among missionaries, and arguments over leadership and property rights with church leaders, I am not surprised. But I am surprised that the Christians involved are surprised. Had they never learned the law of sin? Probably yes, but it was soon forgotten in the heat of battles.

When we have tried to combat sin, we have resorted to legalism. Of course, rules and laws are needed for any society to work. God gave us a good list of them for our happiness. But we can’t kill sin by constructing what we think are airtight rules against sinful practices. This list-making approach to sin has characterized much of what missionaries have exported to other countries. Our Western lists sometimes deeply mystify new converts from other cultures. It’s been very hard for us to make the leap from Romans 3:23 to Romans 6:11. As Paul explained, our problem lies deep within our human nature. While vigorously defending the law as holy and good, he confessed it was useless. He knew that our identification with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection was the only antidote to the law of sin. That clear teaching has been subjected to a wide range of interpretations and applications.

What does it mean to be dead to sin? How can we explain this to converts from cultures where sinful acts as transgressions of God’s laws are hard to grasp?

These difficulties suggest that missionary training and practice must include a substantial dose of biblical theology and how to teach it in cross-cultural contexts. Most agencies require candidates to pass a doctrinal exam, which is fine.

But at some point those who pass will be required to apply their convictions to a host of tangled moral issues, not just with new converts but also with old ones and with fellow workers. That’s when a recognition and understanding of the law of sin proves to be valuable.

Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills is a remarkably helpful seminar for missionaries. Sharpening our understanding of sin could be the discussion that opens some new vistas of holiness and fruitfulness.