John Hannah On Sin

I recently came across my notes from a talk Dr. John Hannah, author and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, gave at a Campus Crusade staff conference several years ago.

Dr. Hannah has generously invested his wisdom and gifts in our staff for decades, and our movement is all the better for it. An informal Q & A session about marriage with Dr. Hannah and his wife years ago was a highlight of my CCC career.

The topic of this particular talk was sin. Some of my favorite quotes:

“Most of us are concerned with the effects of sin, not the sin itself.”

“Sin does not go away by avoidance.”

“We need to deal with sin in the causal state, not in its fruitful state.”

He also shared 10 common methods of falling into sin:

1. Sloth and neglect of sin


2. Loss of fear of God


3. A complicated view of the gospel


4. Lack of a serious watchfulness of Satan


5. Imitation of bad examples


6. Enjoyment of secret lusts of the heart


7. Lack of private times with God


8. An increase of knowledge without obedience


9. An increase of worldly wisdom


10. A failure to repent

Reviewing these notes freshly pierced my own heart…may they do their work in yours as well!