A sin is something you do. A passion is something that’s wrong with you.
That’s the simplest way to put it. When we confess our sins, we’re naming specific acts, things we said, did, thought, or failed to do. But when the Fathers talk about passions, they’re talking about the inner diseases that make us keep sinning in the same ways over and over. Think of it this way: anger is a passion. Yelling at your spouse is a sin. Greed is a passion. Cheating on your taxes is a sin.
The Greek word for sin is hamartia, which means “missing the mark.” Every sin is a failure to hit the target God created us for, which is union with Him. We’re made for theosis, for communion with God. Sin breaks that communion. But here’s what makes Orthodox Christianity different from what most folks around Beaumont grew up hearing: we don’t think the main problem is that you’ve broken God’s law and need to be declared “not guilty.” The main problem is that you’re sick and need to be healed.
That’s where passions come in.
The Disease Behind the Symptoms
The Church Fathers describe passions as disordered desires or habits of the soul. They’re like spiritual diseases. St. Maximos the Confessor taught that passions are irrational movements of the soul that pull us away from God. They warp how we think, what we want, and how we feel. When a passion takes root in you, it doesn’t just sit there quietly. It grows. It demands to be fed.
Someone struggling with the passion of gluttony doesn’t just overeat once. They find themselves constantly thinking about food, planning their next meal while they’re still eating the current one, using food to cope with every emotion. The passion has become a kind of master. And each time they give in, the passion gets stronger. Each sinful act of overindulgence reinforces the inner disorder.
This is true for all the passions. The Fathers usually list eight main ones: pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth, and vainglory (which is like pride’s annoying younger brother). These aren’t just bad habits. They’re deep wounds in the soul that keep us from becoming who God made us to be.
From Thought to Deed
The Fathers were careful observers of how passions work. They noticed that there’s usually a progression. First comes a thought, maybe a temptation, maybe just a passing idea. That’s not a sin yet. We can’t control every thought that pops into our heads. But then comes the crucial moment: do we engage with it or dismiss it? If we start entertaining the thought, turning it over in our minds, imagining acting on it, we’re moving toward sin. If we keep doing this, we form a passion. And once the passion is established, it starts generating its own thoughts and pushing us toward sinful acts.
This is why the Jesus Prayer matters so much in Orthodox practice. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It’s not just a nice thing to say. It’s a weapon against the passions. When you catch yourself dwelling on an angry thought or a lustful image, you can cut it off by turning your attention to Christ. You’re not trying to white-knuckle your way to moral perfection. You’re asking for healing.
The Healing Process
So if passions are diseases, what’s the cure? The Church gives us a whole medicine cabinet. Confession restores our communion with God when we’ve sinned, but it’s also where a good priest can help you identify the passions behind your sins. Fasting weakens the passions by teaching your body that it doesn’t get everything it wants. Prayer reorients your heart toward God. The Eucharist is medicine for immortality, as St. Ignatius of Antioch called it, it’s Christ Himself, healing us from the inside out.
But here’s the hard part: healing takes time. If you grew up Baptist or Church of Christ, you might be used to thinking of salvation as something that happened the moment you accepted Jesus. We don’t see it that way. Salvation is something that’s happening now, in this moment, as God heals your passions and transforms you into His likeness. We’re being saved. That’s theosis. It’s a process that continues your whole life.
You can’t just confess the sin of yelling at your kids and expect the passion of anger to disappear. You have to work with your priest, probably with a spiritual father or mother if you can find one, to understand what feeds your anger. Is it pride? Is it fear? What virtues do you need to cultivate to replace it? Humility? Patience? Trust in God’s providence? This is the real work of the Christian life.
Why This Matters
Understanding the difference between sins and passions changes how you approach your spiritual life. You stop thinking you can just try harder and be good. You realize you need healing, and healing comes from God. It makes you more patient with yourself and with others. That coworker who drives you crazy with his gossip? He’s not just being a jerk. He’s got a passion he’s struggling with, probably rooted in insecurity or envy. That doesn’t excuse the sin, but it helps you see him as someone who needs healing, just like you do.
It also helps you understand why we have fasting seasons and prayer rules and all the other disciplines that might seem legalistic to someone coming from a Protestant background. These aren’t requirements you have to meet to earn God’s love. They’re medicine. They’re tools for healing. When you’re working the night shift at the refinery and you’re exhausted and you still try to pray before bed, you’re not checking a box. You’re taking your medicine. You’re cooperating with God’s work of healing your passions and making you whole.
Come to Liturgy this Sunday and watch what happens. We’ll pray for mercy probably a hundred times. We’re not groveling. We’re asking the Great Physician to heal us. That’s what the Orthodox life is about, not just being forgiven, but being healed. Not just having your sins covered, but having your passions transformed. Not just going to heaven when you die, but becoming the kind of person who can actually live in God’s presence, now and forever.
