I prayerfully hope this article will help you understand what is sin.
It has been more than 2000 years since the Savior suffered and died taking the penalty for our sins, resurrecting to newness of life for our freedom from sins. Still today too many misunderstand the gravity of what sin really is, even though somehow we instinctively know it is wrong.
The Bible is a collection of books that tell the story of how God wants to free humanity and creation from the power of sin and restore us back to Himself. But in a secular age of tolerance, and a new age religious world where almost everything goes, that story increasingly gets obscured even as some known preachers avoid the topic. However, you cannot miss discovering the sin problem when reading the Bible as it glaringly points sin out and what it means. Let’s get started.
Where Sin Has Its Origin
Some believe that sin started with Adam’s fall, but that’s incorrect. Sin actually originated in the heart of a governing Archangel in heaven who was named Lucifer. He led a rebellion against the Almighty God who sits upon the Throne. Lucifer sought to dethrone the Almighty, as is recorded in the prophetic verses of Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-17. When Lucifer was caught in his sin, he was cast out of heaven falling to the earth God had already created. On earth the Almighty made the crown of His creation, mankind. He created the Garden of Eden and formed man from its soil to have dominion over all the earth, Eden as his model. Notice however, that prior to the creation of man, sin was already discovered in that outcast fallen angel Lucifer, who is now called Satan.
As God put man in the Garden, and in charge over everything, He gives them but one law, and that is, “Yehovah God put this charge on the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may eat. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you may not eat of it, for in the day you eat of it — dying you shall die.'”
From the moment God gives the first man Adam and the first woman Eve that one commandment, Satan the founder of sin lurked to deceive man and woman to become sinners like him and all those that rebel against the Almighty.
The timeline in the Holy Scriptures is clear, sin came from an angel that rebelled against His creator.
The Nature of sin
Because sin originated from a supernatural spirit-being, we draw these conclusions about the nature of sin:
(1) Sin is supernatural, being birthed by a fallen angel.
(2) Sin is spiritual, and Mankind partakes of the nature of fallen angels through rebellion and disobedience (sinning) to the Almighty’s commandments. There’s nothing natural, normal or human about sin.
(3) Sin defiles the spirit, the soul, and the body. One becomes unclean in the sight of the Almighty when sinning, which explains why it’s hard to experience the presence of God for those who are practicing sin. When we sin, we alienate ourselves from God and begin to walk in darkness. By turning away from our sins, with a broken and humble heart confessing them to God, we can be forgiven and restored to His presence.
Are some sins greater than others?
Some view murders, sexual sins, and witchcrafts as the big sins. But there is no such thing as a big sin or a little sin. A big lie or a little lie. A lie is a lie. Sin is sin. We think in terms of small sins and great sins; serious and not-so-serious sins only because we compare our righteousness with that of others. This is erroneous, only leading us to become legalistic, self-righteous, judgmental and critical towards one another. What’s worse, it leads to watering down the Gospel. God, on the other hand compares us to the holy standard that He has set–Himself. It is written in both the Old and New Testaments: “Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”.
Definitions for Sin
There are three words we see in the Bible that give us a good picture of what is sin. Namely, transgression, trespassing, and iniquity. Let’s have a look….
Transgression
To transgress is an act of disrespecting what God commanded and going against it. One can transgress by omitting what God requires either knowingly or ignorantly.
King David goes much further in Psalm 19:13 defining transgression as presumptuously doing the things of God.
Trespassing
To trespass implies doing things that are not permitted by God. A trespasser crosses the line, breaking protective boundaries set by God whether knowingly or not.
Iniquity
While a trespass and a transgression are both acts of breaking God’s commandments, iniquity in the Hebrew understanding takes into account the character of a person. It is sin that has become part of ones character as a result of committing the same sin repeatedly.
Iniquity is lawlessness, a more modern term is anarchy.
Iniquity means total disregard for God’s commandments, leaving the sinner in a state void of feelings of guilt and repentance that a healthy conscience would otherwise provide.
Our laws provide many other words for sin: offense, crime, wrong, wrongdoing, misdemeanor, impropriety, infraction, misdeed, error, fault, infringement, breach, contravention, violation, defiance, disobedience, nonobservance, and more.
What is sin?
Sin is disobedience to God.
Sin is transgressing God’s law.
Sin is trespassing God’s boundaries.
Sin is iniquity, which is lawlessness.
The Role of God’s Commandments
Are we without law? Have we been delivered from the law of God or have we been delivered from the power of sin? First, no matter where one goes whether entering a business facility, visiting someone’s home or going to another country, you are expected to follow the house rules, company ethics and guidelines, and the nation’s laws you are visiting. Otherwise you’re a lawbreaker and could be charged. If no one submits to laws there’s no civility and safety, and society cannot function. To not submit to any law (lawless) is a state of rebellion. Similarly, God did not deliver us from His instruction (Torah), nor His commandments and expectations of us. He, however through Yeshua His Son delivered us not from the law of God itself but from gaining righteousness through the law. (Read Romans 10:4 in context) The law is holy according to Paul, without it we wouldn’t have a clue as to what is sin. What’s more, apart from the law we wouldn’t know what righteousness is in the eyes of God. Thank God for the law because it makes sin utterly sinful, and it shows us we cannot attain God’s righteousness by ourselves. We need a Savior. Through obedience to and faith in Yeshua, by grace we can receive the righteousness of God as a gift. Hallelujah!
Again, Iniquity means to be without law, which deals with ones moral character. There’s one with the title of Lawless one in the Bible, that is the antichrist.
The Day of Salvation
Think of sinning as if you have a committed a crime in your city, if caught you will be brought to justice, prosecuted and sentenced. But unlike your government, God sees all things and knows all things. There’s no chance you can escape His judgment, unless you wholeheartedly confess your sins, turn to God and believe in His Son Yeshua. All sinners are subject to receive God’s judgment. You don’t know when your time will come, that’s why today is the day of your salvation if you repent – don’t be stubborn.
He Came to Deliver You from Your Sins
Yeshua’s whole purpose was to confront sin at its core. His death, burial and resurrection completed the final atonement for those who obey Him. The Apostle John was very clear about Yeshua’s mission when he wrote,
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 (KJV)
Sin is a work of the devil, who is Satan that angel who was cast out of heaven.
Here’s what Gabriel, an Archangel that didn’t rebel against God prophesied about Yeshua,
“And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS (YESHUA in Hebrew) for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (KJV)
Yeshua means “Yehovah Saves”. Salvation from sins was His mission.
You see, the only way salvation could be made a reality for sinners, was that the judgment of God be placed on Him as the sacrificial Lamb of God. He was to willingly take all your sins upon Him, suffer the wrath of God, and die in your place–and He did. Because of His great love for you Yeshua suffered the consequences of your sins. God’s justice was accomplished through His death to restore you back to God. This is good news!
As He was suffering in your place, just before Yeshua died, He cried out, “It is finished.” Signifying that the way to your salvation is now open. And just as He was buried three days and resurrected from the dead, you too can bury your sinful life, no matter how sinful, and receive eternal abundant new life in Him.
Yeshua lived, suffered, died, and resurrected for you, so that you can live free from sin. You are now free to choose, salvation or condemnation? The choice is yours.
Now that you know what is sin, I hope you choose to confess them to God and turn away from them. God is waiting, will you choose to live for God?
Next Steps…
If you are asking, what must I do to be saved? They asked the Apostle Peter a similar question. Here’s what he said to do.
Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 2:38)
Repent: confess your sins to God and turn away from them.
Be Baptized: Have another disciple of Yeshua baptize (full immersion) you in water into Yeshua.
Receive the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the promise of God who empowers you to live as a witness of Yeshua, free from sin.
Go and be a witness. Teach others to do the same and if they respond to the good news as you did, be together with them in the love of God.
