Sin!
What is that little three-letter word? How many times have
you heard it used, or misused? The word seems to have multiple
meanings in our modern American vernacular (which, incredibly, seems to
morph and evolve from minute to minute). Sin is mostly expressed
as something evil and undesirable, but sometimes it is expressed as
something delicious and delightful.
Most of us tend to equate sin with
something that we
think is wrong,
or a practice we
find to be unacceptable, but personal
ideals aren't always based on good principles, and they change from
person to person. Preachers
or Bible teachers, those whom we trust to define sin, are no exception.
Some of them can't readily articulate a concise and simple definition of sin, so let's
take a brief look at it.
The purpose
of this article is to define sin from a Biblical perspective.
We all depend a lot on the dictionary for information and I am no
exception, so let's go there first and see what it says concerning sin.
The
America Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition,
gives the following definitions of sin which
relate to our subject here:
sin 1 (sĭn)
n.
1. A transgression of a
religious or moral
law, especially when deliberate.
2. Theology
a. Deliberate
disobedience to the known
will of God.
b. A condition of
estrangement from God resulting from such disobedience.
3. Something regarded
as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.
When asked for a definition of sin, someone
might come close to these same definitions if given enough time to
think about it. But, if they were asked spontaneously for a quick
definition of sin it would come out something like, "it is doing something
wrong", or, "it is doing something
that isn't right". And they would be correct, except who
or what
determines what is moral,
or shameful, or deplorable, or right, or utterly wrong, or even what
the will of God is?
The leaders of that mythical group called the moral majority?
Pat Robertson? Jerry Falwell? Jesse Jackson? The
Pope? The Republicans? The Democrats?
Conservatives? Liberals? Fox News Channel? Absolutely
and emphatically no!
They all pontificate
their definition of right and wrong to us daily in one way or another,
but the Bible actually defines sin, so let's
cut to the chase and go there for guidance.
1
John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also
the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Amazing! What a simple definition of sin. Read it
again, and commit it to memory. Sin in whatever
form is breaking Biblical
law, so for the purposes of this lesson let's
keep it simple and stay within that context.
Is there more than
one kind of
sin?
Yes, but in all cases regardless of the nature of it, sin violates
Biblical law. Actually, there are many
different Hebrew and Greek words translated sin in the
Bible, and some religions or churches even
categorize sins. I suppose that is okay as long as it is done
according to the
Bible. That is to say, as long as it is done according to
Biblical law and not simply what men
think sin should be.
Can we sin if
there is no
law?
The answer is basically no, with reservations. Look
at what the apostle Paul had to say about it.
Rom. 4:15
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no
law is, there is no transgression.
People often worry, fret and feel guilty over
things
for
which there is no commandment, statute, ordinance, or judgment stated
in the Bible.
So, if it is
not written down in the Bible, we can do it, right?
Yes, again
with reservations, but be very careful when deciding whether
something is right or wrong on your own because there are other laws to
consider not written in the Bible that require adherence. The
moral and righteous rules
of conduct that are written in the Bible are basically those things
which
God knew that we couldn't nessarily know by nature, or could not
discern without His help.
Now, having said that, some general statements about all laws should be
made.
There are many secular laws, statutes,
ordinances, regulations or rules, that do not appear anywhere in the
Bible. Violation of them is called crime, a
generally modern and secular term, as opposed to the old Biblical term sin. As a
general rule one should not violate the laws of the land in which they
live unless those laws are unjust or suppress natural God-given human
rights or freedom. It is not very wise to do so. A violator
will surely suffer the
penalty if caught, and will be labeled a criminal.
Of course, one who breaks Biblical law is called a sinner, but the terms sinner and criminal are
actually similar.
A sinner
in Biblical times was basically considered a criminal because
the Mosaic law was the law of the land among the early Israelites, and
later on by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Today we apply the terms, sinner and criminal in
different ways, but Biblical law was the seedbed for modern law,
especially the so-called common law which today has been
largely abandoned and is basically ignored. So, the laws
of the land
should be obeyed unless they are in violation, or conflict, with God's
law. But nevertheless, if someone breaks the secular law for any
cause, including a righteous one, and they are
caught, they will surely pay the penalty that the law demands.
Now, there are some other very important laws to
consider. There are some natural physical laws
that are not written down which, curiously, mankind delights in
transgressing, or at least tempting . They don't have to be
written down because you know by instinct or experience that
they exist.
Nobody has to tell you that you cannot jump off a
cliff because the laws of gravity and inertia are not written
down. You came face-to-face with those laws very early in life
and you immediately understood them the very first time that you fell
or ran into something. Those who violate them are not labeled
sinners, or criminals, but they do often suffer an immediate, sometimes
severe, and often fatal, penalty for their action.
Now, back to to the subject of sin
specifically.
There are always penalties for sin.
Why is it important not to sin? After all, sinners have
more fun,
don't they?
Maybe, for a little while, but consider the following verses to see the
end result of their actions.
Rom. 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ezek.
18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of
the father, so
also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Ezek.
18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The
son shall not
bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the
iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon
him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Additionally, not only does sin ultimately result in
death, it can
produce an immediate penalty and you won't necessarily be the only one
hurt from
it. Any person who participates with you can be hurt, any
children that you have can be hurt, and any close friends or relatives
can be
also.
Committing sin
is like breaking any other natural law that
exacts an immediate
penalty. For example, breaking the law of
inertia or
gravity will
immediately break
bones and bruise flesh. Ouch! Or, committing murder, a
heinous sin and the most serious of crimes, causes extreme
heartache and
suffering for all involved. Committing any sin (or crime) will
always bring
suffering
to some degree.
Contrary to the beliefs of some, there are varying degrees of
sin. That is evident by the severity of the specified
penalties. Some sin could even be fatal. It is called blasphemy and it
will
not be forgiven in this life, neither in the hereafter as well.
Now hold on! It probably is not what you think it is. See
my article on Blasphemy
at ourfathersword.org.
Do not be deceived. We are responsible for our actions concerning
what is sinful, and we
reap what we sow.
Gal. 6:7 Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The law.
Okay, it should definitely be evident to you by now that sin is defined
by
Biblical law, so let's discuss it a little more. If
you are a new Bible student, for your information and
future
reference, the so-called Ten Commandments are
found in Exodus 20 and
Deuteronomy 5. Commit this to memory, but be aware that they do
not
constitute all of the laws given to us by God. Altogether there
are
over six hundred commandments,
statutes, ordinances and judgments in the Old Testament. Some
of them, the sacrificial laws, do not apply today, but those which tell
us how to comport ourselves with respect to God and our fellow man are
absolutely still in effect. The Ten Commandments
for instance, and those principles that Jesus spelled out in the
so-called Sermon
On The Mount.
The law, as originally
given to Israel, et al, is
found in
the first
five
books of the Bible. These first five books are sometimes referred
to
variously as the law, the Penteteuch, the Torah, and the books of
Moses.
Some laws, or rules, that Christians follow are also found in the New
Testament, like those in the afforementioned sermon on the mount.
So sin is the breaking of God's law, and if you want to get a fast
handle
on it study the book of
Deuteronomy in the Old Testament first, and then one, or all, of the
so-called synoptic
gospels
they are Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the New
Testament to see what Jesus had to say.
In conclusion now, I've given you the proper definition of that little
three-letter word
called sin,
it is simply transgressing the law. I've also given you a little
information about the law and where to find it. Now it is up to
you. Go get it and good studying.