Definition of Sin

1. The Definition of Sin– 17th
November 2015
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
Sin is defined as transgression of divinelaw:such as in the caseof the sin of Adam and Eve. Therefore any act
regarded as such a transgression,especially a willful or deliberateviolation of some religious or moral principle.Sin
is considered as a great faultor offense any reprehensibleor regrettable action,behavior, etc.; As Christians sin is
doingwhat is wrong or not doingwhat is rightaccordingto God's rules which we can learn in 1 John 3:4 –
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness…” If God says "Do not lie"and you lie, then you have
sinned.If God says "Do not steal"and you steal,then you have sinned. Accordingto God, sin separates us from
Him. We can read in Isaiah 59: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his
face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).
Sin is described in the Bibleas transgression of the lawof God and rebellion agains tGod:“Remember this and
never forget how you aroused the anger of the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt
until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD” (Deuteronomy 9:7). We can also learn in
Joshua 1:18 “Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be
put to death. Only be strong and courageous!.
Sin had its beginningwith Lucifer, believed to be the most beautiful and powerful of the angels.Not content with
his position,hedesired to be higher than God, and that was his downfall,the beginningof sin.In we can read of
this occurrence: “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to
the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise
my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of
Mount Zaphon.14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are
brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit (Isaiah 14:12-15).
Due to this rebellion againstGod,he was renamed Satan, and he brought sin to the human race in the Garden of
Eden, where he tempted Adam and Eve with the same enticement, “you shall belikeGod.” Genesis 3 describes
Adam and Eve’s rebellion againstGod and againstHis command.Since that time, sin has been passed down
through all the generations of mankind and we, Adam’s descendants, have inherited sin from him. “Therefore, just
as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people,
because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Furthermore through Adam sin entered the world, and so death was passed
on to all men because the wages of sin is death as we can learn in Romans 6:23 -“For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord”.
We can obtain a great understandingin the Biblewhich leaches us aboutthe wrath of God through Romans 1:
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking
became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became
fools”(Romans 1:21-22). God has a moral lawand has given every man a conscience.The conscienceacts to accuse
or excuse us,compellingus to remain within the bounds of God's moral standards of conduct. Nevertheless, the
conscience,much likea human muscle,though itremains strong if exercised, itatrophies with disuse.At one point,
whilemorality still exists,oneno longer feels constrained by it. After continually ignoringtheurging of the
consciencefor a period of time, the conscienceno longer functions as itshould as a warning fromGod.
If a definition of sin is breakingGod's rules,then what are His rules? Whatare God's moral standards of conduct?
There are ten basic rules which all Christiansknowas the Ten Commandments:
1. "I am the LORD your God...You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:2-3). God - your Creator -

2. commands that He be the focal pointof your affection. If you love your life,possessions,spouse,children,or
vocation more than your Father in heaven, you love the gift more than the Giver who is God. 2. "You shall not
make for yourself a graven image" (Exodus 20:4). You shall notmake a god that suits yourself,either with your
hands or your mind. One might say,"My god is not a god of wrath and judgment, my god is a god of love and
mercy. He would never create hell." Well,that person has shaped a god to suithis sins.That's called idolatry.
3. "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7). You shall notuseGod's name as a
curseword, or use it lightly,or fail to give it honor. When a man or woman uses God's name to curse, they are
equate God's name with that filth word. That's called blasphemy.
4. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). The Biblesays,"Six days you shall labor and do all
your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God." 5. "Honor your father and your mother"
(Exodus 20:12). God doesn't command us to honor our parents becausethey deserve it. We're all sinners.Weare
to honor them out of obedience to God. 6. "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). You would think that most of
us would be safefrom this one. However, the Bible says,whoever hates his brother is a murderer. That's the
spiritual natureof God's Law. Jesus says if you are angry without cause,you are in danger of the judgment. 7. "You
shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). As Christianswemust know that Sex is for marriage. In fact, Jesus said
whoever looks upon a woman to lustafter her (if she is not your wife) has already committed adultery with her in
his heart. This includes fornication (sex outsideof marriage) too (1 Timothy 1:8-10). 8. "You shall not steal"
(Exodus 20:15).The valueof the item stolen, bigor small, is totally irrelevant. If we take what does not belong to
you we are steelingand thus breechingthe law. 9. "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:16). This includes
fibs,"white lies,"exaggerations,and half-truths through which even as Christianswe try to justify our action.10.
"You shall not covet" (Exodus 20:17). Who of us can say they have never desired something that has belonged to
someone else?
Looking at above we can surmisethat we are all sinnersbutwe have the possibility of redemption through faith
and believingin Jesus Christ "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and
it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never
be put to shame'...for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'" (Romans 10:9-10,13).
Therefore now we have a chanceto choose Him or reject Him. On judgment day, God will judgeus by His rules.If
you accept Christ,you won't be held accountablefor your sins,becauseChristwill havealready paid the debt for
you. We can learn:"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed
once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:27-28).
The Definition of Sin
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact,
sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).