by Devis | 19 November 2020 08:46 am11
At its core, sin is anything that goes against God’s will, His perfect standards, and His laws. It’s more than just doing something wrong—it’s a condition that separates us from God.
1.) Missing the Mark: The Bible uses the idea of missing the mark to describe sin. Think of it like shooting an arrow at a target and not hitting the bullseye. In the same way, sin means falling short of God’s standard. No matter how hard we try, if we miss that mark, we’re in sin.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
2) Disobedience to God’s Commands: Sin began in the very first human beings, Adam and Eve. God gave them a clear instruction in the Garden of Eden: don’t eat from a specific tree. They chose to disobey, and that act of disobedience brought sin into the world, affecting every person who has ever lived since.
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food… she took some and ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)
From that moment, sin became part of human experience.
3) Rebellion Against God: Sin isn’t just breaking rules. It’s essentially a rebellion against God. It’s when we turn our backs on Him, deciding we know better than He does. Whether we’re consciously aware of it or not, choosing to live in a way that goes against God’s will is a form of rejecting His authority in our lives.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way…” (Isaiah 53:6)
4) Sin is Lawlessness: In the Bible, sin is also described as lawlessness—when we disregard God’s law and decide to live without any moral guidelines. It’s not just about breaking a law; it’s about rejecting the concept of law altogether.
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)
5) Sin is Inherited: Because of Adam and Eve’s choice to sin, all of humanity has inherited a sinful nature. It’s like a broken part of us that keeps us inclined to sin. We’re all born into this condition—our desires, actions, and choices are often tainted by it. It’s not something we choose, but it’s a part of the human condition.
“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)
6) Sin Separates Us from God: The biggest issue with sin is that it separates us from God. God is perfectly holy, and sin cannot exist in His presence. So, when we sin, it creates a distance between us and God, which is why we feel disconnected from Him.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you…” (Isaiah 59:2)
7) The Consequences of Sin: Ultimately, the wages of sin is death. This isn’t just physical death—it’s spiritual death. Sin leads to brokenness, destruction, and a permanent separation from God if it’s not dealt with. Without Jesus, we would be stuck in that separation forever.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
In simple terms, sin is the rejection of God’s plan and His will for our lives. It’s a conscious or unconscious choice to go our own way instead of living according to His design. Sin has consequences, both now and in eternity, because it damages our relationship with God and leads to destruction.
However, the good news is that God made a way for us to be forgiven and restored through Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus took the penalty for our sins, offering us a way to be reconciled to God and live in relationship with Him again.
To sum up: Sin is essentially living in a way that goes against God’s design for us—whether by disobeying, rebelling, or falling short of His perfect standard. But there’s hope: through Jesus, we can be forgiven, healed, and made new.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/11/19/what-is-sin-biblically/
Copyright ©2025 Wingu la Mashahidi unless otherwise noted.