What is Sin?

It has been said that sin is lawlessness, which is true. Anyone who breaks a rule commits lawlessness, for that is what God's Word says about breaking even one commandment. We are all guilty of breaking at least one commandment sometime in our lives. His Word goes even further and says that if we are guilty of breaking one commandment, then we are guilty of breaking the whole law. In God's eyes, there is no such thing as a "little white lie" or a "little sin". All sins are sins and all sins constitute breaking the law. (Exodus 20:1-17, Deut 5:6-21,Matthew 5:17-18, Matthew 22:36-40, James 2:10-11, 1 John 2:4-6, 1 John 3:4)

It is true that all of us make mistakes. We have all done wrong at some time in our lives and in that instance, none of us has room to pass judgement on one another. I have heard this statement at least once. "The littlest sin can keep a person out of Heaven." That means that as mentioned previously there are no "little sins" or "big sins", just sins. One can follow all of the rules, go to church, pray at least twice daily, be a good role model for children, and a solid citizen in the community and still be a sinner. All of us were born as sinners in a sinful world and in need of a Savior. One day, all of us will have to stand before God and answer for how we lived our lives, whether or not we are born again. That includes the multiple adulterer or adulteress, the liar, and the murderer as well as the nun, the teenager who attends Bible school on a weekly basis, and the soccer mom. (John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:11-15)

Sadly, most people have been deceived into thinking that the world offered more than what God has to offer thinking that they have enough time to make a decision to "do the right thing" and get themselves together. Others are also deceived into thinking that all they have to do is just live right and that is it. Living right is good, but so is just belief, but without being aware of the fact that they needed Jesus in their lives. Many of them think that their religion and their good works will get them into heaven. The world is full of damnable heresies, deceit, fraud, jealousy, envy, hatred, unforgiveness, unfaithfulness, ungratefulness, and deception. Sadly, most people will never walk the narrow road that leads to life because they have not made the decision to repent of their sins, seek, surrender to, and accept Christ as Savior and Lord. (Matthew 7:13-14, Romans 1:17-32, 2 Timothy 3:1-8, James 2:18-19)

In Psalm 14, the fool says in his heart that there is no God. God looks down from Heaven and laments the corruption and the sinfulness of the people. He looks for people who will seek Him. He is a Spirit who seeks true worshippers who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Those who commit wicked and vile deeds are those who cannot only worship Him in Spirit and Truth, but cannot see God, for they are unrepentant. There are some who are vile, full of lust, and deceiful. There are other people are cold, unforgiving, judgemental, and have holier than thou attitudes. What they have in common is that they are unrepentant sinners who have not trusted in Christ or called on Him. They have not sought his face nor turned from their wicked ways. (Psalm 14, Psalm 24:4, Psalm 73:3, Proverbs 20:9, Jeremiah 5:3, Matthew 5:8, John 4:23-25)

In short, sin is not only lawlessness, but it is missing the mark. Missing the mark? John 3 writes about those who cannot see the Kingdom of God. They are those who are not born again, born of water and Spirit. Those who are born again recognized that no matter what they have done, short of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, that they are sinners who are in need of forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is the "Eye Opener" sort of speak. He is the Spirit of Truth who convicts us of our sins, righteousness, and judgement. Paul writes did you know that saints shall judge the world? What did he mean by that? Saints have once been sinners who have repented and have been made perfect. They have been brought with a price, just as Gomer was in Hosea. Jesus is our Mediator, the Propitiation for our sins. How was this possible? Jesus over 2,000 years ago suffered greatly before His death on the cross. He rose again on the third day. Believers not only know this, they believed this in their hearts. We are saved by faith...faith. Good works justify or back up our faith, but they do not save us. (Isaiah 30:15, Matthew 12:31, John 3:5-8, John 16:8, Romans 5:1, 10-11, 1 Timothy 2:5, 2 Cor 5:19)

Jesus died on the cross. He paid the penalty for us. That is how much He loved us and still does, but one day, it may be too late. Don't let that happen to you. Sin is deceitful, painful, and ultimately leads to death, whether it is physical death or spiritual death. Jesus died so that we might have life. Sin is alluring and pleasurable for a season, but in the end the sinner is punished because of their deeds. But because of what Jesus has done for us, we can have a second chance. We can be restored and renewed. We can become new creation if we don't reject what Jesus has done for us. Life is too short to just think about it. Our souls are way too important for that. That decision is not just a matter of life and death, but of eternity. Sin does not care about us. It is a liar and a deceiver. But we can be forgiven. Confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. We are all deserving of eternal punishment, but Jesus paid the debt. (Leviticus 5, Psalm 39:4-9, Hosea, John 8, Romans 6:23, Romans 8, Romans 10:9-10)