I heard this on a sermon by Andre’ Rabe the other day. At least this is what I understood him to say. If the chief sin of man is the death of God on a cross and He is no longer dead then we are no longer guilty. He explained it this way. If we were on trial for murder and the man who we were accused of killing walked into the court room as our chief witness, the trial would pretty much be over. This lead me to ask what exactly is our sin? Can anyone give a good concise definition of sin. If heard all my life that my sin nailed Jesus to the cross. If this is true in what sense?
I’m reminded of the movie Ben Hur. When Ben Hur encountered Jesus at the cross, he comes away and says “I felt him take the sword out of my hand.” The cross is a pronouncement of our value to God, God’s self-sacrificial love for us, a revelation of His mercy towards us. It is where love meets hate and love wins, where forgiveness meets guilt and forgiveness wins, where good meets evil and good wins, where life meets death and life wins!
What is sin? The classic definition is “missing the mark”. I think of sin as being where we are broken in need of fixin, sick in need of healing, oppressed in need of deliverance, dead in need of life, selfish in need of dying to self!
The verse that comes to mind in response to that question is James 4:17 – “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” So sin is anything where we do not live up to the standard of what we know to be good (that word “good” in the verse carries the sense of “noble, honorable, beautiful”).
I think sin was condemned on the cross – it’s death sentence was proclaimed and sealed. We won’t see it’s destruction until all things are brought into subjection under Christ. It says in Hebrews 2:8 “YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”
When God says something, it is certain to come to pass, so it is often spoken of as if it is already accomplished, even though it is still in process.
Sonia
“Sin is transgression of the law (10 Commandments)” - 1Jhn 3:4
See - Hell’s Best Kept Secret
wayofthemaster.com/videolessons.shtml
If Sin is transgression of the law then Jesus sinned.
I faced this same question several decades ago. I did a little Bible study, and this is what I came up with:
It seems to me that there is a wide variety of opinions as to what sin actually is. Some limit sin to sexual immorality. Others limit it to activities such as smoking, drinking, attending R-rated movies, or gambling. Some are blind to the sins by which we wound other people.
Some think that it is impossible for a Christian to go for a single day, or even an hour without sinning. One the other hand, I encountered one woman who claimed she had never sinned for more than 40 years.
As a young person, I had some problems with anger. I was helped by keeping in mind the verse which states “The anger of man does not work the righteousness of God”. Yet, anger per se cannot be sin, for God gets angry ---- and we also have the verse, “Be angry and sin not.”
There are a number of different Greek words which have been translated as “sin”, and they do not all have the same meaning.
You may want to share the specifics of your own concept of sin. Please don’t be content with the definition “anything which separates us from God.” For there is a great deal of difference in opinion as to what things do in fact separate us from God.
Here are the eight words for “sin” in the New Testament. The number in brackets at the beginning of each word gives the number of occurrences in the New Testament. The literal meaning of the Greek word is given in capital letters. The scriptures quoted are from the King James, from Revised Standard, and from other translations. The translated word for the given Greek word is underlined.
[1] ἀγνοημα agnoāma — NO KNOWLEDGE, error due to not knowing
*Heb 9:7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.
1Es 9:20 They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and to give rams in expiation of their error. *
[20] παραπτωμα paraptōma — FALLING BESIDE, a false step, a blunder
Matt 6:14,15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
[151] ἁμαρτια hamartia — MISSING THE MARK and thus used in early Greek for “mistake”. In New Testament times, its use was broadened to include any wrongdoing.
*Mt 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Ac 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forsaking of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ac 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.
[Ananias spoke these words to Paul after Paul had given his testimony. First Paul’s sight was restored to him. Then Ananias told him that God had chosen him to know His will, and to be a witness to all people.]
Mr 1:4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forsaking of sins.
Ro 6:4-6
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.
1Pe 2:24 He himself endured our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1Jo 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Heb 10:26,27 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
*
[13] ἀνομια anomia — LAWLESSNESS
*Ro 6:19 For just as you once yielded your members to uncleaness and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.
2Co 6:14 Do not be mismated with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2Th 2:7 For the secret of lawlessness is already at work; only there is the restraining one just now until it is out of the way.
Tit 2:14 …who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy comrades."
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."
Heb 10:17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more.”
1Jo 3:4 Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.*
[1] παρανομια paranomia — BEYOND THE LAW, breach of the law
*2 Pet 2:15,16
Forsaking the right way they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a dumb ass spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. *
[6] ασεβια asebia — NO REVERERANCE, irreverance
*Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
Titus 2:11,12
For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world…*
[3] παρακοη parakoā — BEYOND HEARING, unwillingness to listen
Ro 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
[Then as through the [u]unwillingness to listen of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, so also through the listening of the one man, the many will be constituted righteous].
2Co 10:6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
[in readiness having to correct every [u]unwillingness to listen, whenever is fulfilled in you a willingness to listen.]
[7] παραβασις parabasis — STEPPING BEYOND, transgression
*Ro 2:23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
Ro 4:15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
Heb 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. *
Great post, Paidion – very helpful. Thanks so much!
Hello,
I thought of a very simple definition:**
GOD is Love so everyhing that lacks Love is sin.**
What do you think abou that?
Greetings
Dani
I think it’s right on, Dani.
The only problem with it, is that there are so many different ways that people understand the word “love”.
Great post on the types of sin, Paidion. Another question linking to the OP is: 'In what way did Jesus not sin?'
Hebrews 4:15 - “We have a high priest who was tempted in every point like we are, yet without sin.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 - “he who knew no sin was counted as sin in order that we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Peter 2:22 - “In him there was no deceit.”
Owing that there are many different means of sin; which sins specifically does Christ avoid? Or, did Christ triumph over every type of sin?
Many Christians actively and deliberately renounce God’s instruction, such as against irreligion and irreverence. What happens to us when we so deliberately sin?
Romans 6:1 - “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”
I wonder if some ideas about universalism, like the faith in faith movement, or the grace movement, actually encourage us to sin based on God’s “overwhelming grace”. This seems like a provocation against God - 'go on, punish me… I dare you…’ If a person thinks God’s love always triumphs, and yet this knowledge leads them into sin, how is ‘God’s will’ achieved by such apathy? If we know God will punish us (correct us) for sin, why do we still continue to flaunt sin? This still puzzles me with the ultra-liberal christians.
Steve
You made a good point, Stef. It’s good to ‘feel’ a sense of freedom in the Father’s house; freedom to think the large thoughts, freedom to be thankful while a lot of the world just rails against God; freedom to ask big questions because we know most of the Big answers. But it is really easy to let everything run unchecked - I’m no longer a Calvinist, but he said many wise things of course, one of which is along the lines that, of the Law’s purposes, one is to keep human emotion and ungratefulness from running wild through sin. Reigning us in. To keep us from going where we should not, for our good. But we do strain against the reins.
We need wisdom so badly. Answers to questions are all over the place, we can Google anything. But wisdom has to be worked for.
I could never quiet grasp Calvinism. He was a smart person…, without a doubt, but I was a bit guarded due to his political and anti-Rome agendas. We sure do have a checkered history in Christendom. It is very similar to Israel’s checkered history when the nation was divided. We now have a new found freedom of worship and tolerance. This is a wonderful thing. Most of us would have been burnt at the stake if we lived 500 years ago and believed the things we now believe. Freedom, though, has a very distinct responsibility. I try to teach my 17 year old daughter this principal on a regular basis. At that age it seems that freedoms were intended to be explored. All of her peers are breaching every restriction, and having so much fun… I guess there are many christians who identify with this model. Every freedom comes with a cost. Nothing is for nothing.
Steve