Defining Sin

            Defining Sin

            After discussing mankind, the natural topic to discuss next is sin. What is sin? In what way does it plague mankind? What about the problem of evil? In the next several weeks, we will make an effort to answer these and many other questions concerning sin. This week, let’s first create a working definition of what sin is.

            Sin is primarily failure to glorify God. This is seen in Romans 1:18-3:20. Since we don’t have time to look at that whole passage, we’ll base our comments of the summary verse within that passage, Romans 3:23. “For all sinned and are continually falling short of God’s glory.” (translation mine). In other words, we all have sinned in the past because of that presently falling short of God’s glory. We were created to glorify God. That is our chief end: to glorify God. Anything in us or in our actions that falls short of God’s perfect glory is then sinful. God is the perfect standard against which everyone and everything must be measured. Since we are currently and continually falling short of God’s glory because of our sin, we find ourselves in this state of not meeting the mark that we are expected to. This is the state that we find ourselves.

            Sin includes not only sinful acts, but also sinful dispositions and sinful states. The words translated as ‘sin’ or used as synonyms are as applicable to dispositions and states as they are to acts (Psalms 51:5; John 7:18; Romans 7:17). The New Testament descriptions of sin speak more of dispositions and states than of actions (1 John 3:4; Romans 14:23; James 4:17). Moral evil is ascribed to the heart (Jerimiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19; Hebrews 3:12). The state or condition of the soul that gives rise to wrong desires and acts is called sin. Since we see sin described in these ways in scripture, we can make three statements concerning sin. Deliberate intention to sin is not essential to constitute any given act or feeling a sin. Knowledge of the sinfulness of an act or feeling is not essential to constitute it a sin. Ability to fulfill God’s moral law is not essential to constitute non-fulfillment sin.

            Second sin is active rebellion against God’s established standards. God’s established standards are found in his law. This law is three-fold. First, it is encoded in the Mosaic Law for Old Testament Israel. Second, it is encoded on the hearts of all men of all times. This is also known as the Natural Law. There are evil actions such as murder or stealing that we all know are wrong because our consciences tell us so. We don’t need to be told that they are wrong. Third, it is encoded in the teachings of Christ and the Apostles for the Church. These teachings reinforce moral aspects of both the Mosaic Law and the natural law. So we are sinning if we go against God’s standards. Since he is the Judge, he gets to set the standards.

            Third, sin simultaneously involves commission, omission, and imperfection. In other words, sin is a deed done, a deed left undone, and a deed done with the wrong motive. When sin is committed by commission, or a deed done, it is actively done by thought, word, or action. The person is doing the thing that is wrong. When a sin is committed by omission, or a deed undone, it is when you don’t do something you should have done; thus you sinned by not doing that thing. “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17). An example of this would be if you see someone in need of help and you can help them, but you don’t. That is a sin because you should’ve helped that person, but you chose not to. When a sin is committed by imperfection, or with wrong motive, you do the thing you ought to, but you did it for the wrong reasons. An example of this would be that you helped the person in need, but you did not do it to show Christlike love, but because you wanted people to see you do it.  

            Fourth, sin is a personal affront to the God of the Bible and his righteous character. This reality helps us to measure sin properly. We ought to measure it by the holiness of God. Sin violates the Creator. We are to measure it by the height from which we have fallen. It violates God’s intent for us. We should measure it by the length to which the Father went to redeem us. Sin violates the Son on the cross. We are to measure it by the end for which we were created. Sin violates God’s image in us. Finally, we are to measure sin by the destination to which fallen humanity is rightly headed. That is to eternal separation from God—Hell. We must learn, then, to view sin from the divine perspective. We often don’t take sin as seriously as we ought to.

            Sin is a rogue element in God’s creation. God created everything. However, God did not create sin. We know this because God called his creation ‘very good.’ How do we reconcile these two seemingly contradictory statements? Saint Augustine seems to make a good observation concerning this dilemma. “Silence and darkness may be perceptible to us, and it may be true that silence is perceived through the ears, and the darkness through the eyes. Yet silence and darkness are not percepts, but the absence of any percepts.” In other words, silence and darkness are not something, rather the absence of something. Darkness is the absence of light, and silence is the absence of sound. Similarly, sin is the absence of good. Since we have free will, we have the ability to choose to rebel against God and not do good or to align ourselves with God and do good.

            Finally, sin invites the wrath of God. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,” (Romans 1:18). Those who rebel against God are godless and wicked. It is easy for us to try to distance ourselves from the terms ‘godless’ and ‘wicked.’ We tend to want to make ourselves look better than we really are. However, if we have broken any of God’s commands. If we can see ourselves in any of these definitions of sin, we are godless and wicked. We are all godless and wicked when left on our own outside of the irresistible grace of God. We have broken God’s laws, so God is rightly wrathful towards us.

            If you’re like me, working through this definition of sin has made you uncomfortable, and you have realized even more clearly how much we sin each and every day. It can almost seem hopeless. However, there is hope. Christ came and provided a solution to the sin problem. We are able to divert the wrath of God from us to Christ. We are able to be adopted into God’s family if we place our faith and trust in him. In addition, we have been given the Spirit, as believers, to help us kill our sin. Let us rejoice in this reality. However, let us not loose sight of the vastness and gravity of sin.