What is Sin?

The definition in Britannica is regarded as the “deliberate and purposeful violation of the will of God”.

Sin has also been described as any action that is contrary to God's will and law. Sin includes doing something wrong but also failing to do what is right. Contrary to the Britannica, it is not only purposeful or deliberate actions but even those that are not deliberate or intentional. You break the law, it is sin regardless if it was an accident. It also includes unknowing sins. Basically even when you are not aware that you sinned, this alone, doesn't negate you from the sin itself.

Contrary to some theologies, I do not believe that your thoughts are sins. When we entertain the thought or act on the thought it becomes sin. The reason I believe this is because it is clear in Scripture that, after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that we now can hear and have thoughts from the enemy.

Adam and Eve walked with God and God made them in His image. All they knew was “Good”. God told them they could eat from every tree but one- the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Notice that the tree was called the tree of “knowledge of good and evil” What is knowledge? Knowledge is thoughts!!

They walked around with God and had been naked but had no problem with being naked. Then they ate from the tree.

(Gen 3:7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

They Knew they were naked. They had always been naked but now they “KNEW” they were naked. They had the thoughts of being naked.

(Gen 3:9-10 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Such a strange reaction. I would have thought that Adam would have been afraid because he disobeyed God and God told him in that day you will die. But no, Adam was experiencing fear for the first time and his fear was because he realized he was naked.

Notice God's response:

(Gen 3:11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Who told you? You see the enemy now has access to tell us things but we do not have to listen. The enemy now has access to give us thoughts. There is no evidence that he can read our thoughts but he certainly can give us thoughts. An example of God giving us thoughts and then the enemy giving us thoughts is in Matthew. It is clear that we can get our thoughts from God or from the Devil. Peter was asked by Jesus “Whom do you say that I am”? Peter answered

(Mat 16:16-17) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

It is clear that we can receive thoughts from God/Holy Spirit but just a few minutes later, Jesus rebukes Peter's thought. This occurs when Jesus is telling the desciples that He must go and die in Jerusalem.

(Mat 16:22-23) Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

It is clear that we also get thoughts from the enemy. The “thought” itself is not sin but acting on the thought either in word, deed or even allowing that thought to consume can open doors to Pride, anger, bitterness etc.

So sin is not just a thought but keeping or acting upon that thought is sin. We know that all of us are sinners.

(Rom 3:23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Sin is the Hebrew word + H2403 חַטָּאת חַטָּאָה chaṭṭâ'âh chaṭṭâ'th ' From H2398; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender.

The Hebrew word for sin comes from this word:

H2398 חָטָא châṭâ' khaw-taw' A primitive root; properly to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn

That is why many people describe sin as “missing the mark”.

The word in Greek is :

G266 ἁμαρτία hamartia ham-ar-tee'-ah From G264; sin (properly abstract): - offence, sin (-ful).

The Greek word for “sin” comes from G264 which, as you can see, has the exact same definition as the Hebrew. The word “sin” has not changed in it's meaning from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

G264 ἁμαρτάνω hamartanō ham-ar-tan'-o Perhaps from G1 (as a negative particle) and the base of G3313; properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin.

(1Jn 3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law (Torah): for sin is the transgression of the law (Torah).

G458 ἀνομία anomia an-om-ee'-ah From G459; illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness

G459 ἄνομος anomos an'-om-os From G1 (as a negative particle) and G3551; lawless, that is, (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication a Gentile), or (positively) wicked

“An” in Greek means “without”. omia or omos means “law. The Greek word is “without the law”. The only law that they had from God at the time was the Torah which is the Hebrew word for Law. The Torah is the first five books of the Bible which includes the ten commandments.

The book of 1 John was written by John in AD 85-95 some 50 or so years after Jesus death on the cross. At that time, they were still following the Old Testament law-instructions.

So what exactly is sin? I have heard the most common answer in the church is anything that is contrary to God or the Bible. While I believe this to be true, If I picked an instruction out of the Old Testament and asked that same person if we should follow this instruction they would say “no” and say it is not sin?

So has what use to be sin, no longer sin? Did the definition of “what is sin” change? Can sin be sin one day, and be righteousness the next day? When did it change?

I am confused??

Many will say that the Old Testament laws were nailed to the cross when Jesus died. Let us look carefully at that proof text that is used.

(Col 2:14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (G1378) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

The word “ordinances” is “dogma” which means “Law”

G1378 δόγμα dogma dog'-mah From the base of G1380; a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical)

At first glance this seems to say that all those laws of the Old Testament were “contrary to us” and it was taken out of the way-nailed to the cross when Jesus died.

Unfortunately this contradicts Scripture.

Is the Laws contrary to us? How was the Law contrary to us? What does Scripture say?

(Psa 119:142) Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

(Psa 119:152) Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

(Psa 119:128) Therefore I count all YourCommandments concerning all things to be right; I hate every false way.

(Psa 119:137) You are righteous, O Jehovah, and Your judgments are right.

(Psa 119:163) I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.

(Psa 119:172) My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
(Psa 119:174) I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is mydelight.

Psalm 119 is full of praise for God's law and instructions. SO it cannot be “the Law itself” that is contrary to us. So what could it be? What concerning the Law is contrary to us?

(1Jn 3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

(Rom 3:20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Sin is when you violate God's law. If we did not have God's law, we would not know what sin actually was. In the same way, If we did not have traffic speed limit signs, we would not know if we were speeding.

I heard a story about a young kid who got caught steeling and was in front of the judge. The mother of the kid was also there pleading to the judge for leniency because she was a single mother working hard to take care of her son and the household after her husband died. She and the Judge were old friends and she was hoping for a favor because she would end up being the one to have to work harder to pay his fines and she couldn't afford him to go to jail. She begged the judge to drop the charges.

The Judge gave his ruling. He sited that the child was caught steeling. He broke the law. Justice must be served if he was to be a righteous judge. He could not play favoritism and ignore the law or do away with the law. The law was broken and a fine had to be paid because that was the penalty for the crime. The Judgment was 150.00 fine payable immediately. The judge added: My office of Judge must be upheld in righteousness and justice and, in keeping with the office of Judge, I imposed this typical fine for the offense. However, as your friend, it is my honor to give you the 150.00 to pay this fine in full.

That is what Jesus did for us! He did not take away the law, He paid the penalty for us breaking it. The “handwriting that was against us” is the charge of us breaking it. It is the offense that we did that violated the law which required restitution.

(Rom 3:20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

(Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It was a Roman custom for a “Titulus Crucis” to be fixed above your head upon crucifixion, which was a wooden plaque detailing a persons crime. Jesus's Titulus Crucis was “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews”

The Apostle Paul was referencing the fact that our sins, the list of offenses where we broke the law, was nailed to the cross and like the Judge in my story, He paid the price and made restitution for those sins. Payment was made!

Let us look at the entire text putting it in perspective with the subject that is being discussed.

The subject is the fact that Jesus forgives us our trespasses (the times we transgress the law)

(Col 2:13-15) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;Blotting out the handwritingof ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Jesus forgave our sins and payed the penalty that was required for breaking the law. He did not get rid of the law because it is by the law that we know what sin is. If He got rid of the law then there would be no more sin because sin is defined as transgressing the law.

Then, to top it off, Jesus disarmed the principalitie s and powers of darkness because they no longer have a hold of us because Jesus paid the price. He paid the penalty for sin. We are no longer condemned to death because of our sins which, by the way, is the penalty for sin.

I am not sure how, we as Christians have gotten so far from the main message of the Bible. We have redefined sin, done away with the law and statements like “Jesus kept the law so we don't have to” makes His sacrifice meaningless because without the law/sin, we don't need a Savior.

God's law is eternal. His law is good and perfect. Jesus came to free us from sin, pay the penalty for our sins and his resurrection gave us the promise of eternal life.