It cannot be over emphasized that sin is a reality in total opposition to the will of God, the nature of God, and his purpose and aim for his creation.

Sin is first and foremost an act, mental or physical, aimed against God, and in defiance of him. Therefore when we ‘sin’ against an individual, we are not sinning against that individual primarily, but we are sinning primarily against God.

 When we sin it really means, that we are attending to replace God and his commandments with our own leadership or are placing someone other than God in control, and with own creation of laws and rules.  The essence of the problem is that we want to be like God or choose our God for ourselves.  In other words, we have a problem of idolatry, and this cannot in any way be acceptable to God.

 Since we believe that man has moved away from God’s divine standard, and cannot and will not of himself incline to that standard, and in fact now possesses a perverted mind, will, and nature, man is in need of a thorough overhaul. 

 Some people of course believe that man is basically good, and they blind their eyes to the lessons of history and the present condition in which we live. Though we understand this blinding of the eyes, it nevertheless cannot be accepted. 

 Sin is not a very pleasant subject to talk about.  It repels us to think that there is something inside of us, which controls us, and which makes us unable to do what we often know is right.  So people ignore the thought of sin, and sometimes deny sin exists.

Sin is a very serious matter, and when we look at the different words in the Bible translated sin, the great horror of it’s nature almost overwhelms us.  Some words emphasize why sin exists, other words define its nature, and yet others make clear the consequences of sin.

THE WORDS MEANING SIN

One of the main words which deals with the nature of sin, is a word which basically stresses the idea of missing the mark or deviating from the goal. The word does not mean simply that a mistake has been made.  Rather, as used in the Bible it suggests that the decision to fail had been made, and that there was a willful, conscious moral and religious deviation or sin.  The wicked therefore chose to aim at the wrong target, and did not make an innocent mistake. 

 In the New Testament the equivalent word stresses that there has been a violating of God's law. See John 8: 46; James 1: 15 and John 1:8.  Paul stresses that sin is a principle that rules human life.  It emphasizes what is actually done wrong, pointing out that sin is always sin against God. 

 It is normal that sinful men miss the mark of love and obedience that God has set as his standard.  This approach views our abuse of our bodies as really an abuse of God's Temple and therefore sinning against God. See 1 Cor. 3: 16-17. Similarly, when we do not love our brother, we are really showing not only our attitude toward our brother, but we are making a statement that we do not love God.

 Note that no matter why we did the wrong, our behavior is blameworthy.  When we miss the mark, the responsibility attaches itself to us.  In addition, blame attaches to us because we have acted in such a way that we have failed to achieve the purpose that was laid down for us.

 Another word which tells us about the nature of sin is the word meaning rebellion.  This is considered to be one that has the deepest in meaning.  It means, as in Isaiah 1: 2, 28, Ezekiel 2: 3, and 1 Kings 8: 50, that sin is a defiance of God's holy rule and Lordship.

It has the idea of stubbornness as well.  See Deuteronomy 21: 18; Psalm 78: 8.  The New Testament equivalent also stressed this idea of rebellion and disobedience.  Paul called Gentiles and those outside the Covenant, who have heard and refused to obey the gospel as “sons of disobedience”.  See Romans 1: 30, Ephesians 2: 2, 5: 6, Colossians 3: 6, 1 Peter 2: 8; 3:1; 4:17.

 Another word means “perversions” or “twisting”. See Proverbs 12: 8, Isaiah 21: 3, 19: 14; 24: 1; Lamentations 3: 9; 2 Samuel 24:17.  This sin is deliberate wrongdoing and the basic idea of guilt or iniquity is present.  The idea is that the sinner becomes twisted or distorted.  His character is altered, and his true nature is not what it was originally.

 Another word means “abomination”.  This word shows God's attitude and also the effect these sins have on God.  These acts are particularly reprehensible.  In this class the Bible lists idolatry (Deuteronomy 7: 25-26, homosexuality (Leviticus 18: 22; 20: 13), sacrificing sons and/or daughters (Deuteronomy 12: 31), witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18: 9-12), wearing clothes of the opposite sex (Deuteronomy 22: 5).

 The Bible indicates that God does not just object to these things, but as one writer puts it, “these practices virtually nauseate God.... It is something that produces revulsion in him”.

 Another word means “ignorance, erring”.  It refers to sin as error, or to the tendency of men to make mistakes.  It was used of sheep who stray from the flock (Ezekiel 34: 6).  Sometimes it is used to refer to people who makes mistakes and break the ritual procedures, in which case a small fine was levied. See Leviticus 22: 14.

A related term which means error literally means to “err or wander about”, like someone who is drunk (Isaiah 28: 7), perplexed (Isaiah 21: 4), or who is just erring in spirit (Isaiah 29: 24).  This is deliberate and not accidental erring.

 In the New Testament this matter of going astray, is considered avoidable, even if this is the result of being deceived by evil spirits (1 Timothy 4: 1; 1 John 4:6), other men (Ephesians 4:14; 2 Timothy 3: 13) or oneself (1 John 1: 8).

We are warned about this in Mark 13:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6: 9, Galatians 6: 7: Thess.2:9-12, 1 John 3: 7.  The onus is on men to know when they are being led astray or deceived.  The Bible teaches that the error should not have occurred, since people should know better, and should inform themselves to avoid error.

 Another word pictures sin as a “breach of trust or treachery”. This is treacherous behavior against God.  See Leviticus 26: 40, Psalm 78: 57; Jeremiah 3: 10; Malachi 2: 11, Hebrews 6: 6 .

In this instance, the bond or Covenant between God and his people is highlighted. Here the people have played the traitor, deserted God, and betrayed the trust inherent in the special relationship between God and his people,

 Another word emphasizes “iniquity or lack of integrity”. See Leviticus 19: 15 and Ezekiel 18: 24.  Here there is failure to maintain or hold onto the law of God, and an individual behaves differently in the present than in the past.

 Another often-used word means “transgressions”.  It is used approximately 600 times in the Old Testament to mean someone has crossed over the limit that had been laid down.  See Numbers 14: 41-42, Deuteronomy 17:2, 26:13, Jeremiah 34: 18; Hosea 6:7,, 8:1. 

Another word emphasizes the results of sin such as those meaning “restlessness or agitation”. See Job 3: 17 and Isaiah 57:20-21 where the wicked are said to be always in discomfort, confusion, and disorder.

 One interesting word describes evil in the sense of ‘badness’. This word is used to describe food that has gone bad, or a dangerous animal.  Sin is therefore said to produce badness, adversity, calamity, harm, or malignancy.

 Another word used to describe sin means “trouble”. See Hosea 4:15 and 10:8 where Bethel is referred to as the “house of trouble”, when it became the center of idolatry.

 “Guilt” is yet another word.  See Matthew 5:21-22, 1 Corinthians 11: 27, and James 2:10.  Anyone who commits sin is liable for punishment, for they are guilty of offending God.

THE NATURE OF SIN

Clearly then, there are many aspects to sin, but one thing is clear, the sinner has not fulfilled the law of God. 

We also have seen that there are many ways to sin, for it is not just by outward actions, but by our inward motives that we sin.  Sin is not just in our thoughts and actions, but there is an inward bent to sin.  Really, we sin because we are sinners.

Some would suggest that we sin because we are selfish. Though there is some truth in this view it cannot fully explain why some people sin even when selflessly giving themselves over to good causes. Sin is much more serious and deep than simply selfishness.

 Some say that sin results from our lower nature overcoming our higher spiritual nature.  But let us remember that there are not only sins from our so-called “lower nature”, but also sins coming from our so-called ‘spiritual nature’. Sins such as enmity are not necessarily physical but are from our so-called spiritual parts.

In fact, there are people who have brought their physical nature under rigid control, but who sin just like everybody else.  Though they might succeed in controlling their physical desires, they are still prone to pride and other such sins.

 It is often argued persuasively that the essence of sin is unbelief.  One writer says:

“Anyone who truly believe God to be what he says he is will accord to him his rightful status.  Failure to do so is sin.  Setting one's own ideas above God's revealed Word entails refusal to believe it to be true.  Seeking one's own will involves believing that one's own values are actually higher than those of God.  In short, it is failing to acknowledge God as God.”

 Let us be clear, Scripture teaches that sin in all it’s forms and manifestations is directed solely and most importantly against God.  See Psalm 51: 4 and Romans 8: 7.  Any definition of sin that avoids emphasizing that sin is aimed at God and is in contradiction to God’s Word is false.

THE ORIGIN OF SIN

Because sin and its effects are so universally evident, there have been many theories on the origin of sin.

Some believe that sin comes from the animal nature of man that has been evolving from the distant past.  Some with this view believe that this tendency to sin is growing less and less. It is felt that the source of sin is in human nature, and as man evolves, his moral consciousness will gradually develop, since he will no longer have to satisfy these animal impulses. 

As man became morally conscious, his acts of self-preservation natural to animals and of course to human beings, created conflict in man, and therefore the concept of sin developed.  Since all humans evolved, everyone has the sense of sin and guilt.  There was really no Fall.

 Other see sin as coming from man's recognition that he is limited, and thus he feels painfully and distressingly insecure because he cannot do what he wants to do, and his aspirations are circumscribed. This conflict and man's denial leads to sin.  For the people, the biblical description did not tell the whole story.

 Others hold that once man was created, he automatically was separated from God who is the ground or power of being for all.  This is the existentialist view of some modern theologians.  Man is in a state of ‘estrangement’, that is, not being what he essentially is or ought to be , or was intended and created to be, as compared to what he actually is.  Children are born like this, and as they grow, they freely do things that bring guilt, and demonstrate that they are responsible for their actions.

 Others see sin as coming from economic struggle, and the unequal distribution of power and wealth in the society.  These inequalities bring oppression and sin, and their removal will result in the removal of the occasion of sin.

 Yet others see sin as something not from inside man, but as something learned.  Individualism, competitiveness, and excessive assertiveness are the root causes of ‘ sin’.

 The Bible teaches however that God did not cause sin. Sin was present in the universe before Adam and Eve fell, and it came to man when man, on the suggestion and enticement of Satan, attempted to assert his independence of God, and seek equality with God.  This was a manifestation of an inward, disbelieving, disobedient, God denying aspiration.

 God had made man, that is, Adam and Eve, with certain desires, and certain capabilities such as the ability to choose.  Man was made with certain needs, and the desire to obtain, do, achieve, and enjoy certain things.  The desires in man were quite legitimate, but the man knew that he had to fulfill these desires in the divinely established order.  Man knew he should not overstep the divine bounds, still he exercised his choice to disobey. 

 Note that Jesus faced the same temptation from the Devil, but insisted that he would only follow the course that God had laid down, and do what he had to do in God's way.

 Because of man’s sin, he now had a bias to sin, and avoid God’s will. Only supernatural intervention, a changing of man's nature, conversion and regeneration could bring man back to a right relationship with God.

 Let us review what happened between God and man. The Almighty God, who is the only source of life, created man, the highest of his creatures, and gave him great gifts, appointing him as the one in charge of the earth. God did not have to create man, but he did and gave man everything he needed. But man failed to respect and reverence his God. He proved to be ungrateful, and spurned God’s gifts. Man’s behavior disrupted the harmony in the world, and wronged God and the creation..

THE EFFECTS OF SIN

The sin of Adam and Eve brought serious, severe and lasting consequences for their descendants and for the world.  Now all human beings were sinners, seriously and blatantly, with a heart that was deceitful and desperately corrupt. (Jeremiah 17: 9; Matthew 12: 33-35; 15:18-18; Romans 7 5; Galatians 5:17-22).

There were several effects of sin. These are still with us.

 Firstly, sin changed the attitude of Adam and Eve to God.  Their close and friendly relationship to God was shattered and they hid from God.  Shame and fear were now the dominant emotions. Because of Adam’s sin death spread to all men.

 Second, God's attitude to man was changed to be characterized by reproof, condemnation, curse, and expulsion from Eden. 

 God is sometimes said to hate the wicked (Psalm 5:5; 11:5).  Note that the wicked are described as those who hate God (Exodus 20:5, Deut 7:10; Romans 8: 7; Colossians 1: 21; James 4: 4; Romans 5: 8-10) and who hate the righteous, (Ps. 18:40; 69:4; Proverbs 29:10).

God also hates wickedness. (Proverbs 6:16-17; Zech 8:17) His unchanging nature makes it impossible for him to be complacent toward sin.  God is righteous, and will show righteous indignation against sin.  The Scriptures often speak of God's wrath, and assert the certainty of its display. (Romans 1:18; 2:5; 9:22)

 Note that God's disfavor upon sin, his anger, wrath, and displeasure toward it, flows from the nature of God.  This is not an emotional or arbitrary reaction.  The nature of God is absolute holiness, and God therefore automatically rejects sin.

His anger is never out of control, and dominated by excessive emotion.  He is always patient and long-suffering, but he always rejects sin.

 Third, our guilt, which destroyed the relationship with God, has subjected man to terrible punishment.  It has brought retribution from God to give us what we deserve.  Many do not like to think of God as a ‘God of vengeance’ but many Scriptures attest to this.  See Isaiah 1:24; 61: 2; 63:4; Ezekiel 25: 14; Romans 12: 19; Hebrews 10: 30)

Punishment is also for discipline.  See Psalm 107:10-16; Hebrews 12: 6.  It also purifies, and makes the remnant return to God.  There is the fact that sin brings punishment, for what is sown will be reaped. See Galatians 6:7-8.

 Fourth, sin has forged  a sordid history and a long catalogue of terrible things.

 Fifth, sin brought a curse to the ground and to the entire creation.  See Genesis 3: 17 and Romans 8:20. The creation is groaning and waiting for its redemption.

Sixth, death came, physical death, spiritual death, and eternal death.  Man was separated from life, and from God who is the only source of life.  Because of sin, then, death brought fear and terror.

 There are many other effects of sin.  Because of sin man has been unwilling to face reality.  He tries to deny his sin, and constantly struggles to shift responsibility for its away from himself.

He deceives himself, and always plays the hypocrite, forever denying his own corruption and injustice.

 Sin has made man insensitive to the warning of God, the call of the Spirit, and the pricks of his conscience.  He is dead to trespasses and sins, has little or no ability to respond to a spiritual call, to appreciate spiritual matters, to act properly in a spiritual way, and to do good things.

 The sinner becomes enslaved, for sin becomes a habit and an addiction, one sin leading to another.

Sinners become more and more restless, and are never satisfied.  There is no peace, and wants keep increasing faster than they can be met. Sinners are self-centered.

When it comes to dealing with other humans, sin has made men self-seeking and in conflict with others. (See James 4:1-2) They cannot see things from the perspective of others, and are unable to empathize.

 They cannot really love and they look at others with suspicion, and even hatred. They reject authority, doing what they want to do, and ignoring the effect this has on others.

Sin is thus a serious matter, and wickedness is pervasive. God had to destroy the world once because of sin, but despite that man continues to go astray.  The magnitude of sin is thus great, and the Bible constantly asserts that all men are sinners, and unable to pull themselves away from that condition.

 All men are considered to be sinners, and have received a corrupted nature because of Adam’s sin. All men are therefore guilty, and confirm their sin and guilt by their behavior.

Man therefore, has been a willing participant in the order of sin in the world, and is subject to the evil order of things ruled by the Devil and his angels. The world is thus organized in opposition to the rule of God. This world order is therefore condemned and doomed. (1 John 2:15-17; 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 11:32)

 Evil is thus both personal and on the corporate level of society. There are structures of evil both in the human heart and in the world, and these will lead to destruction and death.

SALVATION

Given what sin is, and how extensive and intensive its effects have been, it should be clear that that salvation of necessity involve a radical and qualitatively powerful change in the circumstances on the earth. This implies that people who accept Christ should understand that there shouldn’t be half measures in their lives. Given the nature of sin, a radical transformation must be seen.

 It is now important to understand what salvation really means, so that we can understand how God reacted to the presence of sin in man and in the world.

One Commentary defines salvation thus-

“The principal Hebrew term translated ‘ salvation’ has as its basic meaning “bring into a spacious environment (Psalms 18: 36; 66: 12), but it carries from the beginning the metaphorical sense of ‘ freedom from limitation’ and the means to that; that is, the deliverance from factors which constrain and confine.  It can be referred to deliverance from disease (Isaiah 38: 20), from trouble (Jeremiah 30: 7) or enemies ( 2 Samuel 3: 18; Psalm 44:7).  In the vast majority of references God is the author of salvation... to know God at all is to know him as a saving God so that the words ‘God’ and Savior are virtually identical terms in the old Testament.”

 Another commentary states

“God rescues and delivers from the situation of opposition and peril to one of recovered  spaciousness, prosperity, and well-being.  This meaning of the term is expanded to include deliverance from other forms of conflict, particularly in matters of the People's relationship to God.  Such a field of reference draws on other terms such as  ‘redemption’, ‘ Atonement’, ‘ reconciliation’, ‘ pardon’, ‘ expiation’, (also ‘peace’ and ‘righteousness’).  The goal of such deliverance is the establishment of God’s reign among his people and the other nations of the world....  The New Testament writers, apparently following the lead of Jesus himself, appropriate this specialized usage of salvation to designate the establishment of God's end time reign.  In doing so, they identify God's intent to ‘save’/’ rescue’, with the person and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.”

 Our concern in the matter of salvation is about the broken relationship between man and God, caused by man's failure to follow what God wanted, thus transgressing God’s law.  There's also the question of the human inclination to evil and sin, caused by the corruption in man.

 Several things are required for salvation.

Salvation for man required the change in his status to ‘not guilty’, or to be declared righteous in the sight of God.

 Salvation also required, that the close relationship with God that Adam had lost be restored.  This of course is done by God adopting us, so that we can call him Father.

 Salvation also requires that the heart be changed, that men’s lives be directed away from sin to the new direction toward God.  Regeneration or the new birth is therefore necessary, as well as a constant work toward changing the person's spiritual condition to conform more closely to that of Christ.

 This matter of salvation of the person brings up the question of election, a controversial subject.  What is clear in this matter however is the picture of man presented in the Bible. It shows that man is lost, blind, and unable to come to faith and be saved.  Man is hopelessly lost in sin, and without the desire or ability to save himself. (See Romans 3 9 –11).

Apart from statements describing the work of the Holy Spirit who himself confronts and changes men, there is no statement in the Bible suggesting that there is anything or anyone else which enables man to come to God, thus overriding the effects of sin.

 The initiative to save men is from God, and Jesus’ statements in John 6:37-45 and John 15: 16 clearly show that it is the special action of God which changes us and brings us to him.

 The Scriptures clearly teach that God's people will come to him, but it also instructs us that we are sent to teach all men, without exception.  We must do our duty, work as required, and leave the coming of the fruit to God.

The Scripture makes it clear that an invitation is given to all persons.  See Matthew 11:28 and Isaiah 45:22.  But in Matthew 22:14 Jesus points to the choosing action of God.  Some refer to this as ‘effectual’ calling, where God works with his elect in such a way that they will certainly respond to him.  This effectual calling logically occurs before conversion.

 Conversion and the new birth happens simultaneously, and God regenerates those who  repent and believe.  See Acts 2:38 and 16:31.   

The first step in the life of a Christian involves turning away from sin, and in faith turning to Christ.  Note the Bible does not say how much time is involved in this process, for some seem to come to Christ quickly when in a crisis situation, while the change seems more gradual with others.

The result is the same in every case however.

 Repentance involves abandoning or turning away from sin.  There is an emotional aspect, but there is the aspect of the change of mind and thinking differently about Jesus.

Repentance must occur and is not an option.  Jesus taught that repentance was necessary, for example, in Matthew 4:17 and in Luke 24: 46,47. Paul and the other Apostles preach repentance as something that men everywhere must do.  See Acts 17; 13.

True repentance is not just regretting one’s sins.  When people do things and the consequences are unpleasant, people often regret their actions.  True repentance is different from sorrow or penitence.  In real repentance there is sorrow for what was done to God, and there's a genuine desire to forsake and forever leave that sin.

In Luke 9: 23 Jesus called for real repentance showing itself in deep and lasting commitment.  The inner man must be changed, for that is a result of  “Godly repentance”

 Faith is considered to be the positive aspect of conversion, for here a person holds onto the Gospel which of course is the ‘good news’ of the promises and work of Christ.  It is interesting to note that the Jews regarded ‘faith’ as something that one does rather than something that a person has.  It is an activity, involving fastening oneself to and leaning on the faithfulness of God.

The type of faith necessary for salvation has both the aspects of believing in Jesus, a person, and also believing that Jesus can and will save.  Both a man’s emotion as well as his reason are thus involved.  The Jewish leaders, Thomas and the rest of the disciples had ample facts that should have intellectually convinced them that Jesus was the Messiah, but despite this, both intellect, reason, emotion, and trust had not come together as was required.  Faith is required to please God. Faith involves all the intellectual, will and emotions.

Let us never forget that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring all these changes in the hearts of men.

 Regeneration, the transformation of men, giving them new life, direction, and spiritual life,  changing men from being dead to becoming alive, is the work of God.  Nobody is good enough in their natural state and men therefore must be changed.

Regeneration involves changing completely a person's natural tendencies.  It means making a person dead to their natural way of acting and living.  The person therefore becomes a new creation.

Regeneration also reverses the basic effects of sin.  The new birth restores our human nature to what it was originally intended to be. A new life begins which will one day reach maturity.

 The new birth is completed in an instant, it is a single action, and not a process.  Believers are “born again”, or are described as “having been born again”, never ever as “being born again”.  See John 1:12-13; 2 Cor. 5: 17; Ephesians 2: 1, 5-6; James 1: 18; 1 Peter 1: 3, 23; 1 John 2: 29.

Note that regeneration means that there is no goodness in human beings.  The Bible does not teach that it has great expectations from men.  The Bible teaches it is only with the work of God that there can be complete transformation and restoration to man’s lost state.

 After regeneration, sanctification begins, and the believer begins his march on the road to maturity and eventual glorification.

Note that now the believer is in union with Christ.  See 2 Cor 5: 17; Ephesians 1:3-8; Colossians 1:27 and other passages.

 God the Father now judges us by looking on Christ.  The Holy Spirit has bound us together with Christ, and we are bonded with him.  The life of Christ flows into us, and we are strengthened and kept by this.  We are accounted righteous, and no condemnation attaches itself to us.  We now live by the strength of Christ.

Believers now have the certainty and promise that they will reign with Christ in a glorious future.

 Not only are believers justified, the judgment against us is canceled. We are not only pardoned, but we are transferred into a new status and condition, as favored sons of God.  We are forgiven, reconciled, at peace with God, receive special care, love and attention from the Father.

 Believers show their faith, their position with God, and their love of God, by working.  See Ephesians 2: 8-10 and James 2: 17-26.  Genuinely saved people show it by their life and work.

Believers are told to aim at complete freedom from sin.  Many commands are given to us to aim high, even though the Scriptures also teach that men will sin sometimes.

The Scriptures insists however that in this union with Christ we must bear fruit, and show the love of God to others, as well as show special and intense love for the brethren

God continually works to make the believer become more and more like Christ, that is, to  make him morally holy, to match the right standing he legally has before God.  Believers  are set apart to God to live lives of purity and goodness.  We are constantly urged to live  worthy of our calling.

 The Holy Spirit is the one who does this refining work.  This work is ongoing, and Romans 8: 29 has stated the goal.  For their part, believers are to avoid sin and evil, put to death the works of the flesh, and live to show that we are the Temple of God.

 The Bible insists also that his people keep his Commandments, and at all times do his will, and be guided by his precepts.  There is no room for disobedience, or rejection of his commands.  One thing is certain, the things we do should in no way violate the written laws of God.

 The Bible moreover insists that people who are saved, must be separate from the world.  See James 1: 27 and 2 Cor. 6: 17-18.  This is not a call for us to be removed from the world, but for us to live in a way that displays God to the world, behavior which in fact will most often be very different from the way the world behaves.  All this must be done under the guidance of the Spirit.

This new behavior in fact has proved to be very difficult for people who claim to be saved.  Most do everything in exactly the same way as the world does, and are practically indistinguishable from the world.  Their goals, tastes, style, speech, financial habits, prejudices, biases, dislikes, philosophies, and so on are just like the rest of the world.  In fact, shamelessly, they often parade behavior which brings disgrace to the body of Christ, and leave it up to the world to show a moral, social conscience.  The people who are believers are very often extremely selective in the things that they care about.  The world is therefore correct in many cases to reprimand Christians and accuse them of hypocrisy.

With salvation will finally come glorification.  This means that all believers, will eventually be perfected.  The entire creation will then be transformed.  The believers will be flawless, blameless, and will come to a full knowledge when they see the Lord. Saved persons will find rest in the perfect and eternal New Jerusalem, where the glory of God will be present.  Then, through all eternity everything and more that has ever been imagined will be available.