The subject of “sin” has never been a popular one. People do not typically plan social events to sit around and discuss the topic of “sin.” They don’t enjoy getting together and chatting about sin. They may engage in sinful conversations, or in conversations about sinful things,but they do not themselves consider such things to be sinful. Discussions of sin are so unpopular that even some churches now avoid discussing it. They deliberately avoid the use of Bible passages that define sin and describe its awful consequences. They do not condemn sin, for they do not want to be seen as being critical or negative. They wish to project an only positive image. Do they not know that one aspect of gospel preaching is to identify, expose and oppose sin and error? What right do men have to deliberately ignore certain parts of divine revelation just because they are not comfortable with them? Jesus regularly exposed sin and error, and that preaching model is repeated throughout the pages of the New Testament.
The word “sin” certainly has a negative connotation, but not just because it describes things that are wrong: It also has a negative connotation because it describes the wrong things that people like to do. Sin is wrong, but it is also pleasurable. This is seen from Hebrews 11:24-25:
“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
Unforgiven sin results in spiritual death and eternal damnation (“the wages of sin is death” – Romans 6:23). Some sins also have certain physical consequences (“the way of transgressors is hard” – Proverbs 13:15). The pleasure that sin produces is “fleeting.” Nonetheless, God does describe sin as “pleasurable” to humans, and this is what makes it so difficult to discuss. People do not understand how terrible sin really is (Romans 7:13). They do not understand how terrible its consequences are. Sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Sinners of every type will ultimately be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone – the second death (Revelation 21:8). In man’s “first” death, his spirit is separated from his physical body (James 2:26). In this second death, man’s spirit is eternally separated from God!
Though there are several particular attitudes and actions that the New Testament describes as sinful, four simple verses describe the basic idea of sin:
1 John 3:4 tells us that sin is the transgression of God’s law. We sin if we either don’t do what God tells us to do, or if we do what God tells us not to do.
1 John 5:17 tells us “all unrighteousness is sin.” Of course, “righteousness” is defined only by God. All of God’s “commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172), thus we avoid sin by obeying God’s commandments.
James 4:17 tells us that sin is the failure to do what one knows to be good. Again, God is the author of what is “good.”
Romans 14:23 tells us “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” This context has to do with matters of conscience. One must not violate his scruples regarding what he has concluded to be right and wrong.
Thankfully, sin can be forgiven. In our next article we will consider how this is done.
Tim Haile