What Does the Bible Say a Sin Is?

A large proportion of the Bible is devoted to the subject of sin. It defines sin and talks about its consequences. It explains that no one is exempt from sinning or from the penalties that result from Adam and Eve's "original" sin. The Bible also catalogs various activities as sins.

Identification

Theologians often start by citing Romans 3:23 when they attempt to define what sin is according to the Bible. This verse contrasts sin with the glory of God. Sin is any behavior that does not meet the standard of God's glory. Next, Biblical scholars quote Romans 6:23, which states that the sin results in death. This verse uses the metaphor of wage earning to say that death is the paycheck for sin. Later, the connection between death and sin continues with a new metaphor. First Corinthians 15:56 describes sin as the "sting" of death.

History

The first recorded sin happened in the third chapter of Genesis. It was motivated by Satan, posing as a talking snake who taunted Eve about God's restriction against eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then Eve convinced Adam to join her in tasting the fruit. When God confronted them, He assigned various penalties for all three participants in this original sin, of which the most significant was the imposition of death on mankind.

Significance

Notable other Biblical characters sinned in significant ways. Cain killed his brother, Abel, after God warned him that he was at risk for sinning. Moses sinned when he disregarded God's instruction to "speak" to the rock to release water for the wandering Israelites in the wilderness. Instead, he struck the rock with a stick. The consequence was that he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. He died right before the people went in. King David committed the sexual sin of adultery with Bathsheba while her husband, Uriah, was off fighting in David's army. Later, to hide his sin, David ordered Uriah to be killed in battle. The child died soon after it was born, in spite of David's prayers and fasting. King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, erected two gold calf idols at the borders of Israel. He was remembered as the one who "caused Israel to sin." The result was Israel's captivity by Assyria. A similar refusal to eliminate idolatry caused Judah to go into captivity to Babylon.

Features

Since, according to Romans 3:23, no one is exempt from sin, the Bible provides certain antidotes for it. The Old Testament model of sin offerings foreshadows the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who according to John the Baptist is the "lamb who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Both the Old Testament model of animal sacrifice and the New Testament understanding of the crucifixion of the son of God rely on shedding blood to pay for sin. The Old Testament idea of forgiveness included having one's sins "covered" (Psalm 32:1)

Considerations

Forgiveness for sin is activated by the honest confession of the sinner. In the Old Testament, this happened at the moment of sacrifice. In the New Testament it relies on an appropriation of the shed blood of Jesus. See Numbers 5:6,7 and 1 John 1:8. Restitution is a second key to becoming fully forgiven for sins that were against another person.

Types

The most basic catalog of sins is found in the Ten Commandments. Sins include idolatry, taking God's name "in vain," dishonoring parents, neglecting to rest on the weekly Sabbath, murder, lying, sexual sin, and coveting. The exact nature of the various sins is elaborated throughout the Bible, especially in the books of Leviticus and in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus added many more nuances to the definition of several sins. While some specific sins carried capital punishment in the Old Testament, according to the New Testament there is only one sin "that leads to death" but it is not clearly defined (1 John 5:16).

Resources

• Searchable Online Bible