The Bible has two definitions of sin. The first is, “Sin is the transgression of the law,” or put another way, “sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4. The law here is God’s moral law, based on His own character of unselfish love and concern for others. It is expressed succinctly in the Ten Commandments. Exod. 20:3-17.
The second definition of sin is, “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” Rom. 14:23, NKJV. This means anything we might say or do that we know God wouldn’t approve of is sin for us. It also implies that we know and trust God and understand what would please Him. And that’s the key to understanding true obedience as well as sin. If we know and trust God, we’re not just following rules when we keep His commandments; we genuinely want to please Him.
The Bible often speaks of humans as God’s children. In an ideal father-child relationship, they love being together and enjoy doing things together. The child knows and trusts the father, going to him for understanding, comfort, and problem-solving. Pleasing the father gives the child pleasure and is his motivation for obedience.
That’s the loving relationship God wants with us. But many of us don’t know God. We think we’re fine because outwardly we’re “good people”—most of the time. Yet inwardly we feel we’re missing something. The Bible’s second definition of sin, “Whatever is not from faith is sin,” makes our problem clear. We don’t have a solid, trusting relationship with God. The two definitions together also help us understand how sin arose in humanity.
God created the first humans, Adam and Eve, with loving, unselfish hearts like His. But a hate-filled rebel angel, whom we know as Satan, persuaded Eve to distrust and disbelieve God. As a result, she lost her motivation to obey Him. Gen. 3:1-6; Luke 4:6.
With Satan’s encouragement, Eve ate fruit God had forbidden, believing the lie that she would become a god and never die. Then she offered it to Adam. Unlike Eve, Adam knew that they would die if they ate the fruit, just as God had said. Yet Adam decided to eat it rather than lose Eve. Gen. 3:9-13; 1 Tim. 2:14. His commitment to God was not strong enough to trust and obey in this situation.
Both showed a sad lack of faith and loyalty. Both disobeyed and sinned. All of this separated them from God, the source of their life and happiness. It permanently changed their whole mindset to self-centeredness and rebellion, and doomed them and us to decline and death. Rom. 6:23.
God planned for His human children to be immortal. He wanted us to enjoy having Him as our Father, forever. But we inherited Adam and Eve’s changed human nature. Now we’re all sinning too. Rom. 3:23. As a result, humans are in conflict with one another and estranged from God. We try to fill our inner emptiness, but even the closest human relationship can’t replace knowing the God who is love.
God loves humanity too much to let sin destroy lives indefinitely, but He also wants moral beings to see sin’s outcome clearly so it will never arise again. When the time is right, God will eradicate sin completely. What about sinners?
The Bible warns clearly, “The wages of sin is death.” Rom 6:23. Those who cling to sin will be annihilated with it. Mal. 4:1-3. But God devised an amazing plan to save sinners: the Son of God came in human form and, through His death on the cross, paid sin’s penalty for us. As a result, those who turn from sin and believe in Jesus are forgiven and receive eternal life. John 3:16. They’re changed and experience the joyful, obedient relationship with God that we were made for. We’re all invited to accept this undeserved kindness and salvation.
All verses quoted are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
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