Explaining Sin
I grew up in a family that was filled with believers. From a young age, I heard things such as “don’t do this, it’s a sin” and “be careful, that’s sinful”. It took me a long time to understand what that even meant. Frankly put, I only really understood what it meant a little before I turned my life over to Christ. And even then, there are still so many aspects of it that I don’t fully understand.
Which is why I am here today to share that information with you, so that you don’t live in confusion like I once did. To add to that, why be confused if the God of Israel isn’t a God of confusion, but of peace? (1 Corinthians 14:33)
Easy question: what is sin?
Maybe it isn’t as easy as anyone ever thought. So to understand what it is, let’s look into the Bible. 1 John 3:14 says that sin is “all sin is contrary to the law of God”. In other versions, it's referred to as being “lawless” and a “transgression of God’s law”. So, from that verse alone, we can understand that anything that goes against God’s law is sin.
This led me down a rabbit hole: where do we find sin? How do we avoid sin? How can I be more like Christ and be less sinful?
The first question can be answered simply: the Bible. In it, you can find God’s Law. All of it is inside. This law, as well as His commandments, were originally meant to be told from one generation to the next (Deuteronomy 6:6 - 7). These were supposed to be impressed into our hearts, as a sign of the covenant with God (Jeremiah 31:33). But that didn’t happen, the proof being that Ecclesiastes 7:20 says that “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins”.
But we can still live life without sin today! There’s only two ways for that to happen, and we need them both: the Holy Spirit, as well as the continuous search of the truth through the Word of God. That’s how we avoid sin and be more Christ like in our daily lives. With the Holy Spirit and continuous search, we learn more. We are able to quench the temptations of our own desires (James 1:14) and develop the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 - 23).
Explaining sin isn’t an easy task, as it requires that people accept their own sinful nature (Romans 3:23). But it also brings us closer to God when we know that we have fallen, repent and seek Him with more fervor. It is a possibility for all of us who have Yeshua as Lord and Savior.