What is sin really?

Question

I looked up the word and it said "sin is a condition of the heart, and Jesus traced sin to inner motives." Sin is also defined as a violation of the righteous nature of God. So I looked up righteousness and it said it was "to be in the conformity with God's character, and accomplish God's righteous purposes with sinners." So what is sin? Is it a list of the things written in Romans that we should not do? If so, where does inner motives come in to play? Is is all about practicing a certain behavior or is it the consequences of that behavior that is a sin?

I know Scripture so I really want your opinion of how you interpret only.

Answer 1

Sin is simply missing the mark.

Like an archer releasing an arrow toward a target, when the arrow fails to hit the bullseye, that is missing the mark. God has set the standard. He says nothing less than perfection will do. We all fail to hit the bullseye that God has set before us. That is what God calls sin.

Romans 3:23 says, "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, and have come short of the glory of God."

Since God tells us about sin and its consequesnces in the Bible, why would you not accept the Biblical definition and instead want to know what "people" think sin is?

Answer 2

Sin is disobedience. Plain and simple. That's why no sin is greater than any other. The same way Assault is forgiven when asked for...so is theft or adultery. God doesn't have to scrub any harder to wipe your slate clean to erase certain sins. It's all disobedience to Him. Adam and Eve committed the first sin, they disobeyed what God told them. It didn't matter WHAT God told them, the fact was they did the opposite. If He would've told them Don't sit down when the sun is out and they did it....SIN.

We place value on Sin. We say, oh sleeping with someone's spouse is worse than telling a little lie. We value sin as humans by the affect it will have. Not in God's eyes. He directed us to do neither of those things so it's all the same to Him. Sin is disobedience. If God told you to give someone 5 dollars and you don't...SIN. It was something God told you to do and you did what?....Disobeyed.

It all boils down to obedience or the lack there of.
Partial Obedience = Disobedience
Slow Obedience = Disobedience

If The Lord wants you to do something and He directs you to move now and you don't....You got it, Disobedience.

You want to live a sinLESS life, Conform your thoughts to His way of thinking. See things the way He does. Carry out all that He asks you to do. If you weren't able to do it, He wouldn't tell you to. Grace is an enablement, if God leads you to do something His Grace will be sufficient for you to accomplish that which He has called you to.

I pray that this helped you. Be Blessed!

Answer 3

Sin is the disobedience to the will of God; wrongdoing.

Yes, there is a list. It's called "the ten commandments". There is also a book, the Holy Bible, which can illuminate your vision on sin.

There is only one unforgivable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 12:31, "...every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphem"y against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.

Answer 4

Sin is officially defined as: "Violation of divine law."

Divine Law, in turn, is defined as: "A law that is BELIEVED to come directly from God."

By way of interpretation, one must believe in God in order to sin, or at the very least believe in the edicts set forth by the bible (which, incidentally was written and edited by a bunch of MEN....NOT God).

I personally think that sin is just a way of labeling morals and ethics when they fall under the REALLY bad headings of actions (murder, rape, incest, adultery, robbery/theft, etc).

If YOU feel something is wrong, then doing that wrong thing would be a sin. If SOCIETY thinks you're doing something wrong then you're breaking the law.

Answer 5

Sin is an act that is committed that may or may not harm others, but separates you from the close relationship you have with God. God hates sin, and cannot stand it so when we are in sin we are separating ourselves from God with our sin. Through Jesus Christ our sin is forgiven and when God looks at us (after we have accepted Jesus as our savior) he only see's His son Jesus and not our sin. Jesus covers our sin. Also anything you do that you know is not acceptable to the standards of God. Some written, most unwritten.

Answer 6

Sin is doing something premeditated, that hurts someone else or yourself.
Sin is destroying any of God's creations, for purposes other than survival.
If you live strictly by the Ten Comandments, there is no room for sin.

Answer 7

One's focus should not be on sin and its avoidance, but rather one's focus should be on love for others and fulfilling the law in this way.

Sin has several definitions in scripture.

Whatever is not of faith is sin.

To show partiality in love is sin.

All unrighteousness is sin.

Sin is iniquity (poorly translated in the KJV, btw)

But a Christian is freed from sin; dead to sin.

Don't let it be your focus. Fear is generated when one walks this path. Perfect love casts out fear.

James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

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Answer 8

all that religeous stuff doesn't make sense to me

lately I realize its very much like what Warren Buffet said though "don't do anything you would not want to see on the front page of tomorrows newspaper"

I try to live like that, perhaps the things you do that you would not want to see there are the "sins".

and they get published, even if only in your own mind

maybe its kinda the same for religion and sins maybe, I don't know

anyway, Mr. Buffet is wise and perhaps thats why he is the second wealthiest man on Earth, he wrote a $35 BILLION doller check to Bill, and they say his hand didn't flinch when he signed it

Answer 9

sin is when you do something god would not allow jesus to do. Everyone sins, no one is perfect, thats why jesus died on the cross for everyones sins. Sin is all around,.. rape, stealing.. jealousy (yes thats a sin too) adultry, etc. anything you wouldnt do in front of god, if he was to be standing there.. that is sin.

thats the way i see it anyway.

Answer 10

A sin is something you do against Gods will.
Example: It says in the ten commandments that"thou shall not steal" If you steal, it a sin.