Sin is any evil action or motive that is in opposition to God. Simply put, it is the attempt to take God’s rightful place in our lives. It controls our behavior and even our thoughts. Most of us have been born with a conscience, an inner voice that warns us when we are making a bad moral decision. Yet, we often ignore it. “If you don’t do what you know is right, you have sinned” (James 4:17 | CEV). Even when we want to do the right thing we often fall short. The apostle Paul confessed, “Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong” (Romans 7:19 | CEV). Sin is a genetic disease. No one is immune “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .” (Romans 3:23 | NIV)
Humans were made by God in his likeness. (Genesis 1:27, and 9:6) He intends for us to reflect his holy character. So, sin is any behavior that runs contrary to his nature. In the beginning humans were without sin. But God gave us freedom of choice or what we sometimes call “free will.” When faced with a moral choice our first parents sinned. They put more faith in Satan’s lies than in God’s truthful warning. (Genesis 3) When we do anything contrary to trust and faith in God we sin. It was their rebellion, their lack of faith, their desire to be like God that produced the first sin of disobedience. The apostle Paul said “everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). There is nothing humans can do on their own to make things right with God.
Adam and Eve caught and, subsequently, transmitted sin’s disease to every succeeding generation. Thankfully there is an antidote. “Yes, Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, but Christ’s righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live. Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed” (Romans 5:18-19 | TLB). Sin affects our relationship with God, other people and even nature itself. Jesus fixed what Adam broke. Totally and permanently rejecting Jesus, is the only sin that God will not forgive.
There are 33 words for sin in the New Testament. One word that is often used as a synonym for sin in English translations is transgression. The Old Testament uses six different nouns and three verbs to describe sin. No matter what word you use sin is sin. There are no “little” sins. God hates all sin. In Old Testament times, an animal without defect was sacrificed to atone for or pay the price for sin. “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 | NIV). We sin today because we are sinners. We normally don’t kill an animal to make up for our failures or transgressions. Yet, the penalty for sin is still death—a spiritual death, separation from God. For God to be just, a price must be paid for sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23 | NIV). The Good news of the gospel is Jesus already paid it with his life. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 | NIV).