LOST and FOUND
What is Sin?
What is Sin?
Everyone has sinned and fallen short [or is not worthy]
of God’s glorious standard [or glorious presence; glory]
Romans 3:23, Amplified (AMPC)
of God’s glorious standard [or glorious presence; glory]
Romans 3:23, Amplified (AMPC)
What is sin? Are we ‘missing the mark’ by saying sin is just “missing the mark” of God’s perfect standard? Because if we add in the word “transgression”, we could say it is firing in the very opposite direction, away from the target of God’s glory! Some, therefore define it as “any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” Sin certainly runs deeper than getting things wrong, a “we all make mistakes” attitude, because the Bible shows our sinful nature is the root of the problem, our daily sins are the result. Hence, everyone is separated from God equally - regardless of the external form of behaviour.
Now we can see why Søren Kierkegaard defined sin as “building our identities and self-worth on anything other than God”. That definition conveys the biblical themes of idolatry, self-justification, and self-glorification. Sin is a distortion and dislocation of the heart from its true center in God (Rom 1:21-25).
Paul in Romans 3 describes the hold that sin has on everyone. First, our character (10-12) then conversation (13-14) conduct (15-17) and finally connection with God (18) are all distorted. This does not mean that every person is as bad as he could be - we may know individuals who live rather exemplary lives apart from Christ - but that sin has affected every part of our being and there is nothing anyone can do to commend himself to a holy God. Understanding that our sinful nature entered through one man gives us hope that through one man the sin problem can be solved (Rom 5:12,15-19).
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Avoid that Sin-king feeling; let the Son be king
Avoid that Sin-king feeling; let the Son be king
