All Have Sinned

All Have Sinned

The Word of God Determines?

Many questions abide about the sins of mankind. Among the most common is “what is sin and is it subjective to mankind's opinion?” The writer of the book of Romans says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23)

The Bible, the "Logos," the revealed will of God makes it clear, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every true God-believing, Christ-centered, Spirit-led person seeks the whole counsel of the Bible so they can know how to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. They have the heart of the Psalmist who wrote, "Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey Your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O LORD; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word." (Psalm 119:1-16)

Sin (ἁμαρτάνω hamartánō) is to miss the mark on the way. One who keeps missing the mark in his relationship with God is hamartōlós, a sinner. (The Complete Word Study of the New Testament) Eve failed to be steadfast on God commands; thus, women have to suffer painful labor during childbirth. Adam did not meditate on God's way; therefore, through painful toil mankind must make his living. Their collective willingness to be misled is the reason why mankind's flesh must return to the ground. They’ve missed the mark, as it were, which set in motion the demonstration of God's justice, "being banished from the Garden of Eden." (Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 5:12) The Garden of Eden represents to us a place where mankind can enjoy uninterrupted and unadulterated fellowship with the Lord. Sin is that condition of the human heart that creates a lifestyle that is offensive to the God who created man. In truth, sin is the condition that hardens mankind's spirit against God's sovereign will for them. It is cancer that afflicts the mind/heart/affections, poisoning mankind's thought, influencing their words and producing misdeeds that harden mankind's spirit to the leading of the Holy Spirit of Christ. Sin keeps mankind from seeking Biblical council on marriage, thus keeping couples from being one flesh (Genesis 2:24), united to one another (Genesis 2:24) producing a heart open to divorce (Matthew 19:8). Sin attacks the mind, producing unproductive thinking, nursing and rehearsing, missing Gods mark of meditation that is pleasing to Him (Psalm 104:34) and thoughts taken captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The Bible tells of the fruits of the sinful nature. (Romans 1:18-32; God's Wrath Against Sinful Humanity; Galatians 5:19-21) Sin is not determined by the opinion of man or the oversight of the self-proclaimed churches, but by the "Logos," the revealed will of God, the Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote, "...I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law." Paul was checking his thoughts and life to the Word of God. (Romans 7:7)

Where do you get your conclusions of sin? Is the Word of God, the Bible, your final decision on what sin is?