What is sin?
James 2:9 4:17
INTRODUCTION- as a pastor this is one question that I get asked a lot .This is a very simple question but like a sky scrapper it has many floors and levels. Too many think the question is what do men think sin is? That is not what I want to answer this am, I want us to look specifically at the Bible and see what the Bible says sin is. There are 7 definitions of sin given in the Bible, two given by James, two by John, one by Paul and two by Solomon. Let us look at all 7 day and see what we can learn. But first we must understand one simple premise all sin is deadly no matter how big or small- it is the little foxes that spoil the vineyard. And all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The intent of this sermon is not to make you feel guilty but to show you that we need Jesus and salvation and sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit to help us live above sin. I hate to tell you this but it is easy to sing! Let us look at these scriptures.
1) Stepping over or breaking the Law of God. 1John 3:4 Lawlessness is sin is what John says. Here we go let us start out with trouble. If the law says drive 55 and we deliberate break the law and say I can’t drive 55 I must drive 65 then according to what I just read it is sin. Or better yet as a child you come near a pond or lake on a hot summer day and the sign says no swimming – what do you do you go swimming. Wait a minute preacher both of those seem silly to me that is not the same thing as me going out and cheating the IRS or killing someone. It is not God but man who categorizes sin. Remember Jesus with the woman caught in adultery – let Him without sin cast the first stone and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
So again is it sin if you deliberately break the law- let the police catch you and they will tell you yes
2) Coming short of the requirements of the law. 1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin falling short. You take a test and someone asked how you did I almost made a 100? Great how many did you miss? Half. It is like doing a job did you clean your room? Almost I thought about it!
Or running a race the winner gets 1000 dollars and the rest get nothing. You finish second – you can’t buy anything with that at the grocery store! You have to jump a ditch full of water that is 4 feet wide and you only jump 3 – you get wet!
You come to church, you pay tithes you help out but you never accept Jesus as Lord and savior –sin keeps you out you come up short!
3) Not living up to the light God has already given us! James 4:17 One of the hardest saying in the Bible. How many always do the right thing. You always understand your spouse had a rough day so when they snap at you, you respond softly. When someone cuts you off on the highway you just smile and wave with you whole hand. When you see a need of a person who you don’t like you know they have spent their money on everything else but food and now they are hungry you take them food. Can I stop yet? All of us are in trouble here so I will just move on!
4) Sin can also be a thought as well as action Proverbs 24:9
I know this is where I get in trouble for I saw myself in the paper the other day- a man in a truck at a McDonalds drive thru- pushed the car in front of him out of the way for taking too long at the window!! That is me!!! But I know that is foolish – I need machine guns instead! No thinking of that is foolish and devising foolish plans in sin. Or so we may understand it Jesus said if you even think of committing adultery it is sin – if you think of killing your brother it is sin. Sometimes we say well I didn’t do it did did I!! We are no supposed to even think it!
5) We sin when we do things we are doubtful about or do things in doubt and not in faith Romans 14:23
I know God can heal me but why even bother to pray for I know he won’t do it! That is sin!! I know God loves me but he never does anything for me I must not have the faith of others I am such a loser- that is sin. We are to do all things in faith believing that not only God can – we k now that but he will!! And that is where we get in trouble. I have a friend I pastured she was just the opposite – she would get sick she would say I know god will heal me cause I’m his favorite- she was saying it in a playful way but she believed God at his word if we don’t then it is sin!
6) Sin is viewed as Pride and Vanity-Proverbs 21:4
To many think they are better than they really are and that is sin. When we first moved here there were people who would not even talk to Sarah and me at WA Ballgames. They thought we were beneath them. O to be fair if no one else was around they would speak but let someone who they thought was important come by and we were toast! That is sin. To think you are better than others because of who you are your skin color, your name ECT it is sin
7) To show partiality James 2:9 this is what they did in number 6
That is a short list but it covers a lot what are we going to do for I do believe all of us fall in one category and maybe more
Romans 7:22-25
Let Jesus save you then sanctify you today!
