What Is Sin?

What is sin? How did sin originate? Did we inherit sin? What happens when Christians sin? Does God have a solution to sin?

This Strange Word

Sin is a strange word to our modern ears. To some people it comes across as very judgmental or even archaic. But that is not the case at all when we understand what it really means.

Our English word sin is a translation of many different words in the original languages of the Bible, Hebrew and sometimes Aramaic in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament. The ancient meanings actually have very important relevance for us today.

Missing the Mark

One Hebrew word ????? (chata) simply means to miss the mark or miss the way.

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." (Exodus 20:20 NASB)

We may think of archers or shooters aiming for the bull’s eye on a target or a traveler taking the wrong road.

God created us for an ideal life, which we often miss out on for any number of reasons. We miss out because of our own bad decisions or the consequences of other people’s wrong choices.

When we come to the New Testament one of the common Greek words for sin ?µa?t?a (hamartia) also means to miss the mark.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Romans 5:12 NLT)

This is the word that gives rise to a branch of theology, the study of sin called hamartiology.

Moral Evil

Another Hebrew word ??? (ra) is much more serious, meaning evil or ruin.

But Er was a wicked man in the LORD's sight, so the LORD took his life. (Genesis 38:7 NLT)

We all recognize that some human actions are just plain evil or ruinous. We could think of such actions like murder and theft. That is not judgmentalism, but a simple fact of life. We all recognize that some things are just plain wrong.

Another Greek word p?????? (poneros) also refers to the more serious side of sin, moral evil.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12 NIV)

Morality plays a role in keeping any society civilized. When moral evil becomes too prevalent the social order begins to break down into chaos.

Going Astray

Another Hebrew word translated as sin ?????? (shag’ah) means going astray.

But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses… (Numbers 15:22 ESV)

We could have in mind a young person who makes some bad decisions, a spouse who cheats in their marriage or an executive who engages in fraud. While we all make mistakes, some mistakes are big ones with long-term consequences.

Lawlessness

When a society begins to collapse into anarchy another Greek word describing sin ???µ?a (anomia) meaning lawlessness becomes more relevant.

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4 NIV)

All free societies must balance the twin sides of “freedom to” and “freedom from”. Our freedom to do what we want must be balanced by the need to be free from the negative consequences of our own actions and those of others.

One of the greatest threats to freedom is lawlessness, yet in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained how difficult it is for a Christian to keep the spirit of the law. So, we need someone to set us free from our innate inability to keep the law. Hence, true freedom is only found in Christ. We are not free to continue sinning, but no longer slaves to the penalty for past sins.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:15 KJV)

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Galatians 5:1 NLT)

Sin’s Origin

According to the Bible, sin did not actually begin in humanity but in the angelic realm.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NIV)

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3 KJV)

You were in Eden, the garden of God… I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.” (Ezekiel 28:12-19 NLT)