The topic of sin and even the use of the word doesn’t seem popular among many modern preachers. Yet the Bible doesn’t avoid addressing humanity’s deepest problem of sin. From the beginning of time, God created the world and its creatures with a good blueprint in mind for the flourishing of life^[1]. God designed humanity to reflect His glory and possess the capacity to be responsible moral agents who govern the earth and their own lives honorably and carefully^[2]. With deception at play and disobedience to God carried out the first humans engaged in the “original sin” that has had global effects to this day and every person feels it.

The Essence of Sin

            The Bible has much to teach us about sin. Sin at its core is a rejection of God and His good design for life and its rebellion against His authority and word.  Sin is a failure both to be what God has created us to be and a failure to do what He has commanded us to do. 

           The Scripture teaches that we are sinners both by nature^[3] and by choice^[4]. From birth, all of humanity is born in sin^[5] and bent toward doing evil^[6]. This is what the Bible is referring to when it uses the word iniquity. Humanity’s sin problem isn’t merely a matter of us doing something wrong, which we all have, the problem goes to the very core of who we are, which must be changed. Many address the problem of sin on solely an external level while leaving the inner person full of pollution and corruption. Jesus, the Apostles, and the Prophets each addressed sin at a much deeper level than merely external behavior, though sin is displayed through outward actions. They addressed sin at the level of the thoughts of the heart^[7], motives^[8], words^[9], and deeds^[10].  The Greek word that is translated “sin” in the English New Testament means to “miss the mark”. All of humanity has failed to live up to the mark or God-given design of reflecting God’s glory and rendering God the glory that He is due^[11]. This is what we are made for, to glorify God^[12] and enjoy Him forever^[13] and yet we have all utterly failed to do so. We have failed to do this in word, deed, thought, and in our attitudes. 

            Another word the Bible uses to describe sin is transgression. This word conveys the idea of not merely missing the mark but transgressing the boundaries that have been set by God. A transgression is an act of rebellion and disobedience.  One theologian describes sin as such: “Sin is deviant and perverse, an injustice or iniquity. Sin in the Exodus literature is disorder and disobedience. Sin is faithlessness, lawlessness, godlessness. Sin is overstepping the line and failure to reach it—both transgression and shortcoming. Sin is missing of the mark, spoiling of the goods, a string of the garments, a hitch in one’s gait, a wandering from the path, a fragmenting of the whole. Sin is what culpably disturbs shalom”^[14]. 

The Effects Of Sin

            Sin has had effects on our entire life and much deeper than we realize. The very nature of sin is deceitful and it can be difficult to recognize and seemingly impossible to know the depths of our sin^[15], which is what King David bemoaned in a prayer^[16]. Sin clouds the minds of its partakers and brings confusion and deception^[17]. It leads to foolish thinking that is illogical, immoral, and inconsiderate of God and others^[18]. The distortion of thinking that sin has had in their life will lead them to call what is good evil and to call what is evil good^[19]. Knowing that sin permeates our thought life King David prayed:  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer”^[20].  He recognized his need for divine assistance to be pleasing to God in both his words and thoughts. And David recognized his need for God to search him and reveal what exactly is wrong with him^[21]. Sin also affects our wants and desires. Within mankind lives multitudes of sinful desires, which should no longer dominate the life of a follower of Jesus^[22]. 

            Relationships are damaged by sin. By sin our peace is vandalized and communication between two people breaks down along with any trust, care, and delight. Sin at its core is selfish and no relationship can flourish where selfishness characterizes thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions. From the beginning, we see how sin damaged Adam and Eve’s relationship with God and with one another. They began hiding from God in their fear, guilt, and shame and sought to cover their nakedness^[23]. And when confronted by their sin rather than taking responsibility for their actions each of them blame shifted^[24], which has been the negative pattern for human conflicts since.  

            Sin is first and foremost an offense towards God. That is why David prayed in his great prayer of repentance after committing adultery and murder along with many other sins: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” ^[25]. Sin even has effects on our bodies. King David described this in Psalm 32 when he wrote, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer”^[26]. The wisdom of Proverbs also tells us about the negative effects sin can have on our body^[27] as well as the positive effects of fearing the Lord and repenting of sin can have on one’s physical body^[28]. The Apostle Paul explains how the effects of sin have subjected this world to futility and we along with creation groan as we wait for redemption in it’s full manifestation. 

Sin & The Savior 

            The former slave trader and hymn writer John Newton said in his later years, “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” He was a man who was aware of his sin and this helped him see just how amazing the saving grace of Jesus is. In the hymn Amazing Grace, which he wrote and is one of the most loved hymns, Newton wrote: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see”. This summarizes the state of sinful humanity and the only hope that we have for rescue through Jesus’ amazing grace.  

            Jesus came to save sinners from the damning effects of sin^[29], its penalty (death), power and presence. He did this by offering his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world and by it he absorbed the punishment for sin^[30]and took our sin away^[31]. Through the death of Christ, he redeems a people from every tribe, nation, and tongue^[32] and they are made new creations^[33]. 

This redemption from sin and its effects is a reality now for the people of God, that is those who have repented and trusted in Jesus as their Savior and follow Him as their Lord. Yet there is more to come for those of us who wait for the return of Christ when he will make all things new. In that day and age there will be no more sickness, sorrow, or suffering and God will wipe every tear from our eyes^[34]. 

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^[1] Genesis 1:31

^[2] Genesis 1:28

^[3] Ephesians 2:3

^[4] Romans 3:23, 5:12

^[5] Psalm 51:5

^[6] Romans 3:9-18

^[7] Matthew 5:28, 1 John 3:15, Romans 3:9-18

^[8] Matthew 6:1, Galatians 1:10, Mark 7:21-23

^[9] Matthew 12:33-37, Ephesians 4:25,29, James 3

^[10] Galatians 5:19-21, Isaiah 1:16-17

^[11] Romans 3:23

^[12] Isaiah 43:7, 

^[13] Westminister Catechism, Question #1

^[14] Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Not The Way It’s Supposed To Be; A Breviary Of Sin, p.88

^[15] Jeremiah 17:9

^[16] Psalm 19:12

^[17] Hebrews 3:13

^[18] Romans 1:21-22, Ephesians 4:17-19

^[19] Isaiah 5:20

^[20] Psalm 19:14

^[21] Psalm 139:23-24

^[22] Galatians 5:16-24, Romans 6

^[23] Genesis 3:8-11

^[24] Genesis 3:12-13

^[25] Psalm 51:4

^[26] Psalm 32:3-4

^[27] Proverbs 14:30

^[28] Proverbs 3:7-8

^[29] Matthew 1:21, 1 Timothy 1:15

^[30] 1 John 4:10

^[31] John 1:29, Hebrews 10:12-14

^[32] Revelation 5:9

^[33] 2 Corinthians 5:17

^[34] Revelation 21:1-4