The Anatomy of Sin – What is Sin?

“We’re not sinners because we sin.
We sin because we’re sinners”

My friends, wouldn’t you agree that our lives today are surrounded by almost every kind of evil and wickedness that man can imagine. This evil causes wars, fighting, pain, greed, hate, envy, quarreling, dishonesty, injustice and murder. And the wickedness can be found in those rude, prideful, boastful, backstabbing, gossiping individuals we live and work with. Do you know someone who constantly breaks their promises and at times seem so heartless, and callous when they want something you have? All of this evil and wickedness that is in the world today finds its root cause in one word, “SIN.”

The history of civilization as presented in God’s Word is primarily a history of man in a state of sin and rebellion against God and of God’s plan of redemption to bring man back to himself. Man has by nature an irresistible bias for evil.

Our sin nature is that trait in us that makes us rebellious against God. When I speak of the sin nature, I’m referring to the fact that we have a natural inclination to disobey God, given the choice to do God’s will or our own, we will naturally choose to do our own thing.

As the Scriptures say, “No one is good—no one in all the world is innocent.” No one has ever really followed God’s paths or even truly wanted to. Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right; not one. Romans 3:10-12 (TLB)

Proof of our sin nature abounds. No one has to teach a child to lie or be selfish; rather, we go to great lengths to teach children to tell the truth and put others first. Sinful behavior comes naturally.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments Scriptures man appears as a law breaker by nature, and the question, how did we acquire that nature, naturally arises. What does the Bible reveal on that point?

Sin was not a calamity that came upon man unexpectedly, poisoned his life, and ruined his happiness. Sin was an evil course which Adam deliberately chose to follow. A choice which carried untold misery with it.

Scripture and experience both teach us that sin is universal, and according to the Bible the explanation for this universality lies in the fall of Adam.

Adam yielded to the temptation and committed the first sin by eating of the forbidden fruit. But the matter did not stop there, for by that first sin Adam became the bond-servant of sin.

Sin was the result of a free but sinful choice Adam made by exercising the free will God had given him. Satan, the ruler of the spirit world, suggested to Adam that if he challenged God’s command not to eat of the forbidden fruit he would not die, but, instead he would become like God.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:4-6 (NLT)

WHAT IS SIN?

Let’s begin our journey to understand the meaning of Sin. Sin is not an object or a thing that “exists” — it has no independent being. Rather, sin is a lack of something, a failure to fully obey God’s moral laws and live up to His glory. Sin is a falling short of God’s standards.

Webster Dictionary defines Sin as:

1. An offense against religious or moral law.
2. An action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible.
3. An often serious shortcoming.
4. Transgression of the law of God.
5. A depraved state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.

Sin is described in the Bible as disobedience of the law of God which I will discuss later in the study.

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 1 John 3:4 (NLT)

We can define sin as follows: “Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” Remember this statement as we journey throughout our study, for it is the very foundation I will build on.

Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.

Sin includes not only individual acts such as stealing, lying or committing murder, but also attitudes that are contrary to God.

The Fundamentals of Sin

1: SIN IS A SPECIFIC KIND OF EVIL.

1. 1. Sin should not be confused with physical evil, meaning that which is injurious or catastrophic. Sickness is evil, but not a sin.
2. Fundamentally, sin is not something passive, such as a weakness, a fault, or an imperfection, for which we cannot be held responsible.
3. Within our physical being, lies our moral being (our consciences) and this is where our mind differentiates between moral good and evil, and it is only in this realm that we can speak of sin.
4. Sin is a moral evil. In biblical Hebrew there are about 20 different words which denote \”sin.\” the ancient Israelites had more concepts expressing various nuances of sin than we do in today’s society. Most of the Hebrew names that are used in Scripture to designate sin point to its moral character. I’ve listed some examples of the most common words they used to describe sin.

• Pesha – Deliberate sin; a crime
• Mered – An intentional sin; an action committed in deliberate defiance of God
• Avon – This is a sin of lust or uncontrollable emotion. It is a sin done knowingly, but not done to defy God
• Aveira – \”Transgression\”
• Avone – \”Iniquity\” means a sin done out of moral failing
• Chatta – A deviation from the right way
• The word most commonly translated simply as \”sin,\” Hata, literally means \”to go astray.\”

2: SIN HAS AN ABSOLUTE CHARACTER.

In your mind, you determine the morals and ethics you will live by. This is where you determine between good and evil. 

However, sin is not a lesser degree of goodness, but a positive evil.

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. Matthew 12:30 (NLT)

Simply put, we are either on the side of God or we are not. There are no gray areas with God, even though Satan would like you to believe that. Remember we serve a Holy and Jealous God. 

Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord. For He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your wrong-doing or your sins. Joshua 24:19 (NLV)

3: SIN ALWAYS HAS RELATION TO GOD AND HIS WILL.

1. Now there is no doubt about the great central command of the law. Which, is to love our Lord God of the Universe.

Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’’ This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:37-40 (ERV)

2. If moral goodness consists with loving our God, then moral evil must consist of the opposite or not loving our God.

Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. Luke 16:15 (NLT)

Don’t love this evil world or the things in it. If you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. This is all there is in the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. But none of these comes from the Father. They come from the world. 1 John 2:15-16 (ERV)

3. Because sin separates us from God, we are in opposition to God and even grow a hatred of God. This manifests itself in constant transgression of the law of God in thought, word, and deed.

They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:32 (NLT)

4: SIN INCLUDES BOTH GUILT AND POLLUTION.

1. Guilt is the state of self-deserving blame or shame we feel when we’ve committed some deed or act that we know is a violation of God’s moral law. Witness the birth of guilt.

That evening they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden; and they hid themselves among the trees. The Lord God called to Adam, “Why are you hiding?” And Adam replied, “I heard you coming and didn’t want you to see me naked. So I hid.” Genesis 3:8-10 (TLB)

2. Beginning at birth, we are all hardwired to sin and to lead a sinful life. Our being is polluted with the natural feelings of pride and self-centeredness; we are constantly looking out for Numero Uno. Our heart desires all of the things this world has to offer.

For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Romans 8:7-8 (NLT)

3. This is what the Bible refers to as “the Flesh or Old Nature,” and it stays with us all through our life, even after you’ve become a believer.

4. Satan, the god of this world, has designed and filled this earth with all of the desires your sinful heart could want, including his false self-centered religions and cults.

5: SIN HAS ITS SEAT IN THE HEART.

1. Sin resides in one function of the soul, the heart, which is the central organ of the soul, out of which spring the issues of life.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45 (NLT)

6: SIN DOES NOT CONSIST EXCLUSIVELY IN EXPLICIT ACTS.

1. Our sinful state and acts are the basis of our sinful habits, and these manifest themselves in our sinful deeds. Below is a comparison of the fruits of an unbeliever to the fruits of a believer

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, Galatians 5:19 (NLT)

When you consider the horrible effects of sin in the world at large, it should grieve you to know that we contribute to the pain of the world through the very sin that lurks in each of our hearts. Sin is why Hell exists.

What Law of God should we follow?

Over and over again, scripture refers to sin as contrary to the law of God. So what law is God exactly referring to? Is it the Old Testament Mosaic Law that the Jews were commanded to follow, or is there another law that we are now under? Let’s find out.

1. The key to understanding the relationship between the Christian and the Law is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians.

a. The more than 600 laws were made up of three parts for the Jewish nation to follow.

b. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments).

c. Some of the laws were to show the Israelites how to worship God and atone for sin (the sacrificial system, offering, priesthood and the tabernacle).

d. Some of the laws were intended to make the Israelites distinct from other nations (the food, festival and clothing rules).

2. None of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians today.

3. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law

But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed. And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that we might then be put right with God through faith. Now that the time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge of us. Galatians 3:23-25 (GNT)

4. In place of the Old Testament law, Christians are under the law of Christ.

The Great Commandment

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40 (GNT)

5. The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day).

6. Even though we now live under the Grace of God, there is no better starting point for understanding God’s moral laws than in the nine remaining commandments. Let’s remind ourselves of them.

1. You must not worship any other gods except Me.
2. You must not make any idols. Don’t make any statues or pictures of anything up in the sky or of anything on the earth or of anything down in the water.
3. No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter.
4. Honor your father and your mother, so your life may be long.
5. Do not kill other people.
6. Do not carry out sex sins.
7. Do not steal.
8. Do not tell a lie about your neighbor.
9. Do not have a desire for anything that belongs to your neighbor.

As I’ve already explained, in our mind, we determine the morals and ethics we will live by; this is where we differentiate between good and evil. All of the commandments above deal solely with a conscious decision that you and I make to either conform to God’s moral laws or not. Our problem is that we have by nature an irresistible bias for evil.

Remember, “Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.”

DID GOD CREATE SIN?

The answer to this question is a resounding no! When God created man and angels, He created them with a free will, and if someone has a free will, there is at least the potential that he will choose badly. The potential for sin was a risk God took. He created human beings in His image, and, since He is free, humans were created free also.

So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. He created them male and female. Genesis 1:27 (ERV)

When He created the universe and our world, as of yet no sin existed or God would not have said.

God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good. Genesis 1:31 (ERV)

1. God is not able to sin

“Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong. Job 34:10 (NLT)

4He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT)

They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” Psalm 92:15 (NLT)

2. God positively hates sin

 It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them. Isaiah 59:2 (ERV)

All who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 25:16 (NLT)

O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked. Psalm 5:4 (NLT)

5The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. Psalm 11:5 (NLT)

Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the LORD.” Zechariah 8:17 (NLT)

SO WHERE DID SIN ORIGINATE?

AN ANGEL NAMED LUCIFER

The angel named Lucifer was no ordinary angel created by God. God created Lucifer and he belonged to the cherubic order, in fact he was the chief or head of this highest class of all God’s creatures— “the cherub.”

The cherubim serve the purpose of magnifying the holiness and power of God. This is one of their main responsibilities throughout the Bible. In addition to singing God\’s praises, they also serve as a visible reminder of the majesty and glory of God and His abiding presence with His people. He was next in rank to God Himself, and his dwelling was next to God’s Throne. He was “set” or placed in this position by God. “The anointed cherub.” Inwardly Lucifer was full of wisdom and his outward appearance he was bright and beautiful.

‘The Lord God says: You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; your clothing was bejeweled with every precious stone—ruby, topaz, diamond, chrysotile, onyx, jasper, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald—all in beautiful settings of finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I appointed you to be the anointed Guardian Angel. You had access to the holy mountain of God. You walked among the stones of fire. Ezekiel 28:12-14 (TLB)

THE FALL OF LUCIFER

“‘You were perfect in all you did from the day you were created until that time when wrong was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with internal turmoil, and you sinned. Therefore, I cast you out of the mountain of God like a common sinner. I destroyed you, O Guardian Angel, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. Therefore, I have cast you down to the ground and exposed you helpless before the curious gaze of kings. Ezekiel 28:15-17 (TLB)

As another has said, “Here was the first sin that broke the calm of eternity, and stirred up the storm that has not ceased to rage, with ever-increasing violence; and shall, till He quells it forever by His Word, ‘Peace be still’” (“Satan” by F.C. Jennings).

“Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty;” suggest that, instead of “the anointed cherub” finding his chief delight in the contemplation of his Divine God, he rejected the supremacy of his Master. He determined to be equal with the Most High. He was not satisfied with a subordinate role, but aspire to equality with the Almighty.

You said in your heart, ‘I will go up to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. And I will sit on the mount of meeting in the far north. I will go much higher than the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:13-14 (NLV)

Your heart was proud because of your beauty. You made your wisdom sinful because of your beauty. So I threw you to the ground. I laid you in front of kings for them to see you. Ezekiel 28:17 (NLV)

Pride comes before being destroyed and a proud spirit comes before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (NLV)

Lucifer the fallen angel is now known as Satan (“adversary”) or the devil (“slanderer”).

Then a fall occurred in the angelic world, in which legions of angels fell away from God. The exact time of this fall is not designated.

 Remember the angels who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place: they are bound with eternal chains in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be condemned. Jude 6:6 (GNT)

Angels are personal spiritual beings created by God, and like man, they were given intelligence, emotions, and a will. This is true of both the good and evil angels (evil minions). Angels are spirit beings without true physical bodies. God also created them in His image, and, since He is free like man, the angels were created free. So they too had the potential for sin. Needless to say, there arose a group of angels who rebelled against God in heaven and became sinful.

They were not satisfied with their lot, with the government and power entrusted to them.

If the desire to be like God was the temptation that caused Lucifer and the angels to sin, is it any wonder why they used the same approach when tempting Adam and Eve?

My friends, I know for some of you this will be a difficult topic for you to wrap your head around and understand. But, I promise you, if you’ll stay with me to the end of the series it will all fall into place and you will become a stronger Believer and lover of God.

Join me next month as we journey deeper in the Anatomy of Sin. I will be discussing how Satan brought Sin to earth. I’ll answer the questions: are there degrees of sin and what does the Total Depravity of man (of you and me) mean? Until next month, my friends, may His mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

The Anatomy of Sin
⇐ Introduction | What is Sin? Pt. 2 ⇒