Sin(sins, transgression, iniquity, trespass, wickedness)
“Missing the mark, falling short of God's standard”
Summary
Transgression of God's law, originating in the Fall of man, which separates humanity from God and brings spiritual death, but from which redemption is offered through faith in Jesus Christ.
☩Definition and Nature
Sin is defined in Scripture as transgression of God's law: 'Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness' (1 John 3:4). The Hebrew term chatta'th literally means 'missing the mark,' while the Greek hamartia carries the same sense of falling short of a standard. Sin encompasses not only outward acts but also inward attitudes—Jesus taught that lustful looks and hateful thoughts are equally sinful with the acts they contemplate (Matthew 5:21-28).
☩Origin in the Fall
Sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When they ate the forbidden fruit, they chose their own will over God's command, and through this single act 'sin entered the world, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned' (Romans 5:12). This is the foundational event that explains humanity's universal propensity toward evil.
☩Universality of Sin
Scripture emphatically declares that all humanity is affected by sin: 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). The Old Testament likewise affirms, 'There is no one righteous, not even one' (Psalm 14:3, quoted in Romans 3:10). Even the apostle John warns, 'If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us' (1 John 1:8).
☩Separation from God
The most serious consequence of sin is separation from God. Isaiah declared, 'Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you' (Isaiah 59:2). This separation was first demonstrated when Adam and Eve were banished from Eden and from God's presence (Genesis 3:23-24). Paul describes this condition as being 'dead in your transgressions and sins' (Ephesians 2:1)—a spiritual death that precedes and foreshadows physical death.
☩God's Hatred of Sin
God's holiness places Him in absolute opposition to sin. The prophet Habakkuk declared, 'Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing' (Habakkuk 1:13). Proverbs lists seven things that are 'detestable' to the Lord (Proverbs 6:16-19). Yet God's hatred of sin is coupled with His love for sinners, leading Him to provide a way of redemption rather than immediate destruction.
☩Death as the Consequence
The ultimate penalty for sin is death: 'The wages of sin is death' (Romans 6:23). This encompasses both physical death and eternal separation from God—the 'second death' (Revelation 20:14). James describes the progression: 'After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death' (James 1:15). The Old Testament likewise affirms, 'The soul who sins shall die' (Ezekiel 18:4).
☩Redemption Through Christ
Though the wages of sin is death, 'the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 6:23). Christ came 'to give his life as a ransom for many' (Matthew 20:28). Through His sacrificial death, forgiveness is made available to all who believe: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9). This is the central message of the Gospel—that though all have sinned, all may be saved through faith in Christ.
Related Verses983 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Sin," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Sin," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).