What is Sin?

What pops into your head when you hear the word “SIN”?

Its talked about a lot in the Bible & in church. But what is it? Why did Jesus Have to die for us because of it? What classifies as sin?

We need to have knowledgeable understanding of what sin is, to fully grasp the Gospel and why we should avoid it.

Sin is to fail, or miss the goal.

The hebrew word that was written for sin many times was Khata which means: miss the goal or fail.

Proverbs 19:2 “2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”

Whoever does not make decisions without thinking about it first, will be led astray from the path he was designed to go on.

Since we know that to sin means to miss the goal, whats the goal?

Well last week we talked about being image’s of God. God created ALL humans in His image, and we are to love and respect each other just has we are to love and respect God.

Sin is the failure to love God and others by not treating them with the honor they deserve.

By not loving/respecting others, is not loving/respecting God.

We see in the great fall the affect of sin: shame.

Adam and Eve were both running around in the garden naked. Naming things, eating whatever they saw, but then Eve came to THE tree, the one that they were told NOT to eat, because then they’ll die.

The serpent crawls in, and entices the. “Its a pretty fruit.” Getting them to question what God has told them as truth. “Just one bite one won’t hurt. You know you want it.”And then it happens.

They ate the fruit and they saw that they were naked and hid themselves from each other, and from God. Why?

Genesis 3:7–11 NLT

7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

They hid from each other and God because they were ashamed and afraid to even be seen by Him.

The same feeling happens to us, right? And the enemy wants us to feel that way, because its the worst feeling ever.

You ever did something you werent suppose to and your dad or mom gives that, “I am so disappointed in you,” talk.

THATS WHAT I AM SAYING!

After the satan tempts us, lures us in, immediately shames us for it.

God hates sin, because it is not His nature. Psalm 5:4 “4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” Thats why He then kicks Adam and Eve out, but not after providing them clothes, and giving them a promise.

Genesis 3:14–15 ESV

14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

He gives a promise that one day there will be victory over the enemy, but that victory will come with a cost. Jesus.

The after effect of the fall is that sin is hereditary.

Romans 5:12 NLT

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

Romans 5:19 NLT

19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Adam sinned, brought death to everyone, because everyone has sinned.

Jesus obeyed God all the way to the cross and because of this, MANY will be made right with God & saved.

Do see how it says MANY. Just because Jesus died for everyone, doesn’t mean that everyone is saved from Gods anger towards their sin.

What is the root of Sin?

Romans 1:18–23 NLT

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

They made up their own Gods. Breaking the first 2 commandments. Exodus 20:2-4

Exodus 20:2–4 NLT

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me. 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

Root of sin selfishness. You are doing what your own heart desires, and not following what the LORD has called us to do and thats to Love others & Himself.

The thing is, no one is out of this.

1 John 1:5–10 CSB

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Two things I want us to look at is:

God is light and there is no darkness in Him.

If we say “we have no sin” we are deceiving/lying/tricking ourselves.

The reason why God doesn’t like sin is because sin can not be in God at all! He is too perfect and Holy of a God that He has to seperate from us.

If we say we have never sin, that is a lie! We are all broken peopled, and the only one who lived a perfect life was Jesus.

1 John 3:4–10 NLT

4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

Our hope for being free from sin is Jesus and His mighty work on the cross. He took his sins on the cross and they died there. And when he rose from the grave, he claimed victory over death. We death don’t have to live in our sin anymore.

Living in Jesus means we do not practice sin.

By practicing means too willingly, even knowing it is wrong.

If we’re being honest, we all struggle with loving other things and people more than God. What are you putting in the place of God?

Are there any areas in your life where you continually fall into the same sin? If so, how can you allow God’s spirit to change in your heart?

How does the fact that Jesus never sinned affect our lives?

What are some practical steps you can take this week to live in Jesus rather than in sin?