What is Sin?

“While nearly every evangelical Protestant believes in the concept of sin, what evangelicals define as sin varies tremendously from one person to the next.”

This conclusion was reached by a recent report titled “What is Sin? Evangelical Beliefs and Behaviors” by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research.

The survey asked, 1,039 Evangelicals to answer “yes” or “no” regarding 26 behaviors as to whether or not they considered them sinful.

At least three out of four respondents considered the following actions sinful.

• Adultery (96%)
• Racism (87%)
• Reading/watching pornography (86%)
• Homosexual activity or sex (86%)
• Antisemitism (84%)
• Using hard drugs (84%)
• Sexual thoughts about someone you are not married to (83%
• Sex before marriage (82%) Having an abortion (81%)
• Gossip (78%)
• Homosexual thoughts (78%)
• Not saying anything if a cashier gives you too much change back (77%)
• Swearing or cursing (76%)

Interestingly more people thought using tobacco was sinful (39%), while less than a third considering drinking alcohol as sinful (31%).

Regarding church attendance only 30% believed failure to attend was sin. Yet, less than two-thirds who feel this way were weekly attenders (64%). Ironically, 12% of those who think failure to attend is a sin only go 1-3 times a month, and 24% of this number attend less frequently or not at all.

While such surveys are an interesting study in personal beliefs and human behavior, they don’t serve as our standard of authority. Sin is not defined by personal opinion, questionnaires, or consensus. Our quest should be, “What does the Bible say?”

Here are 5 simple Bible facts about sin:

• All sin is an affront to a holy God ( Gen 39:9)
• Sin separates us from the fellowship of God (Isa 59:1-2)
• Committing one sin is regarded as being guilty of violating the law of God (Jas 2:8-13)
• The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
• All of us are guilty of sin. (Rom 3:23).

Furthermore the Bible defines sin in at least 4 ways.

#1 All unrighteousness is sin (1 Jn. 5:17).

Unrighteousness speaks to issues of morality and character. Paul provides some examples of such behaviors in 1Corinthians 6:9-10. Fornicators. Idolaters. Adulterers. Homosexuals. Sodomites. Thieves. Covetous. Drunkards. Revilers. And extortioners. He says these “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” These actions and attitudes are 100% sinful.

#2 Transgression of the law is sin (1 Jn. 3:5).

While we don’t live under the strictness of Old Testament Levitical law and enjoy God’s grace through Jesus Christ, this does not mean there is no law, as some have incorrectly concluded. The Bible speaks of “the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

In His famous Mountain Message Jesus clearly stated this principle in Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

#3 Failure to do good is sin (Jas. 4:17).

There are not only sins of commission where we violate God’s law and standard or righteousness, there are sins of omission as well. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

“Do good” is a frequently Bible injunction. (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 13:16). In fact, Jesus’ condemnation as he depicted the judgment as separating the sheep from the goats, did not involve immoral conduct, but simply a failure to do good. (Matt. 25:31-44).

#4 Violation of your conscience is sin (Rom. 14:23).

The text teaches that we should remain true to our convictions, maintain our integrity, and live by our principles. Of course, our conscience can only accurately guide us when it has been correctly taught.

Our culture, even among religious folks, may not be in 100% agreement about sin, but if we follow the teaching of the Bible we can know what sin is, learn how to avoid it, and enjoy forgiveness from our sins through Jesus Christ.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman