What Is Sin? also known as: disobedience of God’s commands

August 18, 2024 13

In addition to being a transgression against divine law, “Sin” also refers to a biblical Egyptian city, a significant region of the Sinai wilderness linked to the Exodus, the name of a Babylonian moon god, and the location where this deity was venerated—the Temple of Sin.

What is sin?

also known as: disobedience of God’s commands/laws, wickedness, evil, iniquity, perversity, turning away from what Righteousness is good, while transgression, wrongdoing, and unrighteousness are not.

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Sin is a term that signifies the intentional violation of God’s law—committing evil acts (or desiring to)—or not doing what is just and right as per His law.

“Sin is the transgression of God’s law” (1 John 3:4; Romans 4:15), manifesting in both the inner state and habit of the soul, as well as the external behavior of life, whether by action or inaction (Romans 6:12-17; 7:5-24). The moral nature of a person’s deeds is a reflection of the moral condition of their heart.

The inclination towards sin—the habitual inner state that precipitates a sinful deed—is also considered sin (Romans 6:12-17 ESV; Galatians 5:17; James 1:14-15).

Sin is not merely a violation of the law of our constitution or the system of things; it is an offense against a personal lawgiver and moral governor who enforces his law with penalties. The soul that sins is invariably aware that its sin is intrinsically vile and polluting, and that it rightfully merits punishment.

—Charles Hodge, Princeton Sermons: Outlines of Discourses Doctrinal and Practical

Additional Information:

– Conscience is an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.

– The fall of mankind to worldwide depravity refers to the state of moral corruption and wickedness which resulted from the fall of man.

– Spiritual darkness is a state of being disconnected from a higher power or inner spiritual growth, resulting in a lack of clarity, purpose, or meaning in life.

– Imputation can refer to the attribution of righteousness or guilt, or the assignment of a value to something by inference from the value of the products or processes to which it contributes.

Discover the fascinating details about Adam, the first man, from whom we all originate. Explore the compelling reasons why the First Adam necessitated the arrival of the Last Adam.
Darkness contrasts with light, and carnality with spirituality. Questions arise: Is one’s goodness sufficient for entry into Heaven? What level of goodness meets the threshold? The state of the world, filled with suffering and injustice, challenges the notion of a benevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent Creator. The concept of original sin traces back to a rebellion in Heaven, led by an angel now known as Satan, which occurred shortly after Earth’s creation, and before the birth of Cain and Abel. Satan and his followers were expelled from Heaven, an event observed by the Son of God as Satan fell ‘like lightning from heaven’ (Luke 10:18).

These malevolent beings, devils and demons, stand as vehement foes of all that is good and just, ceaselessly opposing both God and humanity. The deception of Eve by Satan led to Adam’s transgression.

Refer to: The Narrative of God’s Creation (page 3 of God’s Creation)

Adam’s sin, as described in Genesis 3:1-6, was a result of succumbing to temptation and defying God by consuming the forbidden fruit.

This act of disobedience entailed:

– Guilt for contravening a direct command

– Distrust in God’s benevolence regarding Eve, who was misled by Satan to violate God’s directive

– The sin of disbelief, essentially accusing God of falsehood

– The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

– The Tree of Life

– Adam and Eve

– Consequences

Through this sin, Adam turned away from God, becoming a rebel against his Creator. He forfeited God’s favor and close fellowship; his entire nature was profoundly corrupted.

The inherent sin within us is akin to a dormant lion; the slightest provocation incites its fury. Although our sinful nature may appear still, like embers hidden beneath ashes, a slight agitation or temptation can fan it into a blaze of disgraceful actions. Hence, constant vigilance is imperative. “I say to everyone: Watch” (Mark 13:37). A stray heart requires a vigilant eye. —Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, page 148

The Great Fall from innocence to evil triggered consequences that continue to afflict mankind and all of creation (Romans 8:22). Adam experienced immediate spiritual death, and his body began its inevitable physical decline.

God created Adam as the head and representative of all his descendants, so when he sinned, they too fell (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:22-45). His trial was their trial, and his failure was their failure. As a result of Adam’s original sin, all his descendants are born spiritually dead, inheriting a state of sin and condemnation, which includes (1) moral corruption, and (2) guilt, with the guilt of Adam’s first sin being judicially imputed to them.

Imputation—sin nature passed on in the DNA of all descendants

Our inherent tendency to commit acts that are wrong, impure, hurtful, and unholy is universally inherited from our parents. This sinful nature becomes apparent early on, even in our youngest years.

“Our first parents, as the origin of all humankind, passed down not only their sin but also its guilt, resulting in the same death in sin and corrupt nature being transmitted to all their descendants through ordinary generation.”

The phrase “original sin” is often used to describe the moral decay that pervades all of human nature, a decay that every person has inherited from Adam.

This inherited moral decay includes:

The loss of original righteousness steals happiness. Franklin Graham once said, “Sin is a robber. It steals your joy, your happiness, your fellowship with God.” There exists a persistent inclination to do evil, which is the root and origin of all actual sin.

This condition is referred to as “sin” (Romans 6:12, 6:14, 6:17; Romans 7:5-17), “the flesh” (Galatians 5:17, 5:24), “lust” (James 1:14-15), “the body of sin” (Romans 6:6), “ignorance,” “blindness of heart,” “alienation from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18-19).

It corrupts and influences the entire person, leading to a progressive and deepening corruption, with no restorative element left in the soul. This total depravity is also universally inherited by all descendants of Adam (Romans 3:10-23; 5:12-21; Romans 8:7).

Regarding the question: Did Jesus Christ inherit the sin nature of Adam? No, according to an article about Mary, the mother of Jesus, Jesus did not inherit the DNA of Adam and Eve’s descendants.

Written by: tnjrorg

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