What is 'Sin?'

[CaliforniaJosiah]

I think people often toss around the term 'sin' a lot but don't always mean the same thing.

MY view...


Sin is kind of a disease.
It's a twisted, perverted, egotistical, self-centered disease.
Sadly, it's pretty fundamental and common.
This is technically called "original sin."



Sin tends to have symptoms.
These are called actualizations or "actual" sins.
These are the 'fruit' of the disease.



Actualized sins varies greatly in nature and degree.
Sins of comission = doing what we should not
Sins of omission = not doing what we should
There are sins of thought, sins of words, sins of deed - of commission and omission




Original Sin:


Psalm 51:5, "I was sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

Ephesians 4:22, "Put off your former sinful nature."

Ephesians 2:3, "Like all others, we were by nature objects of His wrath."

Genesis 8:21, "Every inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood."

Matthew 7:17, "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit."



Actualized Sins:


Galatians 5:19, "The acts of our sinful nature are obvious - sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.'

Matthew 15:19, "Out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander..."

James 1:15, "After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sins."

James 4:17, "Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (sins of omission)

Matthew 5:28, "Anyone who looks at another lustfully has already committed adultery with them in their heart." (sins of thought, note, doesn't apply to teen guys)

Matthew 12:36, "People will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken." (sins of word)

Even the unbeliever has significant control over the symptoms of our sinfulness - the "actualized sins." Just as we can stop the cough so we can control what we think, say and do (to some degree) - but curing the cold is another matter altogether.



MY view. What's YOURS?



Keep the faith! Share the love! - Josiah

 

[prodromos]

Sin simply means missing the mark. The target we are aiming for is the doing of God's will.

BTW, that isn't a particularly good translation of Psalm 51:5. The Greek Septuagint reads "in sins did my mother bear me", meaning we are born into a world full of sin which tends to shape our behaviour as we grow, kind of like peer pressure.

John.

 

[AngCath]

Sin is separation from the Holy Trinity. Original sin separated humanity from God. Jesus brought humanity back. our personal sins reseparate us. Jesus again brings us back.

that is my (over?)simplified view of sin.

 

[holyrokker]

Sin simply means missing the mark. The target we are aiming for is the doing of God's will.

BTW, that isn't a particularly good translation of Psalm 51:5. The Greek Septuagint reads "in sins did my mother bear me", meaning we are born into a world full of sin which tends to shape our behaviour as we grow, kind of like peer pressure.

John.

Couldn't the "missing the mark" reference also mean that a person who lives in sin is actually shooting at the wrong target?

In other words, isn't it the intent of the heart that determines sin?

The apostle Paul makes it clear that a person who lives by faith is the one God considers righteous, even if the actions don't always stack up.
That means that the intent of the heart is to love, serve and honor Christ. The person who lives by faith is aiming at the correct target.

The person who doesn't live by faith, but rather lives according to self-will. The intent of the heart is self-gratification. This person is aiming at the wrong target altogether.


BTW - good analysis of Psalm 51:5

 

[ryanpw]

I like your view on sin, a little bit tedious, but good. Sin, in my view, is doing something you know is wrong. If you don't know it is wrong, then you are not held responsible. Thats why the bible says the law was given to man to condemn them. It also says that if Jesus had not come that the Jews, Pharisees paticularly, would not have been held responsible for many of there wrong doings that Jesus spoke out against and corrected them on.

I agree that sin is what seperates us from God.

 

[Philip]

I like your view on sin, a little bit tedious, but good. Sin, in my view, is doing something you know is wrong. If you don't know it is wrong, then you are not held responsible. Thats why the bible says the law was given to man to condemn them. It also says that if Jesus had not come that the Jews, Pharisees paticularly, would not have been held responsible for many of there wrong doings that Jesus spoke out against and corrected them on.

By this logic we would be better off having never heard of God. Seems odd to me.

 

[SolomonVII]

I think people often toss around the term 'sin' a lot but don't always mean the same thing.

MY view...

Sin is kind of a disease.
It's a twisted, perverted, egotistical, self-centered disease.
Sadly, it's pretty fundamental and common.
This is technically called "original sin."

The idea of disease seems to me to be a fairly accurate description of sin. The idea that it is inherent to the human condition, I think, better describes the idea of original sin than as payment for the original sin of Adam and Eve.

Sin tends to have symptoms.
These are called actualizations or "actual" sins.
These are the 'fruit' of the disease.

The state of our human natural almost necessarily leads to certain behaviors that graphically describe the state of our fallen nature.

Actualized sins varies greatly in nature and degree.
Sins of comission = doing what we should not
Sins of omission = not doing what we should
There are sins of thought, sins of words, sins of deed - of commission and omission

This makes more sense to me than the oft-repeated phrase that every sin is equally abhorrent ot the Lord. Our state of sin not doubt is abhorrent, but there are some mmission and commissions that are more grievously harmful than others.

Original Sin:


Psalm 51:5, "I was sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

Ephesians 4:22, "Put off your former sinful nature."

Ephesians 2:3, "Like all others, we were by nature objects of His wrath."

Genesis 8:21, "Every inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood."

Matthew 7:17, "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit."

The natural state of our fallen nature is also brout out scripturally, in my view anyways, in the idea that Jacob was grabbing the heel of his brother Esau even as he was being born.
Given that Jacob was the one who found favor with the Lord, this comes to another interesting point about sin. Sin, too, would appear to be part of God's plan. In spite of our sinful nature, God is willing ot show us mecercy and bewtow his grace upon us. In fact, the more graphically our shortcomings are, the more the majesty of God's infinite grace and mercy towards us becomes revealed.

Actualized Sins:


Galatians 5:19, "The acts of our sinful nature are obvious - sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.'

Matthew 15:19, "Out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander..."

James 1:15, "After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sins."

James 4:17, "Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (sins of omission)

Matthew 5:28, "Anyone who looks at another lustfully has already committed adultery with them in their heart." (sins of thought, note, doesn't apply to teen guys)

Matthew 12:36, "People will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken." (sins of word)

Even the unbeliever has significant control over the symptoms of our sinfulness - the "actualized sins." Just as we can stop the cough so we can control what we think, say and do (to some degree) - but curing the cold is another matter altogether.

Is it possible that sin has become in a sense necessary for our survival in this world? We may become its master, but a state of total selflessness would perhaps lead to the extinguishment of the human race.
It is our own lustful thoughts that motivate us into extending our life onto the next generation.

There is an idea that my parish priest repeats from time to time, which I don't fully understand. It goes something to the effet that we should thank God for our sins too.

Anything, I enjoyed your post.

 

[ReBjorn]

The word "sin" often means "Missing the target" in the original scriptures.
I've certainly "missed the target" many a time : )

 

[craig_on_fire]

I like your view on sin, a little bit tedious, but good. Sin, in my view, is doing something you know is wrong. If you don't know it is wrong, then you are not held responsible. Thats why the bible says the law was given to man to condemn them. It also says that if Jesus had not come that the Jews, Pharisees paticularly, would not have been held responsible for many of there wrong doings that Jesus spoke out against and corrected them on.

I agree that sin is what seperates us from God.

Then why in the O/T do people have to give sacrifices for the sins they commited unknowingly?

 

[armothe]

BTW, that isn't a particularly good translation of Psalm 51:5. The Greek Septuagint reads "in sins did my mother bear me", meaning we are born into a world full of sin which tends to shape our behaviour as we grow, kind of like peer pressure.

Actually, this verse is probably referring to David's father having an adulterous relationship with another woman.

-A

 

[servantx]

Sin is disobeying God and His commands.