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Knowing what sin is and what its consequences are is vital to understanding God’s relationship with humankind and to appreciating the need for Jesus Christ’s mission. It also helps us not to sin by: clarifying what sin is (which this chapter does in general terms); and providing great motivation to avoid sin.
What Sin Is
Sin is breaking God’s law
Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law, because sin is a breaking of the law. 1 John 3:4 GNT
All wrongdoing is sin
Doing wrong is always sin … 1 John 5:17a NCV™
Not doing what we should do is sin
So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin. James 4:17 NET
Sin Is against God
Sin is action against God
[Moses, to the Israelites:] If anyone sins unintentionally by breaking any of the Lord’s commands, he is guilty and must pay the penalty. … 19It is a repayment offering for the sin he committed against the Lord. Leviticus 5:17, 19 GNT
Sin is rebellion against God
[David, to God:] Drive them out of your presence because of their many sins and their rebellion against you. Psalms 5:10b GNT
Thus, sin is hated by God
For I, the Lord, love justice and hate robbery and sin. Isaiah 61:8a NET
Sin Is Universal
All people have sinned . . .
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Romans 3:23 CEV
All fail to measure up to a standard compatible with God’s glory.
. . . No one is righteous before God
[David, to God:] Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no living person is righteous in your sight. Psalms 143:2 ISV
People in fact have a sinful nature
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24 GNT
Sin Has Intrinsic Ill Effects
Sin brings spiritual defilement
They became filthy because of what they did. Psalms 106:39 GW
Sin results in separation from God
[Isaiah, to the people of Judah:] But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. Isaiah 59:2 NET
Sin brings spiritual death
[Paul, to believers:] When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our sins. Colossians 2:13 NCV™
Spiritual death involves being cut off from God – “dead to God” – without his Holy Spirit, who brings spiritual life.
Sin also brings enslavement to sin
Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. John 8:34 NET
Sin Brings God’s Anger and Death
Sin makes one subject to God’s anger
Actually all of us were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like everyone else, were destined to suffer God’s anger. Ephesians 2:3 GNT
Here Paul refers to how all people have lived sinful lives, making them subject to God’s anger.
Sin results in physical death
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all have sinned. Romans 5:12 ISV
People may experience God’s wrath and judgment for sin in various forms during their lifetime, but common to all is the judgment of physical death. Note that the verse makes reference to death initially coming as a consequence of Adam’s original sin.
Sin brings the prospect of eternal “death”
[Paul, to believers:] So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. … 23For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:21, 23 NET
Particularly in view of the contrast with “eternal life” (v. 23), “death” (vv. 21, 23) appears to primarily refer to or at least encompass what is sometimes referred to as eternal “death”. Because of his justice God demands that unforgiven sin be punished with eternal “death” or destruction, involving eternal separation from God in hell. A complementary reason for this “death” is that sin makes separation from God necessary, because of his holiness.