Sin: Part 1

This paper is another that I presented to the youth in my church, in three parts. Parts two and three will be posted in the days to come. Part one is somewhat shorter than the following installments, but defining terms is important, so be sure to look up the scripture references and don't be afraid to dig. Louis Berkhof's Systematic Theology was the main reference used, and is quoted throughout.

SIN

Part 1. What is sin?

The book of 1 John tells us “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). So a simple definition would be “sin is lawlessness.” This statement is true, however lawlessness does not encompass all that sin is.

Another attribute of sin is that it is specific. By specific, we mean a specific kind of evil. “It is not a calamity that came upon man unawares, poisoned his life, and ruined his happiness, but an evil course which man has deliberately chosen to follow and which carries untold misery with it.” LB See: Gen. 3:1-6; Isa. 48:8; Rom.
1:18-32; 1 John 3:4

Sin is also absolute. There is no neutral ground between good and evil. We may perceive some gray area because of our lack of proper perspective, but in reality, black and white are the only two options. This point is important to understand, so that we don’t see evil as a lessening of something good, but as a positive evil. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.”(Lk. 11:23) Our Lord knows no middle ground. See Matt. 10:32,33; 12:30; Luke 11:23; Jas. 2:10

Sin is always in relation to God, and His will. “It is separation from God, hatred of God, and this manifests itself in constant transgression of the law of God in thought, word, and deed.” LB See: Rom. 1:32, 2:12-14, 4:15; Jas. 2:9; 1 John 3:4

Sin includes both guilt and pollution. Guilt is the state of being liable to punishment for the violation of a law or moral requirement. See Eph. 2:3. Pollution is the inherent corruption that every sinner is subject to. The state of pollution the fallen race of man is in is present from birth and unavoidable. See Jer. 17:9; Eph. 4:17-19

In Biblical terminology the heart is the center of the man. His intellect, will, affections, and every other faculty of a man proceed from this point. If the heart of man is “deceitful” and “desperately wicked”, then logically, every part of a man’s soul is affected by that sin. Therefore, it may be said that the seat, or originating point, of sin, is the heart of sinful human beings.

The sinful state of man leads to sinful habits, which in turn lead to individual sinful deeds. The state, habits, and deeds are all equally sinful and therefore sin is not confined to outward acts, but can be merely thoughts, or intentions of the heart.