In Scripture, sin is not just a moral mistake or a bad habit—it is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4 defines it plainly: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” The Greek word for sin is “hamartia” (ἁμαρτία) which literally means “to miss the mark.” It is falling short of God’s perfect standard—His holiness.
Paul echoes this in Romans 3:23,
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
It’s not that we’ve done a few bad things—we have missed the mark entirely. We’ve fallen short of God’s glory, and that’s the standard we’re measured against.
Sin is not primarily about behavior—it’s about rebellion. Isaiah 53:6 says,
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way.”
Sin is going our own way instead of God’s way.
Sin Is Relational, Not Just Legal
Yes, sin breaks God’s law—but more than that, it breaks God’s heart. Sin is not a technical violation; it’s a betrayal of relationship.
In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned, they didn’t just break a rule—they broke trust with their Creator. They hid from Him (Genesis 3:8). That’s what sin does—it separates.
Isaiah 59:2 says,
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
This is why sin cannot be overcome by simply “doing good things.” No amount of good works can repair a broken relationship. If a child disrespects their father, they cannot fix it by doing chores. The offense is not in the task—it’s in the heart. The child must humble themselves and be restored to the father.
Sin Is Against a Holy God
When David sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, he said in Psalm 51:4,
“Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight.”
That’s not to say others weren’t affected—but ultimately, sin is vertical. It is first and foremost an offense against God. We must remember that God is holy:
“You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness” (Habakkuk 1:13).
His standard is perfect, and sin is anything that contradicts His nature.
The Heart of Sin Is Self
In James 1:14–15, we read:
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Sin starts in the heart, with desire. It is self-centered. It is choosing self over God.
Eve didn’t eat the fruit out of hunger—she wanted to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5). That’s pride. That’s rebellion. That’s sin.
The Wages of Sin Is Death
Sin always leads to death. Romans 6:23 says,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The result of sin is not just spiritual separation—it is eternal death. But God’s gift is life, and it’s only found in Christ.
A Father and His Children
God is not a distant judge—He is a Father. When we sin, we grieve His heart. In Hosea 11:1–4, God speaks of Israel as a child whom He loved, taught, and healed—yet they turned away. His heart aches, like a father who watches his children walk into destruction.
And in Hebrews 12:6, we’re reminded:
“For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
He disciplines us, not because He wants to punish, but because He wants to restore.
Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). When we sin, it’s not about a list of infractions—it’s about wounding the heart of our Father. And when we truly love Him, we don’t want to grieve Him.
We Were Made for Relationship, Not Religion
Trying to balance good deeds against bad ones is religion. That’s not the Gospel. In Micah 6:6–8, the people ask what God wants: burnt offerings? Rivers of oil?
The answer:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
God wants relationship. He wants our hearts. That’s why the New Covenant is not about tablets of stone—it’s about hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26–27).
My Final Thoughts
Sin is not about keeping a scoreboard of right and wrong—it’s about whether we are walking with the Father or walking away from Him. It is the rebellion of the heart that refuses to submit. It’s not about what we do, but who we are apart from Him. But the good news is this:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
He doesn’t want rituals—He wants repentance. He wants sons and daughters to come home. When we see sin as a break in fellowship with a loving Father—not just a law code—we will desire holiness not out of fear, but out of love.
