2/24/12- What is sin?

3- 2/24- WSC 14 (WLC 24) What is sin?  A. Sin is not heeding or breaking God’s law in any way.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17)

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)

Thoughts: Sin is not just doing wrong- it is doing wrong against God. Sin is not just keeping our own standards- but keeping God's standards.  Some don't want to believe in sin, but then they have a gnawing feeling that their life has no meaning or direction.  If there are no ultimate standards of right or wrong, then there will not be ultimate meaning- for your behavior, your words, your thoughts do not really matter.  God the Maker has the right to define what is right or wrong.  Christians believe God has revealed right and wrong to us through the Law.
      There are sins of omission (not heeding- not doing what we are supposed to do or called to do), and sins of commission (actively doing what we know we shouldn’t do).  Sin is breaking God’s revealed law.  Often it is couched or rationalized away by saying “we know better.”  It can be done in the belief that God doesn’t see or care (or that there are no consequences to sin).  It can be done in the name of giving into our feelings and desires.  It can be done in thinking that we are better off if we sin than if we obey God.  The danger is if we lose our shame and our ability to even define sin because of our hardness of heart. 

Prayer: Help me, O God, to recognize sin and turn away from it.  Keep me from becoming soft toward sin and callous toward you.

(Below: Sapphira before the apostles- lying to the Holy Spirit in order to get money-
LeClerc, Sebastian the younger- Louvre)