What Is Sin Anyway?
Sin, it's a "four-letter word" in Christianity. But what is the big deal? You might have different emotions rise up at the mention of the word -- whether you are a Christian or not. It seems to be that Christians are all about spotting sin, condemning themselves or others for it, and looking at the status of their Christian walk in terms of success or failure in living a sin-free life. So, hearing the word sin can stir feelings and emotions anywhere between pride and inadequacy.
The non-believer may have feelings of anger or apathy at its mention. Anger comes from the thought of a bunch of hypocritical Christians judging them for how they choose to live their life or what they choose to eat or drink or the movies or music they choose to consume. Apathy comes from those who just don't get why they should care about some God who supposedly loves them but would reject them and condemn them to eternity in hell for not keeping all of His rules.
It is an important part of God's design for your life to work to drive out sinful ways, but until we know why and how, we will miss the mark (you'll get this reference in a moment). When we know what sin truly is and WHY God hates it (as should we), we avoid being left either with one of the emotions mentioned above or just living checklist Christianity.
Sin Defined
The word used in the Greek language that was most frequently used in the original writing of the New Testament is hamartia (noun form). That word is used 174 times in the King James Version of the Bible (the version most of the standard Bible dictionaries and references were built upon). There are seven different possible definitions of that word found in the Strong's Concordance which is the most common word usage reference and dictionary for the Bible. All seven of the definitions are very similar with just slight nuance. Considering all seven we have a general picture of sin being anything that is apart from God's perfect ways and His will.
It was common in the Greek language for words to have associated word pictures that help bring understanding. The verb form of hamartia, which is hamartano, has a word picture of an archer missing the mark or target with his arrow. There was an intended target and the archer's actions caused him to miss that target. A skilled archer knows there is proper form and technique that greatly increases the chances of hitting the bullseye. Maybe you're not an archer. How about golf?
I'm not a golfer myself, which some might consider a sin for a pastor is Arizona. I do however know enough about golf to know there are mechanics that go into a golf swing -- grip, hip and shoulder angle, follow through. The list goes on. While I've never ventured onto an actual golf course I have, on occasion, been to driving ranges with friends. They are always trying to give me about a dozen pointers that could fix my wicked slice. Every now and then I seem to put it all together and crush a shot that even they are amazed by. My other 95% of shots miss the mark.
Even as someone who is not a golfer and has no intention of every pursuing a mastery of the sport, it sure feels good when I get it right and that ball sails straight down the middle of the range almost 200 yards. Getting it right and experiencing the intended result just feels good.
All of God's laws and instructions, when followed, will cause us to hit His intended target. When we do things our way or using any knowledge, instinct, or instruction contrary to His Word, we are going to miss the mark. That is sin.
Sin is not just breaking the Ten Commandments or witchcraft or drinking too much. Yes, those things are wrong. Sin is sneakier than that . It is ANYTHING that falls short of God's best. That includes the obvious things and it includes things like choosing anger, bitterness, fear, and anxiety. It includes self-righteousness and being judgmental.
Where God is concerned, it's less about the actual act of sin but instead the result of sin. Yes, we should learn to revere God in such a way that we desire to follow His commands and instructions. That is a common starting point in our Christian walk. However, growth and maturity happen as we begin to modify our behavior out of deep understanding that God's ways are given to us out of His love in order to create a better life for us and for those around us.
So, You're Calling Me a Sinner? How Dare You? Who Do You Think You Are?
Let's get back to the way non-beliers view the subject of sin. Many in the world hate Christians and the church because we disapprove of their lives they live and judge them. And many Christians in fact do just that. When we look at the ways that many in the world choose to live and truthfully label things sin that the Bible clearly calls sin, we aren't particularly popular. The church should be standing up for truth. We cannot approve or endorse things that the Scripture shows us is sin. However, we need to learn to separate sinners from sin. We also need to learn to hate our own sin as much as we hate the sin in others.
I know not all Christians feel this way (as I'm sure some zealots who stumble upon this blog will be sure to point out), but we need to understand that when we say something is sin, we are not saying God (and we) reject you.
It has become a bit of a cliche, but it is no less true that God hates sin but loves sinners. There is not one specific verse that you can quote to prove that but it is very clear throughout the Bible that this is the case. I mean, Romans 5 tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That means, when we were our worst, God was giving His best. He didn't send Jesus to die for a people who had done a pretty good job of getting rid of all their sin and just needed a little bit to push them over the finish line. No, they (and we) were at their worst. Even the religious leaders of that day had become entirely corrupt and hypocritical. That is when God chose to give His best.
Why Does God Hate Sin?
As mentioned earlier, He hates sin because of what it creates. Sin will always lead to an outcome different than what God intended. Even when you don't think anything "bad" happened, you can't know for sure what God had in mind if you had done things His way.
If you've ever wondered how the world could be such a mess, think about this. Every single day, billions of people are making trillions of decisions that are not God's ways.
Remember, God hates sin but loves sinners. For example, Christians like to judge people who get divorced. Scripture tells us that God hates divorce. This action leads to people either leaving the faith because they figure there's no point trying anymore if God already rejects them, or it keeps the lost from receiving Christ because they feel judged by God or Christians.
God hates divorce firstly because marriage is to paint the picture of Christ and the church. Secondly, and more practically, He hates it because it makes a mess. It tears lives apart. It creates lasting trouble for children. None of that is His plan. Even in situations where divorce was really the only option and acceptable on a Biblical basis, it's still going to be a mess. He still hates that divorce had to happen. He also hates all of the bad decisions that took place that led up to that situation.
My wife and I have unfortunately had to counsel women in situations where divorce was likely necessary due to repeated abuse and unfaithfulness. In some of those situations, the husband would try and pull the "God hates divorce" card to manipulate the woman into staying (and keep him from losing half his assets in court).
Even in those situations where the divorce was entirely acceptable, the pain was still nearly unbearable. God hates for us to go through pain and suffering that could have been avoided if we'd followed His ways -- because of sin.
God Loves You and Wants the Best for You
We should begin to look at all of God's ways as a means to hit the mark of the loving Father who wants the best for us. This approach will actually be more effective than simply being rule follower out of fear of rejection. The fear based approach can be effective in the short term or maybe with those is certain personality types. But God wants your relationship to be more than that. He wants to be a part of every moment of your life -- the good and the bad. He wants you to fellowship with Him not just live by a checklist.
Choosing Separation is the Greatest Sin
The most severe way of falling short is to remain separated from God. He has paid way too high a price for us to continue floundering in life and missing out on the life He has in mind for us. We might think that whether or not we go to heaven has to do with how much sin we've committed or which sins we committed. In fact, there is only ONE sin that can separate you from Him eternally. That is the sin of rejecting Jesus as the way to Him. Most other sin has effects that are confined to your life on earth. Since Jesus is the only way to salvation and the status of "righteous," rejecting Him is the ultimate falling short. Make the decision to receive Christ today.
Romans 10 tells us how we ensure our eternity will be in heaven. We must confess or speak with our mouths who Jesus is. We must also actually believe those words. It's not about simply reciting some words. It is about actually choosing to believe them. It's not about cleaning up your life so He'll accept you. It's not about making Him promises about what you're going to stop doing or start doing. He doesn't need any of that. He just wants you as you are right now. That doesn't mean He doesn't want things in your life to change. That's just not what's important right now.
Say this prayer right now and choose to believe it. And you have begun the path in the right direction:
Dear God, I ask you to forgive me or all of my sin. I ask you Jesus, to come into my life and into my heart to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for me, and rose again and I thank Him for that. In Jesus' Name, amen.
If you prayed that for the first time or recommitted your life to Him I want to encourage you to do these two things:
Tell someone -- Jesus said that if we would acknowledge Him before men, He would acknowledge us before His Father. That just means it's important to tell someone. I'd love if you'd send me a message!
Get planted in a church -- This isn't because it's a rule or law you must do to make it to heaven. It is because I believe God established the church for our benefit. We need the fellowship, growth, and support that comes from being connected to a body of believers. If you live in the Phoenix / Ahwatukee, AZ area I'd love to see you at Living Word Ahwatukee.
(parts of this message are adapted from Pastor Jeff Zubeck's upcoming book, "Sin and Other Four-Letter Words.")
