Religious Studies

The Biblical definition of sin is transgression form the Law of God. There is no sin that is bigger or worse than the other, sin is sin. Sin is not just the violation of the Ten Commandments, it is also anything that creates a distance between ourselves and God. No human being is perfect and without sin, but we should try to emulate the example that Jesus Christ provided when He walked on earth and endeavor to make our ways straight through His help.

According to the Bible, sin originated from the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord and ate the forbidden fruit (Adams, 1986). Thus, sin came into the world. It is also written in the Scripture that the Laws were given by God to help us know when we sin. Yet, the Bible also tells us that we are not made righteous, all human beings are sinners; Romans 3:23; For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore, we should not act as if we are blameless and better than everyone else for knowing the Lord.

Our God is a merciful, just and forgiving God, and all sins that we commit are forgivable. The Bible says, in Mark 12: 31-32; “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Carroll & Prickett, 1998). When someone commits the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is denying the power of Jesus. Anyone who shuns the work of the Holy Spirit and says it is of the Devil, has committed this unpardonable sin.(Kreeft, 1994).

Thus, the question one might ask is, if God always forgives us, then why do we stop ourselves from sinning? Our forgiveness came at a price, Christ had to come to earth, suffer ridicule and pain as he died on the cross to set us free of our sin. Therefore, each time we think of the price that Jesus paid to liberate us from the bondage of sin, we should hate sin more and more, and avoid falling into temptations. The Holy Spirit also helps Christians to avoid falling into sin. He gives the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that the Christian uses to overcome the urge to sin.

However, just as God forgives us should we forgive others. The Bible says that we should forgive those who wrong us seventy-seven times seven times. This simply means that we should not count the number of times we have been wrong but should ask the Holy Spirit for grace to help us forgive each time we are wronged.

The Ten Commandments and the example that Jesus provided when He was on earth are the principles that Christians follow in judging whether something is a sin or not. However, there are those things that the world does not find to be sinful or wrong but according to the Bible, they are sins against God. For example, pre-marital sex is not wrong in the worldly principles but in Christianity it is a sin against God and the Holy Spirit, because the Scripture clearly states that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 also says;  “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists will inherit the kingdom of God” (Carroll & Prickett, 1998). Therefore, all this sins are repugnant before the eyes of the Lord, He cannot stand them. This creates a division between believers and non-believers because they feel as though Christians pretend to be righteous and they feel as though they are being judged and condemned. To this effect, Christians should try not to act as if they were better than non-believers, instead they should set a good example that the non-believers will desire to emulate. (McCormick, 2008). Instead of shunning and condemning, they should let their light shine bright enough for everyone to see.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 also answers the question whether God considers homosexuality to be a sin worse than any other. The answer is no. All sins are the same in God’s eyes, as long as the deed separates you from God and His Will, it is a sin. Therefore, just like any other sin, God is ready to forgive and transform the individual through the Holy Spirit. However, the society actually commits a sin by supporting homosexuality. This is a sign of moral decay, and ungodliness. Such a society needs to turn back to the Creator in order to be shown The Way, The Truth and The Light, or else it will face God’s wrath. For the Bible says that the wages of sin is death and that the wrath of God is opened from the Heavens against all ungodliness. Death in this case is not necessarily physical death, it is separation form God.

There are five kinds of wrath; The Wrath of Abandonment where the Lord forsakes the individual and stops using the Holy Spirit to convict him. There is the Eternal Wrath, which is Hell, the place where those who refuse to accept Christ will suffer for eternity after death. There is Cataclysmic Wrath where masses of unbelieving people are punished all at once for their sin, for example-Sodom and Gomorrah. Eschatological Wrath is the wrath of the last days that is described in the Book of Revelation. Natural Wrath is where the unrepentant sinner dies as a consequence of their sin, for example, a murderer might be killed while going to execute a murder himself.

However, Jesus has made it possible for us to go back to the Father through Him, by dying for us on the cross. Therefore, mankind need not struggle with the burden of sin. God is willing to forgive and cleanse us, if we repent our sins and follow His ways and His will. (Stanley, 2008). He wants to deliver mankind from the bondage of sin, but it is up to an individual to realize that he needs God’s help and guidance in his life. We are meant to live in harmony and communication with God, therefore it is important to develop a relationship with our heavenly father who cares for us and loves us with an eternal love.

 

References

Kreeft, P., (1994). Your Questions, God’s Answers, Ignatius Press.

Adams, E., J., (1986) How to Help People Change: The Four-Step Biblical Process, Zondervan.

Stanley, C., F., (2008). Stuck in Reverse: How to Let God Change Your Direction

Thomas Nelson Inc.

McCormick, J., (2008).What is sin? Sermons, Oxford University

Carroll, R. & Prickett, S., (1998). The Bible: Authorized King James Version, Oxford University Press.