What does it mean to sin?

[alaric]

The superficial answer is “Breaking of God’s law.”

The deeper answer is “Sinning is the state or condition of all man.”

For example, a fish swims and a sinner sins. Everyone is born into a condition called sin (Except for Jesus who is without sin).

No one can escape this condition by obeying the law or doing righteous works. The bible compare the righteousness of a sinner to a filthy rag.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The law was given to make everyone aware that he/she is a sinner.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law cannot save anyone. But the law is necessary. Because without it, everyone will not know what is sin. Resulting in not having the need for a saviour (Jesus).

 

[Bob Estey]

The superficial answer is “Breaking of God’s law.”

The deeper answer is “Sinning is the state or condition of all man.”

For example, a fish swims and a sinner sins. Everyone is born into a condition called sin (Except for Jesus who is without sin).

No one can escape this condition by obeying the law or doing righteous works. The bible compare the righteousness of a sinner to a filthy rag.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The law was given to make everyone aware that he/she is a sinner.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law cannot save anyone. But the law is necessary. Because without it, everyone will not know what is sin. Resulting in not having the need for a saviour (Jesus).

Sin would be acts of selfishness that hurt other people. The Lord gave us rules to follow so that we wouldn't do that.

 

[Windmill Charge]

Sin would be acts of selfishness that hurt other people. The Lord gave us rules to follow so that we wouldn't do that.

Sin is far more than hurting other people.
Sin is an attitude, an act or habit that is self-centered and is in deviance of God and his moral laws.

 

[quietthinker]

What does it mean to sin?​

To have one's inner world revolving around oneself. It comes down to raw selfishness when we strip away all the facades we construct to flatter our view of ourselves and for that of others.

 

[Bob Estey]

Sin is far more than hurting other people.
Sin is an attitude, an act or habit that is self-centered and is in deviance of God and his moral laws.

Sin is what God and Jesus said is sin.

 

[Soyeong]

The superficial answer is “Breaking of God’s law.”

The deeper answer is “Sinning is the state or condition of all man.”

For example, a fish swims and a sinner sins. Everyone is born into a condition called sin (Except for Jesus who is without sin).

No one can escape this condition by obeying the law or doing righteous works. The bible compare the righteousness of a sinner to a filthy rag.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The law was given to make everyone aware that he/she is a sinner.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law cannot save anyone. But the law is necessary. Because without it, everyone will not know what is sin. Resulting in not having the need for a saviour (Jesus).

God’s way is the way to know Him and Jesus by directing our lives towards being in His likeness by being a doer of His character traits, which is the way to the Tree of Life (John 17:3), and sin is what is contrary to God’s way, which is the way to the Tree of Knowledge. Sin is also the transgression of God’s law because it was given to teach us how to walk in God’s way (1 Kings 2:1-3). The way to believe in by directing our lives towards being in His likeness by being a doer of His character traits, such as by being a doer of good works we are testifying about His goodness, which is why our good works bring glory to Him (Matthew 5:16), and by testifying about His goodness we are also expressing the belief that He is good, or in other words we are believing in Him, which is why sin is also what is not of faith (Romans 14:23).

While the only way for someone to attain a character trait is through faith, what it means for them to attain a character trait is for their life to become directed at being a doer of that character trait. For example, the only way for someone to become courageous is through faith apart from being required to have first done enough courageous works in order to earn it as the result, however, it would be contradictory for someone to become courageous apart from becoming a doer of courageous works, and the same is true for righteousness and every other character trait. This is why the same faith by which we are declared righteous apart from works does not abolish our need to be a doer of righteous works in obedience to God's law, but rather our faith upholds it (Romans 3:28-31). In other words, everyone who has faith will be declared righteous and everyone who has faith is a doer of righteous works in obedience to God's law, which is how Paul can deny in Romans 4:1-5 that we can earn our righteousness as the result of our works while also affirming in Romans 2:13 that only the doers of God's law will be declared righteous. In God is not a commander of filthy rags, but rather the righteous deeds of the saints are like fine white linen (Revelation 19:8). In Isaiah 64:6, it is not God speaking, but rather it is the people hyperbolically complaining about God not coming down and making His presence known.

In Titus 2:11-13, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, so doing those works has absolutely nothing to do with trying to earn our salvation as the result, but rather God graciously teaching us to experience being a doer of His character traits in obedience to His law is part of His gift of salvation. Jesus saves us from our sin (Matthew 1:21) and sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), so Jesus graciously teaching us to experience being a doer of God's law is intrinsically the way that he is giving us his gift of saving us from not being a doer of it.

 

[ShineTheLight]

God’s way is the way to know Him and Jesus by directing our lives towards being in His likeness by being a doer of His character traits, which is the way to the Tree of Life (John 17:3), and sin is what is contrary to God’s way, which is the way to the Tree of Knowledge. Sin is also the transgression of God’s law because it was given to teach us how to walk in God’s way (1 Kings 2:1-3). The way to believe in by directing our lives towards being in His likeness by being a doer of His character traits, such as by being a doer of good works we are testifying about His goodness, which is why our good works bring glory to Him (Matthew 5:16), and by testifying about His goodness we are also expressing the belief that He is good, or in other words we are believing in Him, which is why sin is also what is not of faith (Romans 14:23).

While the only way for someone to attain a character trait is through faith, what it means for them to attain a character trait is for their life to become directed at being a doer of that character trait. For example, the only way for someone to become courageous is through faith apart from being required to have first done enough courageous works in order to earn it as the result, however, it would be contradictory for someone to become courageous apart from becoming a doer of courageous works, and the same is true for righteousness and every other character trait. This is why the same faith by which we are declared righteous apart from works does not abolish our need to be a doer of righteous works in obedience to God's law, but rather our faith upholds it (Romans 3:28-31). In other words, everyone who has faith will be declared righteous and everyone who has faith is a doer of righteous works in obedience to God's law, which is how Paul can deny in Romans 4:1-5 that we can earn our righteousness as the result of our works while also affirming in Romans 2:13 that only the doers of God's law will be declared righteous. In God is not a commander of filthy rags, but rather the righteous deeds of the saints are like fine white linen (Revelation 19:8). In Isaiah 64:6, it is not God speaking, but rather it is the people hyperbolically complaining about God not coming down and making His presence known.

In Titus 2:11-13, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, so doing those works has absolutely nothing to do with trying to earn our salvation as the result, but rather God graciously teaching us to experience being a doer of His character traits in obedience to His law is part of His gift of salvation. Jesus saves us from our sin (Matthew 1:21) and sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), so Jesus graciously teaching us to experience being a doer of God's law is intrinsically the way that he is giving us his gift of saving us from not being a doer of it.

Leviticus 26:21, 23-24, and 27-28 says what God will do to people if they walk contrary to him and his ways. In Revelations 2 and 3 God gives warnings about this. A person has to confess and repent of their sins. They have to humble themselves; Leviticus 26:40-42, 1 Peter 5:6, James 4:10, and Job 22:21-29.

Those who hide their sins will not prosper and will need to forsake them (Proverbs 28:13). Not only do you need to watch out to provoke wrath from God, but also for conscience sake. On conscience sake, sins can hold back good things from you (Jeremiah 5:25).

Knowing God's way is achieved when you deny yourself, deny the flesh, and you set your mind on things above and not on earth. Backsliding because the things said in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

 

[ShineTheLight]

Sin is what God and Jesus said is sin.

Like what? Acts of selfishness that hurt other people?

I'll agree with Windmill Charge. Sin is more than that.

What does it mean to sin?​

To have one's inner world revolving around oneself. It comes down to raw selfishness when we strip away all the facades we construct to flatter our view of ourselves and for that of others.

It would be like what is displayed by the people in this video.

 

[Bob Estey]

Like what? Acts of selfishness that hurt other people?

I'll agree with Windmill Charge. Sin is more than that.

There are some specific commandments that help define sin.

 

[Lambano]

There are some specific commandments that help define sin.

That's pretty much Paul's argument in Romans 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

And that's pretty much a staple of Reformed Theology: One of the three purposes of Torah is to define what sin is.

 

[Bob Estey]

That's pretty much Paul's argument in Romans 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

And that's pretty much a staple of Reformed Theology: One of the three purposes of Torah is to define what sin is.

The think about sin is that sin brings trouble into our lives. Therefore, the Lord warned us not to sin.

 

[Taken]

What does it mean to sin?​

Stand Against God. (Disbelief, Denial)

Matt 12
[30a] He that is not with me is against me;

Luke 11:
[23a] He that is not with me is against me:

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Brakelite]

Sin would be acts of selfishness that hurt other people. The Lord gave us rules to follow so that we wouldn't do that.

True...

Sin is far more than hurting other people.
Sin is an attitude, an act or habit that is self-centered and is in deviance of God and his moral laws.

True also...

What does it mean to sin?​

To have one's inner world revolving around oneself. It comes down to raw selfishness when we strip away all the facades we construct to flatter our view of ourselves and for that of others.

And this...

That's pretty much Paul's argument in Romans 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

And that's pretty much a staple of Reformed Theology: One of the three purposes of Torah is to define what sin is.

And indeed this was well. All correct.

Might I add, defying God's authority and accepting another's in His place? Like the church... Tradition...our own personal interpretation of scripture...yep, even we put ourselves above God when we defend our religiosity that denies God's authority in our lives. Sin... Rebellion.