What is Sin?

What is sin? 
According to the Free Online Dictionary, the definition is:

A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate.

That link also has another good statement of what sin is: "Deliberate disobedience to the known will of God."



Ways to sin:
Broadly speaking, there are two ways to sin:
- Sin of omission: failing to do (to omit) what one should do.
- Sin of commission: doing something that one should not do.



What did Jesus say about sin?
Matthew 22:34-40 -

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless, they met together. One of them, a legal expert, tested him. “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

 Naturally, Jesus had a lot more to say on the issue, but this summed it up well. To sin would be to violate either of these two concepts.



Ten Commandments
Many feel the Ten Commandments outline sin as per God's design. This is certainly true. Let's compare the Ten Commandments to the two greatest commandments according to Jesus Christ:
1. Have no other gods before God. (Love God)
2. Do not make idols or graven images. (Love God)
3. Do not take God's name as if it were of no significance. (Love God)
4. Remember the Sabbath Day. (Love God)
5. Honor your parents. (Love your neighbor)
6. Do not murder. (Love your neighbor)
7. Do not commit adultery. (Love your neighbor)
8. Do not steal. (Love your neighbor)
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Love your neighbor)
10. Do not covet. (Love your neighbor)

Note 1: Those of the Talmudic persuasion feel that God saying "I am the Lord, your God," is the first commandment. They subsequently combine commandments 2 and 3.

Note 2: Those of the Lutheran and Roman Catholic persuasions combine the first and second commandments as listed, and split the covet commandment into two.


The Law of Moses
A significant portion of the Pentateuch following the Ten Commandments, as written in Exodus 20, is dedicated to the giving of the Law of Moses. This Law is predominantly viewed as being there for Jews to live by so as to distinguish themselves from the other peoples of the time.

The Law of Moses has been fulfilled. Jesus Christ did not invalidate the law, but He fulfilled it as He said in Matthew 5. 

Some people try to attribute selected parts of the Law of Moses as still being applicable for today.
Some people claim that some parts of the Law of Moses are sins - even for modern Christians.
These people have an agenda and distort the scriptures for their own purposes... more on this to come!


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