What is sin? The first time I asked this question, I was a bright-eyed first-year college student listening to my first lecture on Paul’s letter to the Romans. Little did I know that I would still be chewing on this question for the next seven years. Like many things in scripture, the concept of sin possesses a paradoxical quality of being both very easy to comprehend and incomprehensibly deep.
What is Sin?… Sin is law!
At a fundamental level, sin is disobeying a command from God. Examples of this idea can be seen all over scripture. From Adam and Eve’s first sin in Genesis 3 to the ten commandments and John’s statement in 1 John 3:4 that “everyone who sins breaks the law.” Two of the most striking illustrations of this view are in Acts 10:9-16 and Romans 14:23.
In Acts 10, Peter is given a vision where he is told that God has revoked the commands against eating unclean animals. This passage suggests that the sinfulness of actions, in this case, eating unclean animals, can change through a declaration from God. Although, the ending of the Old Testament covenant was the catalyst that drove this declaration. The fact that an action went from sinful to acceptable via a divide declaration is still noteworthy.
Another way that we can see the connection between sin and disobedience is in Romans 14. In this chapter, Paul addresses a disagreement over the sinfulness of eating meat sacrificed to idols. In the passage, he says that fundamentally there is nothing wrong with eating this kind of meat. However, he says that those who are not convinced that it is acceptable should abstain since “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). In this passage, Paul argues that intentionally doing something you believe has been forbidden by God is an act of willful disobedience or sin, even if that action is technically or actually acceptable.
A Common Concern With Grounding Morality in God
Some people find this idea that sin is determined by the command or will of God to be somewhat concerning. After all, if right and wrong are dependent on the command of God, they are also subject to the whims of God. From this perspective, if God decided that he was no longer against murder, he could simply scratch it off the ten commandments with a wave of his hand.
Although I understand these concerns, I believe that this potential moral instability would only be a problem if we dealt with a flaky immature deity who bases moral commands on personal feelings or attitudes. On the contrary, scripture indicates that God constructed the world’s moral aspects with the same intent, logic, and care that he gave to the rest of creation. (This and other similar objections are typically aimed at a Meta Ethical view of morality called Divine Command Theory.)
Sin Has A Purposeful Design
Actions that God declares unacceptable are often, if not always, related to the function or purpose he gave that person or community. For example, Israel was required to follow a collection of Old Testament laws that focused on their function as a Holy (set apart) nation and a national beacon of God’s light to the world (Exodus 19:5-6). This is one reason Christians are not required to follow all the Old Testament Laws, even though Israel was.
What is Sin’s Relation To Human Function
As for humanity in general, we can see several functions given to us by God in Genesis Chapter 1-2. These functions include being images of God, populating the earth, as well as subduing and ruling the world. It’s not hard to see how many of God’s divine commands relate to the functions he gave humanity. Rules about sex, families, work, the treatment of animals, and each other are all excellent examples of God teaching us how to fulfill the purposes he gave us.
Although all three functions are essential aspects of the Biblical concept of sin, our role as God’s image would have to be primary. One of the most widely accepted explanations of what it means to be made in God’s image is that we are his representatives. That is to say that God’s divine nature is presented to the world through us. Much like a company representative embodies and presents their employers’ values, nature, and desires to others. We are to represent God’s values, nature, and desires to the world. Consequently, much of the Biblical understanding of sin is based on God’s nature and our function as his images.
Other Aspects Of Sin To Keep In Mind
It should be noted that I have only tried to present what I believe are two key aspects of the Biblical understanding of sin. These two aspects are: Sinfulness is intimately related to disobedience, and God’s divine commands/ moral code is designed in light of function.
However, as stated in the first paragraph, the Biblical description of sin is very deep, and a lot more can be said. For example, in his book Sin a History, Gary Anderson points out that there is a lot to be learned from the many Biblical metaphors used to describe sin, like burden, debt, or stain. There is also a lot to be said about the Bible’s different words for wrongdoing, such as iniquity, transgressions, and sin. Furthermore, we can learn a lot about what sin is from its consequences, God’s use of grace, the similarities between sinful acts, Biblical faith, and further explorations into God’s nature.
References:
Sin A History , by Gary A. Anderson
The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John H. Walton
Metaethics: An Introduction, by Andrew Fisher
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Thank you for being awesome!
