What is "sin"?

[Christopher Chapman]

What is the meaning of the term "sin" in the New Testament?

It seems to mean different things at different times in the Bible. that can be confusing for new believers and old alike. So how should we define "sin"? is there more than one definition? Are there alternative terms we can use that would make which shade of meaning we are referring to at any given time more clear?

below are a few different verses. they use the term sin, but seem to use it differently. i just share them to illustrate what i mean by "different shades of meaning" regarding the term "sin". i dont have good greek pograms on my computer, so if the verses below are using different greek words, someone might comment on the difference of the meanings. but i am not sharing these verses for the purpose of focusing on them, we can discuss any of the new testament uses of the term sin. these are just as an illustration.

Rom 7:20
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

-here "sin" seems to mean evil desire!

James 1:15
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

-here "evil desire" and "sin" are two different things, one leading to the other!

I Jn 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

-here we are told to confess our "sins". sounds simple enough, but which of the first two examples are we supposed to confess?!?!?! Or does it make any difference which we confess anyway?!?!?! (these are rhetorical questions, just illustrating the issue i am trying to discuss)

the goal is not to discuss which acts are sin, like lying or stealing or such, though some of those might come up as illustrations. thanks!

my main questions are:

-What is the meaning of the term "sin" in the New Testament?
-are there different shades of meaning for this term?
-how can understanding, or misunderstanding, this term affect the christian's daily life?

[TATDADDY aka kevin woltkamp]

I have always understand "SIN" as the inherant sin nature that came from adams rebellion and thus our inherited nature as we are born into this fallen world

AND

"Sins" as my personal failings in keeping Gods commands


~~i have a greek program so i will check on this for the discussion

[TATDADDY aka kevin woltkamp]

G3900 παράπτωμα paraptōma par-ap'-to-mah From G3895; a side slip (lapse or deviation), that is, (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression:—fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass.


G264 ἁμαρτάνω hamartanō ham-ar-tan'-o Perhaps from G1 (as a negative particle) and the base of G3313; properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin:—for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.

G266 ἁμαρτία hamartia ham-ar-tee'-ah From G264; sin (properly abstract):—offence, sin (-ful).

[Christopher Chapman]

Kevin,

1. -So "Sin" is the "sinful desire" that came through adams transgression, correct? Cud we use the biblical term "flesh" to describe this aspect of "sin's" definition?

2. -"sins" means "willful decisions to follow the desires of the flesh", correct? Cud we call these "decisions", "transgressions"?

3. 1 john 1:9- are we guilty for the evil desires of the flesh and so need to confess them and be forgiven? If i, as a christian, hav an evil desire, though i have not desired to act on it in thought, word or deed, do i need to confess it in order to receive forgiveness? What makes me guilty, fleshly desires or following them, or both?

4. a particular example to illustrate some slight differences in what im asking:
Is "seeing" a sinful image that gives rise to lustful desires and evil "thoughts", the same as "looking" at a sinful image and deciding to "think" about it? As a believer, are we guilty in both cases before god? Do we need to confess our "sin" to him in both cases?

[Christopher Chapman]

i agree with kevin, there are two main senses in which the NT uses the term sin. there might be more shades of meanings, but i see two main senses in the NT.

1. Sin= the sinful desire of the body and the mind, i.e. "flesh"
2. sins= wilfull decisions made to disobey God's known will, i.e. "transgression"

For me romans 13:14 illustrates the two aspects of sin according to the biblical definition, which i believe kevin makes clear above.

rom 13:14b "...make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires". "Flesh" would be the evil "desires of the body and mind"(eph 2:3). "Transgression" would be "making provision for", or "carrying out the desires"(eph 2:3) of the flesh. in this sense "Sin" (flesh and its desires) leads to "sins"wilfull decisions to disobey Gods known will).

I think this distinction is important if we hope to read, understand and apply many NT passages rightly. i think the bible tells us when thinking of our identity before god we should not confess that we are "sinners" and "carnal", but that we are "the righteousness of God in christ jesus"(2 cor 5:21). i think many of us feel condemned before god because of the evil desires of the flesh that seem to be a constant nuisance and temptation to us. i think this is where many in the evangelical camp get into trouble. we seem to continually cry out "woe is me!". We dont recognize that God already"condemned (this aspect of) sin"(rom 8:3) in the body of christ, when he "made him who knew no sin(transgression) to become sin(sinful flesh in his position before god) for us". i think this failure to separate ourselves from the condemnation due to the sinful fleshweakens us in the fight of faith. i think we often fall to transgression cause we feel defeated from the outset.

On the other hand, i beleive many in the "faith" camp fall to the oppisite error when they equate "transgression" with "sinful flesh and its desires" when they quote "i am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus". When we "gratify the desires of the flesh" through acts (words, thoughts or deeds) of transgression, and then deny any guilt or responsiblity before god for those acts since we are "the righteousness of god in christ", i think we are not "walking by faith, but instead are failing to "confess our sins" and instead are denying the truth! i think we fail when we equate "flesh" with "transgression"(i.e. gratifying the desires of the flesh). so we are trying to put principles of faith into action by denying identification with the flesh and the condemnation that rightly comes on it, but we are sometimes going to far and denying our responsibility and guilt that comes from acts of transgression. also though we are trying to walk in faith and free from the condemnation that the flesh deserves, sometimes we forget that though the flesh and its desires no longer condemn us before god, they are still an ever present source of temptation and danger to us. we are not to identify ourselves with the flesh before god, but we would be foolish to shrug off the flesh as insignificant and of no consequence in our fight against sin. we should deny it in our position before god, but acknowledge it in our daily battle against evil.

i think we need to clearly distinguish between the different aspects of the meaning of "sin" in the bible, lest we blur them and fall to the discouragment of condemnation on the one hand, or the snare of unalert pride on the other!

Questions:

- Do you agree with the distinction of two different aspects of sin that i (and kevin) have posted above? what are your thoughts on the matter?

- If the two senses of the meaning of sin are correct, then how can we tell at which time the bible is using "sin" to mean "flesh", and when "sin" is meant to refer to acts of "transgression"? how can we rightly divide the scriptures so we dont err on our interpretation and application of individual passages dealing with the topic of "sin"?

[David Velasquez]

Bro Chris,

I do agree with the definitions you and Kevin have given but I would like to harp on something you touched that i believe is extremely important and overlook often. You may even be ridicule for making such statement when is perfectly fine to make it.

You said "we should not confess that we are "sinners" and "carnal", but that we are "the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus" wow! Great insight and truth. Very simple yet very profound. What we think about God and what we think about who we are in him make a humongous difference in our lives.

Yes! We sin and at times we feel like sinners due it, but God never calls us sinners once we belong to Him, but the complete opposite. The Holy Spirit should be renewing our mind through the study of the word. To think of ourselves as Peter describes us in 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Keep in mind what Paul wrote in Romans 12:3 for establishing balance in the topic and a sucessful walk in Christ.

Romans 12:3 (New International Version)
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.Knowing who we are in Christ is essential folks.

[Christopher Chapman]

David,

I think the key to understanding that we are"not sinner" and yet "still are sinners", is understanding the distinction the epistles make between our "position" in christ before god, and our "experience" in the daily temptations of the devil, the world and the flesh. In experience the "flesh is an ever present enemy that we shoul face and acknowledge with all diligence. We shoul continually encouage one another not to make provision for the flesh and should continually cry out to god to "deliver us from evil and lead us not to temptation! On the otherhand we must recognize that "we can come boldly to the throne of grace to get help" because we are already "holy and blameless in his sight" and the sinful desires of the flesh dont taint our rightstanding with god because "we" are distingished from that sinful "old man"

We must deny a connection with the condemed old man in faith, even as peter denied any connection with the condemned man from galilee! On the other hand we must deny that condemed "old man" just as the soldier denied a cup of cold water to the "condemned criminal" from nazareth! In our position before god we must deny the guilt of sinfulness! In experience we must deny the lusts of the flesh from all it thirsts for!!!

Gbu

[Pastor James and Lucia Purser]

Best summarized definition is simply missing the mark . Missing the mark of holiness or missing the plan of God for that indivivual by or through a willlful act of disobedience.

[Christopher Chapman]

In areas where we are ignorant of gods will, and so dont willfully choose to disobey gods will, but nonetheless we miss the mark and fail to "miss the mark", be a "sin"? If yes, as believers are we held responsible for it? For a new believer that still has attitudes of racism since he grew up in a racist enviorment, and has not yet been dealt with by god in that area. He is obviously "missing the mark", but nit knowingly and willfully.

Thx and gbu

[Christopher Chapman]

Pastor james,

I mean to say i agree with the "missing the mark" definition. I think that goes for the sinful desire of the flesh and acts (in thought word or deed) of willfull transgression. But by the addition of " by or thru a willfull act of disobedience" it seems u are pointing more to "transgression" than the desires of the "flesh". So i asked for clarification not out of disagreement, just a desire to understand ur point better.

Gbu

[Christopher Chapman]

is desiring something sinful a "sin" or " temptation"? Is an evil thought a sin or a temptation? If a thought flashes in a persons mind but they didnt choose to think it and they resist dwelling on it, do they need to confess it before god? Or should they pray the lord wud deliver them from temptation?

I ask these cause we know that jesus talks about evil thinking as sin, but sometimes we fail to make a difference between "having a thought" pop in our mind, and choosing to "think" evil. Often we are discouraged at all the evil thoughts that come our way and feel that we have sinned. But i think we shud rather recognize them as temptations of the flesh. We shud deny them, but not feel condemned by them.

Thoughts?

[David Velasquez]

Desires can be sin if contemplated, but generally they are equivalent to temptations, which are not sin until we indulge in them in a tangible way or by thought. An evil thought may come into the mind as a firry dart and it all depends if we contemplate that evil thought or not for it to become sin, which undoubtedly will eventually birth an evil action.

You can pick up on the trend by now and realized that a thought in its self is not sin, meditating in it and acting upon it makes it sin. God wants us to learn to fend for ourselves by allowing Him to work through us. We must learn to choose to take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

1 Cor. 10:4-6 4 the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Do we need to confess temptations and desires - if our conscience is telling us to do so, we should, but we should mature enough to understand the difference between sin and our struggle between flesh, world, Satan and the Spirit and the internal turmoil that can create for us. Among condemnation we can lose our joy because we allow the accuser to fill us with insecurities and doubts.

[Christopher Chapman]

I agree. But i dont think a thought becomes sin when we decide to dwell on it BECAUSE it will eventually lead to action. But i believe sin (transgression) is "the decision to disobey the known will of god". Deciding to do something is equal to doing it in gods sight, though in the real world the consequences are usually less. I might decide to sin but lack oppurtunity or fear the human consequences, but i have transgressed and rebelled in gods eyes. I think u were saying the same but i wanted to clarify the phrase "will eventually lead to action". I believe that thoughts, words and deeds are all "actions" of the heart. Im sure u agree, im just being a stickler!!! Haha!!

In my definitintion of sin in this comment box i added the decision to disobey "the known will of god". Romans 5 says where ther is no law, there is no transgression. U cant choose to obey if u are ignorant of a command in conscience or the law. So an action might be sinful and yet not be a transgression actually. The person cudnt confess it cause he doesnt know about it. Like my above illustration of a new believer that still holds racist attitudes. Those attitudes are contrary to the will of god, so are sin, but are not transgression. Unknown suins are covered by the blood, for believers that is, willful sins on the other hand we must apply thru confession. It is interesting how 2 pet 1 connects growth in holiness with knowledge! Rom 12:2 does the same. Anyway, just a tangent!!! Haha!

Gbu