Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THE MEANING OF SIN

THE MEANING OF SIN

In Romans it is stated that: “For all have sinned, and have come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, KJV). The Bible also says that: “…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) meaning that everyone will reap the consequences of our daily activities.

But what really does ‘to sin’ imply? Does it really refer to all the overt things an individual does each day, thus making “the evil that man does” so much greater for one than for another? After all, not everyone starts a war or commits murder so that perhaps some will avoid the “death” that may be due to others. So what does sin really imply? 

According to Barnhouse*, there are at least 12 different Hebrew and Greek words that are all similar in meaning and thus translated by our word sin. These can apparently be loosely summarized by five different meanings.

Perhaps the most common is missing the mark. In Paul’s time, archery was as common as shooting is today. Similar to our events today, as one became more proficient at the activity, the target would be moved farther and farther back allowing a greater development of skill and accuracy. At some point, no matter how proficient one became, the target could not be reached. The target God has set for us is so far removed that no one ever becomes able to reach it and, therefore, no-one can satisfy the demands of God.

Sin apparently is also falling short of the righteousness of God. Romans states that: “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). In other words, no matter how good we consider ourselves to be or how much good we attempt to do, no one can meet the righteousness of God and in His view there is no one who is considered righteous. Just as we can’t hit the target by our skill, we also can’t meet His righteousness by our goodness. In a sense, this also refers to “overstepping a boundary” in that our lack of complete goodness often becomes out right rebellion, and as children often refuse to do the bidding of their parents, we likewise refuse to follow God’s direction as well. Thus, our lack of goodness may become outright rebellion, and as well, sin.

A third word for sin means falling instead of standing. A synonym for standing is upright and the word used for falling implies a position of weakness rather that of standing straight and upright before God. We tend to be weak and crooked instead of standing upright and steadfast as we should and therefore no one has maintained a righteous position before God

Sin also implies being ignorant instead of knowing. This implies that being ignorant of the laws of God is not an excuse. This also follows from the first words of Satan in the first Interrogation in the Bible: “…‘Has God indeed said…’”(Genesis 3:1). The sin is not being ignorant of general knowledge, or of not having advanced education, but of the knowledge and commandments of God. Peter says in 1 Peter 2:2 that we should “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that [we] may grow thereby”(1 Peter 2:2). This concept is also seen in Hebrews 5:12-14:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, 

you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; 

and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled 

in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, 

that is, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

 It is a sin for one to be ignorant of God’s way of salvation, and one day we will all be examined on our knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Finally, the fifth word for sin means diminishing that which should be rendered in full. We are to “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength…and keep His charge, His statutes, His Judgments, and His commandments always” (Deuteronomy 6:5 and 11:1). Luke 10:27 says: “…‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’” By not doing such, we have short changed God and have diminished that which God has required of us. We have cheated God by spending on ourselves that which was rightfully His and not ours until we had yielded it fully to Him.

It’s hopeless for us by ourselves because no one can avoid sin and, as mentioned before, the penalty of sin is death. That is why nothing we can do ourselves is sufficient; the target is too far removed for our abilities. We can only avoid the penalty justly awaiting for each of us by accepting the gift Christ gave. He paid the price of our sins on our behalf. “…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…”(1 Corinithians 15:3).

The gift of payment has been made, therefore, it is up to us to accept it. Otherwise, the penalty for sin awaits all of us. “For all have sinned, and have come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, KJV).

It is something we all must think about.

*adapted from Romans volume 1 Section 2 God’s Wrath pgs.195-198 by Donald Grey Barnhouse