What Is Sin? Part 1

So what exactly is sin? We hear about it all the time, we refer to it, we recognize that we do it, we point it out when others do it, and we try to act like we don't do it - much.

James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles at one point, he has become guilty of all."

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

¹ And God spoke all these words:

² "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ "You shall have no other gods before ^a]">[a] me.

⁴ "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

⁸ "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

¹³ "You shall not murder.

¹⁴ "You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ "You shall not steal.

¹⁶ "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹⁷ "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Here is the law, as laid out for us in the 10 Commandments. In James, we read that if we break just one of these laws just one time, we are just as guilty as if we had broken all of them every day. Read down through the list. Are there any you have committed? Are there any you have not committed? Before you get too excited about the ones you think you haven't committed, consider Matthew 5: 21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment, But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment" and Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Are we ready to admit that we are sinners? Good, that was the easy part. Next week we will discuss how often we sin.