Sin

1. Greek Meaning: Sin (ἁμαρτία) = Miss the target = Out of Christ, out of spirit. 

2. The differences between Sin and Sins. Sins: Solved by the Blood of Jesus; sin: Solved by the Cross.

1. The originator of sin

   1. “The anointed cherub”; “The devil” (Ezek. 28:14; 1 John 3:8; John 8:44).

The originator of sin is the devil. In chapter 53 we saw that he is the cherub anointed by God, the highest archangel, who became proud and rebelled against God. His rebellion against God was the beginning of sin. He is the first sinner in the universe. He sinned “out of his own possessions” (v. 44). He is a sinner from the beginning. Therefore, this sinning archangel is the originator of sin.

2. The beginning of sin

   1. “The devil has sinned from the beginning” (1 John 3:8).

The devil has sinned from the beginning. This refers to the time before man was created. Before there was man, there was sin. Sin originated with the devil at the time of his sin. When the anointed cherub, the highest archangel, became the devil, sin came into existence.

3. The entrance of sin into man

   1.  “Through one man sin entered into the world” (Rom. 5:12).

After sin originated with the devil and after the creation of man, the devil tempted man to rebel against God. Through his temptation, the sin within him was injected like poison into man. The devil injected his poison into Adam, the ancestor of the human race, by tempting him to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All humans are Adam’s descendants. When the devil injected his sin into Adam, sin was passed to all his descendants. Therefore, sin is present in all humanity. When a person is born, sin is present within him. No one is not sinless; neither does one have to wait to commit a sin in order to be sinful. A person is sinful because his parents are sinful, having received the sin that was injected into Adam and that has been passed from generation to generation from our common ancestor Adam. According to the Bible, sin entered into the world through one man, Adam.

4. The indwelling of sin (singular) in man

   1. “I am fleshy, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14).

The Bible speaks of both sin and sins, with sin referring to indwelling sin and sins referring to outward manifestations of sinful acts. Since indwelling sin relates to man’s sinful nature, it is often referred to in the Bible in the singular as sin. Since outward sins relate to man’s sinful actions, it is often referred to in the Bible in the plural as sins. Romans 1 through the first part of chapter 5 emphasizes our outward sins, our sinful actions. The second half of chapter 5 through chapter 8 emphasizes our sinful nature, the sin that indwells us. Man’s sinful nature is present from birth. We are sold under the sinful nature that we inherited from Adam. When Adam followed Satan to rebel against God, he sold himself to sin and also sold all his descendants to sin. Adam and all his descendants have a sinful nature and are slaves to sin. No one is free from sin.

4. 2. “It is no longer I that work it out but sin that dwells in me” (Rom. 7:17, 20).

Man’s inward nature is full of sin, and it is active within man. This indwelling sin is actually the personification of the devil within us. As such, sin dwells in us and forces us to do evil and to commit sins.

4. 3. “Sin revived” (Rom. 7:9).

Our sinful nature cannot be separated from our living. Although the operation of sin may seem to be dormant at times, it can always be revived. This shows that sin is part of our living.

4. 4. “Sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind”; “For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me”; “Become death to me” (Rom. 7:8, 11, 13).

Since sin is personified in us, it seizes every opportunity to cause us to commit sins. For example, it works out coveting of every kind in us by means of God’s commandment, and it can deceive us, kill us, and even become death to us. This proves that indwelling sin is strong and living.

4. 5. “Sin reigned in death” (Rom. 5:21 see also 6:12).

In addition to operating in us, indwelling sin reigns with authority in us, controlling us and causing us to die.

4. 6. “Lord it over you” (Rom. 6:14).

Since indwelling sin reigns and exercises authority over us, it also lords over and controls us, making us its slaves. Having been sold to sin as slaves in Adam, sin is our master, and we have no way to escape its control or to free ourselves from it.

4. 7. “The law of sin” (Rom. 7:25).

      1. Every living thing lives according to a law of life. Since our indwelling sin is living, it also operates according to the law of its life. The Bible calls this law the law of sin. The law of sin is out of sin, belongs to sin, and causes people to sin. This law is in the corrupted members of our flesh, and it fights against the law of good in our mind and eventually captures us (v. 23), causing us to do evil and to die (vv. 21, 24). Since this law causes us to sin and to die, it is also called the law of sin and of death (8:2).

      2. A law is a natural power that operates spontaneously. For example, gravity is a law that acts to draw things toward the earth. Similarly, indwelling sin has a natural power that causes us to sin spontaneously. Because the law of sin operates within us automatically, we do not have to exert any conscious effort to commit sins. Since sin is living in us, it indwells us, reigns over us, lords over us, controls us, enslaves us, makes us do sinful things against our will, and causes us to die. It is a spontaneous law with a natural power that causes us to sin and die.

      3. Most people do not pay attention to this aspect of indwelling sin, and it is also difficult for people to understand. People think of sin primarily in relation to outward actions. Consequently, they do not believe that a person is sinful if he does not commit definite sinful acts. They do not have a clear realization of man’s sinful nature. Consequently, they do not realize that a person who does not commit gross sinful acts is still full of sin and therefore a sinner. If a peach tree does not produce peaches, it is still a peach tree because it has the nature of a peach tree. It is a peach tree because it has the peach tree nature; it does not need to produce peaches in order to be a peach tree. Similarly, man is sinful and a sinner because he has a sinful nature; he is not a sinner only because he has committed some sinful acts.

5. The manifestation of sins (plural) in man

   1. “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

Outward, manifested sins are the sins that people commit; sins are their sinful acts. Since these sinful acts can be many and varied, the word sins is plural. People easily understand this aspect of sin. When people speak of sin, they are usually referring to sins, to sinful acts. Sins are actions that break God’s law. Anything that breaks God’s law is a sin.

5. 2. “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17).

The phrase all unrighteousness means all things that are unreasonable, illegal, unfair, or not according to proper procedure. These are all sins. Unrighteousness includes everything that we should not say or do but, nevertheless, say and do, and it also includes everything that we should say or do but, nevertheless, do not say or do. Everything in these two categories is a sin, involving sinful acts.

5. 3. “Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

 If someone does not fulfill his human responsibility of doing good before God, he has committed a sinful act and falls short before God.

5. 4. “All that is not out of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23).

Man should do everything before God in faith, and everything should be done because of faith in God. Whatever is not out of faith is unbelief toward God, and it is offensive to Him. Therefore, it involves a sinful act.

5. 5. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

      1. God’s glory is the standard for man’s living before God. Anything of man that falls short of the glory of God is a sin. All have sinned because all that we are and can do fall short of God’s glory. While those who are bad certainly fall short of God’s glory, even those who are good fall short of God’s glory. While those who are immoral fall short of God’s glory, even those who are moral fall short of God’s glory. Since all that we can do falls short of the standard of God’s glory, we all have sinned.

      2. Sin is manifested outwardly in the various unacceptable acts committed before God. These outward sins come from man’s inward nature of sin. Sins are the outward fruit of our inward nature of sin. Man’s inward sinful nature produces outward sinful acts. Man’s inward sinful life produces outward sinful fruits.

6. The universality of sin

   1. “We have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin” (Rom. 3:9).

Regardless of whether one is a Jew, a member of God’s people, or a Greek, a Gentile, he is under sin. Since the Jews have broken the law that God gave to them and the Gentiles have broken the law in their conscience (2:14-15), which was also given by God, all have sinned before God.

6. 2. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23 see also 5:12).

All men, whether moral or immoral, virtuous or evil, good or bad, fall short of the glory of God; therefore, all have sinned.

6. 3. “Surely there is not a righteous man on the earth who does good and does not sin” (Eccl. 7:20 see also 1 Kings 8:46).

According to this verse, there is not a righteous man on the earth who does good and does not sin. This means that there is no one on the earth who has not sinned. All are short before God; therefore, everyone is a sinner. Sin is so widespread! It has spread to include everyone in the world!

7. The result of sin

   1. “Your iniquities have become a separation / Between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2).

Sin separates man from God, causing man to lose God and His blessing.

7. 2. “The soul who sins, he shall die” (Ezek. 18:4).

Sin causes man to die. All who sin will die. This death involves spiritual death (Eph. 2:5), physical death (Heb. 9:27), and the suffering of the soul in Hades (Luke 16:23-24). Ultimately, the entire person — spirit and soul and body — of one who is not forgiven of his sins will be thrown into the lake of fire to suffer for eternity. The Bible calls this death the second death (Rev. 20:12-15).

7. 3. “The sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15 see also Rom. 5:12).

When sin is fully grown in man, it brings forth death. Therefore, death comes from sin; it is a result of sin. Regardless of what kind of person we are, death is the result of our sin.

7. 4. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Death is not merely the result of sin but also the wages of sin. The result of sin relates to the ultimate consequence of sin, whereas the wages of sin relate to the deserving return for sin. Man does not receive death undeservedly. Death is the fair wages for man’s sinful work. Man commits sin in his service to sin, and as his master, sin pays people for their work for him. The wages that sin gives to man for his service to sin is death. Death is man’s deserved recompense for sinning; it is his fair wage.

7. 5. “It is reserved for men to die once, and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

Sin causes man to die, and judgment follows death. Death brings sinners to the point of judgment. Those who sin die, and those who die are judged.

7. 6. “Were judged...cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:12, 15).

The result of the future judgment upon sinners is to be cast into the lake of fire to be punished for eternity. Eternal perdition is the final result of sin. Sin brings in death, death leads to judgment, and judgment is connected to eternal perdition. Sin, death, judgment, and eternal perdition are like four links in a chain. The first link is sin, and the last link is eternal perdition. Man is handcuffed to sin, and if he is not freed from sin, it will ultimately bring him into eternal perdition. The first two links in this chain, sin and death, are experiences in this age. Sin and death are part of this life, and all people acknowledge their existence. The final two links in this chain, judgment and eternal perdition, occur after death. They cannot be seen in this life, and therefore, some refuse to acknowledge the possibility of their existence. However, just as the first two links — sin and death — are real, the final two links — judgment and eternal perdition — are real, regardless of whether or not people acknowledge them. Sooner or later everyone who does not believe will experience every link in this chain because he is handcuffed to sin. As long as a person is chained to sin, he cannot escape from death in this age or from judgment and eternal perdition after death.

8. The solution to sin

   1. The record of sin being dealt with by Christ’s redemption

      1. “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

We have been redeemed from our sins by the death of Christ. In order to deal with our record of sins and our sinful nature, Christ carried our sins to the cross and bore God’s righteous judgment on our behalf as the Lamb of God. On the cross He bore all the righteous requirements of God, which were upon us as sinners. Thus, He dealt with our record of sin.

8. 1. 2. “He has been manifested for the putting away of sin through the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26).

Christ offered Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins to put away our sins and to deal with our record of sin.

8. 1. 3.  “This One, having offered one sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:12).

Christ’s offering was an eternal sacrifice for our sins. He solved the problem of our sins forever.

8. 1. 4. “Through His own blood, entered once for all...obtaining an eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12).

Christ’s sacrifice was an eternal sacrifice. Therefore, He obtained an eternal redemption for us. His one act solved the problem of our sins for eternity. He solved our problem of sin once for all.

8. 1. 5. The solution to our inward sin

         1. “God, sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3).

We have sin inwardly and sins outwardly; therefore, when the Lord Jesus dealt with sin, He had to deal with both aspects. To deal with our sinful nature, the Lord became flesh, coming in the likeness of the flesh of sin. He put on the flesh of sinners, which means that He put on us sinners in order to deal with our sinful nature. He was crucified for us sinners, and in His flesh He condemned sin within our flesh. Thus, He resolved the problem of our inward sinful nature, the sin dwelling and reigning within us, which enslaved us. The indwelling sin in us is in our flesh. To deal with this aspect, the Lord became flesh and put on the likeness of the flesh of sin. Then He went to the cross to condemn, judge, kill, and abolish sin in the flesh.

8. 1. 5. 2. “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf” (2 Cor. 5:21).

The Lord Jesus did not know sin, but God sent Him in the likeness of the flesh of sin to deal with the problem of sin in the flesh. In God’s eyes He was made sin. As a result of being made sin, He could go to the cross to kill and deal with the flesh of sin. When the Lord Jesus was in the flesh on the cross, God saw sin there, and then He condemned and judged it. When Jesus was in the flesh, He had the likeness of the flesh of sin outwardly but not the reality of sin inwardly. When He was judged by God on the cross, He was in the likeness of the flesh of sin in order to deal with sin in the flesh. This is typified by the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness in Numbers 21:4-9. They were bitten by poisonous serpents, and in God’s eyes the Israelites were like snakes. God then told Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole to bear His judgment for them and to deal with the poison that had been injected into the Israelites. The bronze serpent had only the outward form of a serpent, not its inward reality. The Lord is like the bronze serpent. On the cross He bore God’s judgment for us and dealt with the inward poison of the ancient serpent, the devil (Rev. 12:9), that is, the sin in our flesh. The Lord dealt with our inward sin through the death of His flesh on the cross so that we might escape the control of sin and no longer be its slaves.

8. 1. 6. The solution to our outward sins

         1. “Jehovah has caused the iniquity of us all / To fall on Him” (Isa. 53:6).

The Lord not only became sin for us in order to deal with our inward sin, but He also bore our iniquities on the cross in order to deal with our outward sins. When He was dying on the cross, God caused all of our iniquities, our outward sins, to fall on Him. He bore our sins and also bore God’s righteous judgment on our behalf in order to solve the problem of our outward sins.

8. 1. 6. 2. “Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24).

            1. God put all our sins onto the Lord when He was hanging on the tree, the cross. He bore up our sins and solved the problem related to our outward sins before God.

            2. The Lord not only solved the problem of our sinful nature on the cross but also the problem related to the sins that issued forth from our sinful nature. He solved the problem of our sinful nature by becoming sin for us and by condemning and judging sin in the flesh. He solved the problem of our outward sins by bearing our sins and by bearing God’s righteous judgment for these sins in order to satisfy His righteous requirement.

   2. Sin itself being sent back to the devil for him to bear

      1. “The goat on which the lot for Azazel fell shall be made to stand alive before Jehovah to make expiation over it, that it may be sent away for Azazel into the wilderness”; “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness...Thus the goat shall bear away all their iniquities on itself to a solitary land” (Lev. 16:10, 21-22).

      2. Christ solved the problem of our sinful record by bearing our sin in His body, but sin itself was sent back to the devil for him to bear forever. When Christ dealt with our sin, He did not place our sin on us for us to bear. Since sin comes from the devil, originates with him, and was passed on to us, it should be sent back to him for him to bear. God wants the devil to be responsible for sin. This can be seen in the type of the sin offerings made on the Day of Expiation in the Old Testament.

      3. On the Day of Expiation God commanded the children of Israel to use two goats to expiate their sins. One goat was killed as an offering to God, and the other was sent alive into the wilderness for Azazel. The goat that was killed and offered to God typifies Christ being killed for us, redeeming us from our sins, and being offered to God. The living goat being sent into the wilderness for Azazel signifies that Christ, through the efficacy of the cross, sent sin back to the devil, Azazel, who is the source, the origin, of sin. The goat was sent back to Azazel, who typifies the devil. Since the goat was sent to the devil, it did not need to be killed; rather, it was sent back to its source in the wilderness, which is the place where the devil is, and it will be with the devil forever in the lake of fire. The goat that was killed bore the sins of the children of Israel before God to deal with their sinful record before God. It had to be killed and its blood shed in order to satisfy the requirements of God’s righteousness to redeem them from their sins. The living goat then took the sin of the children of Israel back to its source. When the high priest, who represented the people, laid his hands on the head of this goat, he confessed the sins and transgressions of the people in order to place them onto this goat. The sins and transgressions of the children of Israel were put on the goat so that it could carry them into the wilderness to the devil, who is against God. On the one hand, our sinful record was resolved before God by Christ, who died and shed His blood for us, according to God’s righteous requirement, and on the other hand, sin itself was given back to its source, the devil, for him to bear forever. Christ redeemed us from our sinful record before God through His death and through the shedding of His blood to accomplish redemption according to His righteous requirement. We are no longer condemned before God or enslaved to sin. Through the efficacy of the cross, our sins were also sent back to the devil. We no longer need to carry our sins or be burdened with sin. God’s way of dealing with sin is surely complete! We should worship and thank Him. We should receive the redemption that Christ accomplished for us to escape condemnation and to be released from our sins, and we no longer need to bear the sin that the devil put into our being. Since Christ accomplished redemption for us, we should not continue to be companions of the devil, bearing sin. We should let him bear the sin that comes from him. Those who are unwilling to receive Christ’s redemption will be the devil’s companions and will be forced to help him bear sin for eternity.

9. Six simple statements concerning sin

The preceding points concerning sin can be summarized in six simple statements.

9. 1. The originator of sin — the devil.

   2. The follower of sin — Adam, man.

   3. The Condemner of sin — God (Rom. 3:19).

   4. The One who redeems us from sin — Christ.

   5. The Forgiver of sin — God (Luke 5:21).

   6. The bearer of sin — the devil.

These six statements cover the main items related to this topic.