What is sin and why does it matter?

KnotKeats wrote some very interesting comments. I respect his openness. I love the fact that people ask honest questions.

PERSONAL RANT 1: I have found that many people study philosophy and then get confused. The reason is that in philosophy the commonly accepted meaning of words is changed. Spirit no longer means spirit (as defined by the bible) and sin doesn’t mean sin, death doesn’t mean death. The meanings are all switched around… and in the end after 4 years of studies, the person is trained to poke holes in everything but they have no answers. I have watched several friends go through this process.

Paul actually warned us about exactly this!

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. – Col 2:8

I have no idea if Knot thinks in this way – most likely not – but the problem remains the same. The problem goes away when the meaning of words is returned to what they originally were.

PERSONAL RANT 2: If philosophers want to explore a new concept, please just invent a new word of your own. Please don’t redefine existing good words which make sense. Don’t be a word squatter… go find your own word to fiddle around with.

To undo the muddle and answer Knot’s questions, I’ll explain the 2-6,000 year old meaning of the words being used (e.g. sin). then it’s then up to Knot to choose to accept the biblical worldview and the provided solution (which DOES work by the way). Or not.

Knot wrote…

You made two comments that I really do not understand. “Jesus removed the barrier that sin places between me and God.” The way I see it is that sin is error. It is failure to live up to the standards you believe are right.

It is error, you are right. It is a failure to live up to a standard, you are right. But the standard is defined by God, not by you.

When we look at the world as if we are the meaning of life and the center, then the bible doesn’t make sense at all. If we look at the world as if God is the center and He defines ok and not ok and His opinion is what really matters (since He is “God”) then the bible totally makes complete sense.

These kinds of statements never have made sense to me. It’s like sins are a measurable thing like mass or density or viscosity, that can be modified, exchanged, or manipulated.

The bible (God’s roadmap to spiritual life) says that sin a noun and a verb. You use it as a verb – something you do.

But to really understand the concept of sin (as defined by the inventor of the word) we need to look at the source documents. In Genesis (where the problem is defined) it is a noun. It is something that desires to enslaves us. Anyone who is addicted to drugs or porn will agree that it can entirely enslave us.

You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

In that verse you can see the basis of sin and the consequence. The cause is disobedience to God (“if you do not do what is right”, that is sin, the verb) and the thing that enslaves us is… sin, the noun.

In the book of Romans (where the solution is outlined) it is also a noun. I wrote about mastering sin here.

Knot wrote…

Since God is everywhere, all of the time, how can your errors create a barrier between you and God?

God is a powerful source of good and sin is a powerful source of bad in the world. So it is logical that sin has separated us from Him. The two are incompatible.

The bible also says that we cannot stop sinning. Anyone with addictions or intense anger or any other issue will agree that this is true. Throughout history people have exhausted themselves trying to stop sinning, found out they can’t and then discovered Jesus and then they get free. It is so common. It’s happening every day.

Now… before we all get negative and down on ourselves, please let me clarify something. The bible says God formed us in our mothers womb. Does God make bad things? NO. So therefore you are good at birth.

But sh1t happens… you know that. What else can I say? People sin against us. We sin against people. So although Paul says in the NT that we are born before we are able to do anything bad… it doesn’t take long for that to change. I think that is logical too. Ergo we are separated from God.

God loves us. God wants to connect to us. But sin is a barrier between Him and us. It’s not a big problem and it’s easy to deal with. It just takes a decision. (But we have to want to make that decision.)

Knot wrote…

It may make feel you uncomfortable, but it is you that is creating the barrier, not the sin, and it’s up to you to remove it.

We are not able to undo the stuff we have done. How can you undo what you said earlier today? How can you take back how you hurt someone? So the barrier will remain until someone takes it away.

The solution

Knot wrote…

“All you need to do is accept that Jesus paid for ALL of your sin on the cross.” These kinds of statements never have made sense to me.

What Jesus did has no effect on my sins. Had Jesus never been born, had He never suffered on the cross and died, my sins would still be my sins and it would be up to me to correct them.

If sin separates me from God AND I cannot remove my sin, then how can I remove the barrier? I can’t. That is quite logical.

So somehow has to remove it. And that is where Jesus comes in. In order for us to be restored to intimacy with God, our sins have to be removed.

Well, when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for the sins of the whole world. It’s like a pre-paid charge card. You have to choose to spend it, otherwise it’s money that is just sitting there. Wasted.

How to get the barrier removed?

The way to have your sins removed and come into intimacy with God and receive healing, freedom, comfort, inner peace, warmth from Him… is to accept that Jesus died for you and paid for all your sins (past, present and future).

To accept that is as simple as saying to God with your mouth that you accept that He paid for all your sins (past, present and future). Say that you know you have sinned and you know that He can remove sins.

When you say this prayer, His pre-payment is withdrawn from the account and your sins are forgiven. Now you simply remain in this place and never leave it. Don’t let the anyone talk you down and talk you back into bondage to sin. You and sin (the noun) have ended your relationship. It’s over. Buh-bye. Sayonara.

As you remain in this place, the Door between you and God is open and you’ll find God gets involved in your life. You’ll start seeing things differently. You’ll get healing. The bible will make more sense. You can ask God for stuff (like money and friends) and you’ll (probably) get it.

There’s really no telling who God will shape you into. What adventure He will ask you to enter into. Where He will lead you and how soon or how fast. But you’ll change. How can you not? You’re reconnected to the most powerful Source in the universe… and He is a Source of GOOD and He loves everyone… especially those who come to Him in this way.

May God bless you!