Sin

The Nature of Sin

The Nature of Sin

There are many expressions in the Bible that define sin. Some include: missing the mark or aim, overpassing or trespassing of a line (to transgress), disobedience to a voice, falling where one should have stood upright, ignorance of what one ought to have known, diminishing of that which should have been rendered in full measure, non-observance of a law, lawless or anarchy (complete disregard for the law), and debt, failure in duty, and not meeting one’s obligation to God. The Bible also uses iniquity, godlessness, wickedness, unbelief, unrighteousness, injustice, and unholiness to define sin.

The Doctrine of Sin

The Doctrine of Sin

The Greek word for sin is hamartia, and the word for knowledge is ology. Therefore, hamartiology is the knowledge of the doctrine of sin. The scriptures speak continuously of the presence and reality of sin in the world. From Adam’s first sin through the final chapters of Revelation, God speaks of man’s sin and sinful nature. In the Old Testament, we read: “For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Paul said, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE” (Romans 3:10); “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Redemption of the Soul

Redemption of the Soul

It is written, “The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [nishmat chaim]; and man became a living being [in Hebrew a living soul—Nefesh Chaya]” (Genesis 2:7). Thus, God created man in His image, male and female He created us. We are therefore complex beings comprised of a body formed by the hand of God and made from the dust of the earth, and a soul, a spirit that God breathed into us. While certain basic instincts and emotions chemically derive from our physical bodies, our God-breathed souls contain the more profound essence of who we are. For this reason, we are not like any other creature.