Sin isn’t a word we use very often, so we must define it briefly.
The word crime means “an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government.”
So, if sin is “crime against God” that would mean…
Sin is a spiritually (morally) illegal act against the infinitely perfect & holy standard of God’s moral character…an act for which someone will be punished by The Just Judge, God.
Now you might be thinking; “That’s great and all, but I haven’t committed this crime against God.”
Let’s unpack it a bit further…
Sin is crime against either God’s innate unwritten moral code given to our conscience at birth or His explicit written moral code given in the Bible…and every human has one or both of these moral codes.
Sin is when mankind falls short of the infinitely, holy standard of God, as demonstrated through either His ‘unwritten law’ (Our conscience) or His ‘written law’ (Scripture).
Our point here is simple:
- God has revealed His moral standard to all people.
- He has revealed it, in unwritten form, to all mankind through our conscience.
- He has revealed it, in written form, to all mankind through our Bibles, however not all have access to the Bible or have read it.
Let’s unpack each of these in more detail, in an effort to show that all of mankind has God’s moral code and that all mankind has sinned against God’s moral code.
The first group of people in the world do not have God’s written law as revealed in the Bible, either because they do not have access to it, or they have not heard it.
This would include someone who lives in a remote language group and the Bible has never been translated into their difficult language.
It would also include anyone else who may have a Bible in their language, but has never read it and does not know what it says.
This includes most Americans…who have the Bible in English, but likely have never read it or knows much of what it says.
This group have sinned and have fallen short of God’s standard in relationship to what God has revealed to them through His divine nature as revealed in creation and the moral code which God has written on their hearts. (His unwritten moral code or law)
The Bible talks about this group of people:
…for what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20
Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them. Romans 2:14-15
In this group of people, for someone who does not have the written standard, sin would be a going against what can be known about God, for example:
Someone who does not have a Bible nor the instruction with, but, senses in their heart & mind that it would be wrong to steal…yet steals from their neighbor…has broken God’s unwritten moral code.
There are countless situations like this. Everywhere we go in the world, every new group of people we discover, all share certain moral convictions. Some of the remotest people groups in the world have not only never seen a Bible, they have never seen a policeman, a judge or an article of public law…yet, they all know it is wrong to steal, lie or even commit adultery. Where did this knowledge come from? It certainly did not come from their culture.
The argument is that this group of people know these things are wrong, because God has written it on their hearts. Romans 2:14-15
Therefore, for this group, sin is anything which is contrary to God’s character and desire as revealed to our heart, mind or conscience.
For this group of people, without the knowledge of the Bible, sin is desiring something which is different from and against God’s authority and then acting upon that desire to go against what God’s authority has convicted them of in deliberate action. Sin is knowing that to go against their conscience is wrong (lying, stealing, adultery) yet they go against this authority anyway.
I keep saying “this group of people”, in reference to those who have never seen a Bible…however, all humans are in this group of people, whether they have the Bible or not…
Because God has placed an innate moral code within every human which convicts them of the reality of God and of certain sinful (wrong) behaviors (such as lying or stealing). All of mankind is accountable to this code. And sadly, all of mankind has committed crimes against this moral code.
Let’s take a moment to talk about the second group of people…
This group of people are those who not only have this God-given, innate, moral conviction but they also have God’s written moral code in the Bible.
The second group does have God’s written law as revealed in the Bible, because they have access to it and they have heard some/all of it. (If they haven’t read the Bible, even if it is in their language, they are in group one).
The Bible talks about this group of people:
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:32
In this group of people, for someone who does have the written standard, sin is anything which is contrary to God’s character and desire as revealed in His spoken Word (written law).
Sin is anything thought, desired, said, done which is different from and against what God wants or agrees with, as revealed in His spoken Word (written law).
For example: Someone who has a Bible and knows that within it God says “You shall not lie.” Yet, continues to incorrectly submit their time card or lies to their spouse… Has broken God’s written moral code.
Sin for this second group is knowing of the authority of God and knowing His written decrees, yet living independent of or against them.
This group have sinned and have fallen short, in relationship to what God has revealed to them through ‘His unwritten law’ and in relationship to ‘His written law’. They are doubly guilty.
In conclusion…
For those who do have a knowledge of God’s revealed instructions (law)…they do not meet the standard of God’s holiness, both as revealed by: His ‘written law’ (scripture) as well as His ‘unwritten law’ (innate, sensed conviction).
For those who do not have a knowledge of God’s revealed instructions (law)…they do not meet the standard of God’s holiness revealed by: His ‘unwritten law’ (innate, sensed conviction).
Very simply, for either group of people, with or without a knowledge of the Bible: Sin is what occurs when either group misses the mark of God’s moral code.
Sin is what occurs when either group fails to meets God’s moral standard in any way, shape or form…whether that has been revealed innately in unwritten form directly to our hearts or explicitly in written form in the pages of the Bible.
Here’s where the problem gets even worse…
For either group to be acceptable to God, they would have to meet the mark of God’s moral standard in everything, always…which is humanly impossible.
Listen to how James, a follower of Jesus, puts it…
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10
What James is saying is that both the person who senses in their heart & mind that it would be wrong to steal…yet steals from their neighbor and the one who has a Bible and knows that within it God says “You shall not lie.” Yet, continues to incorrectly submit their time card or lies to their spouse… Has broken God’s written moral code and broken it all.
Failing to meet God’s moral standard in any way, shape or form, even once, means that you have missed the mark, you are a sinner and are not acceptable to God.
Furthermore, failing to meet God’s moral standard in any way, shape or form, even once, means that you deserve the just judgement & punishment of God.
Remember: Sin is a spiritually (morally) illegal act against the infinitely perfect & holy standard of God’s moral character…an act for which someone will be punished by The Just Judge, God.
The conclusion is that all have sinned, all have missed the mark, all are guilty before God and all deserve punishment.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…Romans 3:23
Now we must talk about the punishment.
What is the punishment for breaking God’s perfectly holy moral standard?
Very simply… the wages of sin is death…Romans 6:23
But more specifically, the punishment is three forms of death:
Let’s look into these three in more detail.
I cannot emphasize the importance of all of this enough…
Recall our three attention grabbers…
Sin is crime against God! You & I have committed this crime! This crime will be punished!
Since we have all sinned, we will all be punished, and herein we discover our fate.
The first punishment for sin comes in the form of the state/status in which we are born into…
Spiritual Death
When the first humans chose to eat from the tree which God had commanded them not to eat from; they broke His moral code. In doing so they were instantly separated from God in relationship, that is; they died spiritually.
She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God…and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Genesis 3:6-10
One does not fear a friend. One does not hide from someone with whom you are in a good relationship with.
Adam & Eve feared God and hid from God because they had died to their relationship with Him.
The first man and woman’s death to their relationship/friendship with God was illustrated further when God removed them from His presence in the garden, after they had sinned against Him.
So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:23-24
This is the situation into which every human is born into.
Mankind is born into spiritual separation from God, not into friendship with God.
This is confirmed in Colossians 1:21 and Isaiah 59:2
You were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. Your sin have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Now for most, the consequence of being spiritually dead to God, or relationally cut off from God may not seem like a big deal…because they don’t have much need for God anyway.
But when we hear of the further consequences for being spiritually dead to God, things get very serious.
Physical Death
When the first man and woman chose to eat from the tree which God had commanded them not to eat from; they broke His moral code. In response God confirmed that they would eventually be separated from their body; and they began to die physically.
This is a confirmation of the warning that he gave them…
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16-17
God confirmed this punishment/judgment/consequence in a sweeping statement:
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:19
Sure enough…God’s words were true and Adam died…
“Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.” Genesis 5:5
Can anyone find the man Adam who ate from the tree? No, he is in the grave.
And so too everyone who came after him.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. Romans 5:12
…it is appointed, once for man to die, and after that to face judgment…Hebrews 9:27
The fact that every human will die is the greatest non-negotiable truth in all the universe. The atheist, the Muslim, the Christian, the American, the European…all know that all will die.
The non-negotiable universal truth that all mankind will die is also the greatest confirmer of the truth of universal guilt & sinfulness of all mankind.
If the punishment for sin is death.
And if the fate of all humanity is death.
The conclusion is that all have sinned…including you.
The most devastating consequence/punishment for sin is…
Eternal Death
As a result of being spiritually separated from God and failing to live up to His moral code; humans are also at risk of experiencing eternal separation from God upon their physical death if they are not connected back into friendship with God before their death.
This death is recorded the Bible as ‘the second death’ or that is; being dead to a relationship with God for all of eternity future.
The Bible speaks clearly about this…
But…the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral…the idolaters and all liars— they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Revelation 21:8
…death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Revelation 20:13-14
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire…the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 20:15, Matthew 13:42
In this death, the sinner who has failed to return to God in a right relationship before their physical death, will be sentenced to suffer the punishment of their sins in eternal torment, separated from God forever in all eternity.
In this death, the sinner will join the fate of God’s enemy, Satan, and will suffer the just payment/punishment for their rebellion against God.
Jesus spoke about this…
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41
At this point we must discuss this very, very serious final punishment for sin…
Why an eternal, burning, lake of fire?
How and why is an eternal burning lake of fire a just payment for sins committed over the course of 70-80 years? Doesn’t that seem excessive?
Even a 70-80 year burning lake of fire appears too severe of a punishment for the common sins which most humans commit…
Now certainly, we simply take it by faith that an eternal burning lake of fire is a just payment for sin, simply because God is the ultimate keeper of absolute, pure & true justice in the universe and therefore if He deems that it is just and not too severe, we believe that it is indeed just.
However, there is a logical, rather, theological answer for why this is so…
Let’s consider the crime of assault…
In each of the following scenarios the offense will be the same…
Someone will use their hand to hit someone, causing bodily harm.
Imagine that a man, hits a man, in a public brawl.
If a man hits a man in a brawl, his punishment may be nothing beyond a stern warning.
Imagine now that a man, hits a woman.
If a man hits a woman, in Pennsylvania, he faces up to 1-2 years in prison & a $5,000 fine.
Imagine now that a man, hits a child.
If a man hits a child (under 12), in Pennsylvania, he faces up to 2.5-5 years in prison & a $10,000 fine.
Imagine now that a man, hits a police officer upon being pulled over.
If a man hits a police officer in Pennsylvania, he faces up to 10-20 years in prison & a $25,000 fine.
If a man were to hit The President of the United States, what do you suppose his punishment would be? Would the punishment be more or less severe than the prior examples?
In each of the previous scenarios the offense was the same…using a hand to hit someone, causing bodily harm.
Yet, the punishments were drastically different. How can this be?
The difference was; the worth or vulnerability of the person who was offended/harmed by the offense…
Even in our justice system, the punishment for a crime is not simply determined by the type of crime but rather it is determined in proportion the worth/vulnerability of the one who was offended/harmed by the crime.
This argument holds up in God’s perfect justice system.
(Because our justice system is an echo of both the unwritten & written law of God that our founders were aware of in our country).
The punishment for sin is not simply determined by the type or the amount of sin but rather it is determined justly, correctly, in proportion the One who was offended by the sin…
The One who has been offended by our sin is infinite, eternal & supreme in worth…therefore the just, the right, the fair, the equivalent punishment for rejecting Him, even in one small way, is infinite, eternal & supreme in return.
In this eternal & supreme punishment, the perfect scales of justice, held forth in the hands of a Just Judge, are equally balanced. Not an inch too severe.
*This is not to suggest that the type or the amount of sin will be of no importance.
On the contrary, God being the Just Judge will also weigh out the appropriate severity of punishment for those differences on His perfect scales of justice.
Remember our two groups of people?
One group only had the innate moral code, and did not have the written moral code, while the other had both the innate and the written?
Listen to how their judgements will be just, based on their knowledge.
The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. Luke 12:47
*Doubly guilty, written moral code.
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. Luke 12:48
*Less guilty, no written moral code.
This is affirmed in Romans 2:12
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
In other words, those who have sinned only against the unwritten standard (law) which was displayed to them in creation and within their conscience…will be judged justly according to that unwritten standard and not the written standard.
While, those who have sinned against the unwritten standard and also have sinned against the written standard (law) will be judged justly according to both sets of standards.
Back to our broader point…
It makes spiritual & moral sense that any and all sin is an infinite, eternal & supreme offense to God in comparison to His perfect, matchless, infinite, eternal & supreme holiness.
Furthermore, it makes judicial sense that the only way that we could pay for an infinite, eternal & supreme offense to God is if we pay an infinite, eternal & supreme punishment in hell.
The fact that hell exists should convict us of the severity of our sin, rather than having us questioning its appropriateness in severity.
This truth presents humanity with a major problem…
How can we, ever, as finite, fallen and spiritually dead humans do enough finite & fallen amends over the course of 80 years to make up for an infinite, eternal & supreme offense?
Not only is there not enough time…We do not have the ability, for we are not infinite, eternal & supreme in worth & perfection.
This is a legal, moral and spiritual impossibility.
Listen carefully…
The value of attempted amends (works) for sin (propitiation) is also in direct proportion to the value of the one making the amends.
Our amends for sin (works) are of little value because we are fallen, spiritually dead, sinful, finite, created beings.
The only just way that we could pay our offense to God is if we pay an infinite, eternal & supreme punishment.
For that is what the offense deserves & it is all that we can offer of equal value.
The only other just way that our crimes could be taken care of legally is if there were Someone infinite, eternal & supreme in worthy & perfection to pay for us in a justifiable way.
Herein we get a hint of the good news in the Gospel! We will only hint at it here.
This is why Christ’s payment is the only acceptable way for God to cancel our spiritual-legal debt due to our crimes.
The value of Christ’s amends for sin (work on the cross) is in direct proportion to the value of the One making the amends…
The One who died on the cross & rose again is infinite, eternal & supreme in worthy & perfection…therefore His amends for sin are infinite, eternal & supreme in worthy & perfection.
Jesus, the infinitely & eternally holy One…The supremely perfect One came and died, making an infinitely holy, supremely acceptable payment for our infinitely offensive sin.