Basics: Sin
By definition, to sin means to miss the mark on the way, not to hit the mark; to err, swerve from the
truth, go wrong. When we swerve, we miss the true end and scope of our lives – which is God.
Condensed down into a usable definition, sin is choosing to swerve from God.
Now, we are told in the Scriptures that:
All have sinned . . .
This includes you, me, and the rest of mankind. Okay, but how did sin get control over man?
Adam sinned. He listened and trusted Satan’s lie rather than what God told him. Simply put, Adam
chose what he wanted over what God wanted and this choice enslaved him. Now, because Adam
was the first man, when Adam sinned – we all sinned.
Since you are a descendent of Adam, sin gained control over your heart. The “I can go my own way
if I want to” has been woven into your spiritual DNA. From birth, the dominion of sin has enslaved
you and now controls and forces you to swerve from God’s heart. Selfish, separated, and captive to
wanting your own way – you choose to swerve from God.
A common attempt to resolve this disease is to just cut off the outward fruit of sin. The presumption is
that if you cease an outward sin action God will be pleased. Although this has an appearance of
righteousness, trying to stop sinning by your own will power only removes one season of sin. Fruit will
return. Either the same fruit will come back, or the sin of self will manifest fruit in some other way.
Regardless, you can’t just stop doing sin – you must be changed in order to stop being sinful. The
root must be killed for the bad tree to die. Unless the root of sin is killed – deliverance from sin will
not be obtained.
No excuse will explain away your fleshly outbursts; no pretense will hide your hypocrisy; and no false
doctrine will justify your undelivered, self-centered lifestyle.
In the end, your continued choice to swerve from God will result in eternal separation from Him.
1. Spiros Zodhiates, TH.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament, D/B/A AMG Publishers, copyright 1992
by Spiros Zodhiates and AMG International Inc. Strong’s #266, #264.
2. Romans 3:23
3. Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6
4. Romans 5:12
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