Sin is anything we think, say, or do that goes against God’s character, and it separates us from the fellowship with Him we were created to enjoy. From Adam and Eve’s disobedience onward, humanity has inherited a sin nature and a natural inclination to rebel against God. The Bible describes sin in many ways, but all forms of sin reveal our brokenness before a holy God. Sin begins in the heart and leads to actions that reject God’s authority. Because of sin, we are born spiritually dead, guilty by nature, by imputation, and by our own choices. Yet God, in His mercy, sent Jesus, whose perfect sacrifice pays for our sin and gives us His righteousness instead. Through faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are freed from sin’s power and restored to the relationship with God for which we were made.
Since Adam and Eve, everyone has been born with a "sin nature." We are born with the nature of sin and a natural tendency to sin. We are also all born with the inclination to reject God. Because of our identity as descendants of Adam, we also carry "imputed sin." This is a financial or legal term meaning taking something that belongs to someone and crediting it to another's account. It is almost like being a fan of a certain team because they are the only team in town. We are identified with that team, which in our case is sin. We are also sinners by choice, meaning we willfully think, do, or say things that are against God's law or character.
Sin can manifest in many different ways. The Hebrew 'awon means an iniquity or malevolent unfairness (1 Samuel 20:1). Rasha' infers restlessness or something that is out of control (Isaiah 57:21). Chata' is the most commonly heard definition. It means missing the mark or straying off course (Judges 20:16). 'Abar means to transgress or to go beyond that which is sanctioned (Judges 2:20). In the New Testament, the Greek hamartia is similar to the Hebrew chata' but it goes further. It is not only "missing the mark," but also the inner compulsion or nature that induced the offense (Romans 6:1). Similarly, it can be an organized power that deliberately sets about causing a person or group to fall into sin (Romans 6:12). All sin separates us from God.
Since all sin is the rejection of God, His authority, and His preference, sin automatically excludes us from His presence. But forgiveness of sin, as well as grace and peace and eternal life in paradise, is only found in God (Ephesians 2:1–10). Freedom from the grasp of sin is only found in God. Our inherited sin nature, our imputed sin, and our sinful choices definitively separate us from God. Fortunately, Jesus' sacrifice covers all sins (Ephesians 1:3–14; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11). Instead of Adam's imputed sin, we receive Christ's imputed righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)—we choose another team to identify with. As the Holy Spirit indwells us, the sin nature loses its grasp, and we are no longer its slave (Romans 6—8). And when we commit individual acts of sin, we are authorized to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 1:8—2:6), knowing that coming to God and confessing our sins will allow us to renew our relationship with Him.
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