Sin: What's The Big Deal?
Author: Michael Heiden
I've been thinking about sin a lot lately. Maybe you have, too. It's on my mind because of the news, because of my own life choices, and because I'm still trying to understand the big deal God makes about it all. Why is sin so bad? Why does God care so much about it? And what can we do in response to our own sin? These are important questions, and they deserve thoughtful answers. So let's dig into them together!
What is sin?
Sin literally means, 'to miss the mark'—it's a failure to be what God wants us to be. And that failure comes in two forms:
In this section, you'll learn about the seriousness of sin.
The ultimate price is death but what is so incredible for us who believe is that price has been paid! The ultimate price paid for our sins is the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
That's right. God gave His Son a sacrifice for us. He had to be killed, because sin demands death (Romans 6:23).
The Bible says that our sins were laid on Jesus when He was crucified (Isaiah 53:4-6). This means we are forgiven and clean before God because Jesus took our punishment in our place—but it also means that we can never be separated from Him again!
What do I do in response to my own sin?
In response to your own sin, you can...
Conclusion
Sin is serious business, but that doesn’t mean we have to live in fear of it. The Bible makes clear that God loves you and wants to help you be free from this slavery. He has provided a way out of our sin through His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us so that we can escape death and have eternal life with Him!
I've been thinking about sin a lot lately. Maybe you have, too. It's on my mind because of the news, because of my own life choices, and because I'm still trying to understand the big deal God makes about it all. Why is sin so bad? Why does God care so much about it? And what can we do in response to our own sin? These are important questions, and they deserve thoughtful answers. So let's dig into them together!
What is sin?
Sin literally means, 'to miss the mark'—it's a failure to be what God wants us to be. And that failure comes in two forms:
- We fail to follow God's laws. When we don't keep those laws, we not only break them but declare ourselves as our own gods by trying to live apart from His rules (see Romans 3). Our sin is an expression of doubt that He knows better than we do; it shows that we don't really believe in His holiness or care about His perfection or are convinced of His goodness. In other words, sin is unbelief.
- We fail to share God's life with others through love and submission (see John 13). Our sins here are rooted in pride; they speak louder than words about our desire for control over everything around us—including people! We think we're better than others by virtue of our own wisdom or abilities when actually no one knows anything except Christ alone...and then only because He chose this role before time began (1 Timothy 1).
In this section, you'll learn about the seriousness of sin.
- Sin hurts our relationship with God. When we sin, it's like breaking the rules in a relationship with someone else: it hurts your relationship with them and makes them angry at you. God is no different! When we sin, we're not being faithful to him or treating him as he deserves to be treated—which should make us feel bad inside because we love him so much! But because he loves us so much too, he forgives us when we ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). We'll talk more about that later!
- Sin hurts ourselves and others. Sin leaves us broken and turned in ourself. Leaves us selfish and self-centered. Then sin expressed always comes at the cost of others. Think how you have been wronged. How did that play out in your relationship? It probably left it strained at best, fractured and broken at worst. Sin always leaves a wake of hurt, pain, and destruction.
The ultimate price is death but what is so incredible for us who believe is that price has been paid! The ultimate price paid for our sins is the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
That's right. God gave His Son a sacrifice for us. He had to be killed, because sin demands death (Romans 6:23).
The Bible says that our sins were laid on Jesus when He was crucified (Isaiah 53:4-6). This means we are forgiven and clean before God because Jesus took our punishment in our place—but it also means that we can never be separated from Him again!
What do I do in response to my own sin?
In response to your own sin, you can...
- Repent daily.
- Confess your sins to God and ask for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ.
- Give what you have received to others around you!
Conclusion
Sin is serious business, but that doesn’t mean we have to live in fear of it. The Bible makes clear that God loves you and wants to help you be free from this slavery. He has provided a way out of our sin through His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us so that we can escape death and have eternal life with Him!