What about sin?
What is sin?
Who has sinned?
We all have a definition of right and wrong… some can tell a white lie and not feel a shred of remorse while others can steal without thinking of the consequences… still yet, others can commit sexual acts with other people and not think that’s sin at all, while others would.
So, what is sin in the eyes of God?
The Bible tells us that God has Ten Commandments or Laws.
The Ten Commandments in their entirety are found in Exodus 20:1-17…lets’ break them down:
1- Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
3- Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
4- Remember the sabbath day
5- Honour thy father and thy mother
6- Thou shalt not kill
7- Thou shalt not commit adultery
8- Thou shalt not steal
9- Thou shalt not bear false witness
10- Thou shalt not covet
Based on Commandment #1, would you stand guilty or innocent before God?
Let me explain.
Have you ever at any time placed anyone above God in your life? A child? A spouse? A sports team, even?
How about Commandment #7? Have you ever commited adultery?
In Matthew 5:27-28 we find the words of Jesus Christ to be piercing as He sets the standard for adultery much higher than imaginable!
Matthew 5:27-28 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Human standards are one thing… but Jesus goes far beyond human standards of right and wrong and shows us here that if we’ve ever looked on a person with lust we’re guilty of committing adultery in our hearts.
God is more concerned with our hearts than our outward actions, because our outward actions are a direct reflection of what’s in our hearts!
So, based on just two of the Ten Commandments, we already see we’re guilty!
Let’s say we’re guilty of breaking only one Commandment one time in our life… we know that no one has been able to accomplish this, but for the sake of the discussion, let’s say that someone has accomplsihed it.
Are they then good enough to please God?
The Bible says in the Book of James, chapter 2 and verse 10: For whoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
So we see here that even if we were to obey every single Commandment except for one, we’d be guilty based on God’s standard.
We see from the above that according to God’s own standard no one has “not sinned”.
Scripture testifies of this fact when it says in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
As a matter of fact, man is spiritually dead! Ephesians 2:1 “And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins.”
So we see that according to God’s standard, which is eternal and unchanging, all have sinned against His Holiness.
What are the consequences of being spiritually dead in sin?