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 | | From: | elk29 at juno.com | | Subject: | Re: What is sin? | | Date: | Fri, 31 Dec 2004 06:48:23 GMT |
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 | What Is Sin?
Pointing to the consciousness of sin, Hideo Odagiri, literary critic
and professor emeritus at Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan, said, as
quoted in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper: "I cannot blot out the vivid
recollections I have of a consciousness of sins, such as the nasty
egotism that exists in a child, shameful jealousy, betrayal behind a
person's back. This consciousness was branded on my mind when I was
in elementary school and still torments me." Have you ever
experienced such feelings? Do you have an inner voice that condemns you
if you do something that you know is wrong? Perhaps no crime has been
committed, but an uncomfortable feeling lingers and weighs heavily on
your mind. This is your conscience working, and the Bible refers to it
in the following passage: "Whenever people of the nations that do not
have law do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not
having law, are a law to themselves. They are the very ones who
demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while
their conscience is bearing witness with them and, between their own
thoughts, they are being accused or even excused." (Romans 2:14, 15)
Yes, by nature most people feel disturbed by such acts as adultery,
stealing, and lying. Their conscience is testifying to sin.
However, when the voice of conscience is repeatedly ignored, it no
longer serves as a safe guide. It can become insensitive and defiled.
(Titus 1:15) A sensitivity to what is bad is lost. In fact, today most
people's conscience is dead as far as sin is concerned.
Is conscience the only measure of sin, or is there something that can
serve as the absolute standard as to what constitutes sin and what does
not? More that 3,000 years ago, God gave his chosen people a law code,
and through this Law, sin came to be "recognized as sin." (Romans
7:13, New International Version) Even conduct that had formerly been
somewhat acceptable was now revealed for what it was-sin. God's
chosen people, the Israelites, were exposed as sinners and as such were
under condemnation.
What are these sins of which our conscience makes us aware and which
the Mosaic Law specified and listed? In the Biblical use of the word,
sin means missing the mark with regard to the Creator. Anything out of
harmony with his personality, standards, ways, and will is sin. He
cannot grant continuing existence to any creation that falls short of
the mark that he has established. So a law specialist in the first
century warned Hebrew Christians: "Beware, brothers, for fear there
should ever develop in any one of you a wicked heart lacking faith by
drawing away from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12) Yes, lack of faith
in the Creator constitutes a major sin. Thus, the scope of sin as
explained in the Bible is far wider than what is normally considered to
be sin. The Bible goes so far as to state: "All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23.
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