SIN — lawlessness (1 John 3:4) or transgression of God’s will, either by omitting to do what God’s law requires or by doing what it forbids. The transgression can occur in thought (1 John 3:15), word (Matt. 5:22), or deed (Rom. 1:32). Mankind was created without sin, morally upright and inclined to do good (Eccl. 7:29). But sin entered into human experience when Adam and Eve violated the direct command of God by eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6). Because Adam was the head and representative of the whole human race, his sin affected all future generations (Rom. 5:12–21). Associated with this guilt is a corrupted nature passed from Adam to all his descendants. Out of this perverted nature arise all the sins that people commit (Matt. 15:19); no person is free from involvement in sin (Rom. 3:23). God is holy and cannot sin (James 1:13). Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to earth in human form, is also sinless. His perfection arises from His divine nature, as well as His human nature (1 Pet. 2:22). Although the story of the Bible focuses on the sin of mankind and God’s provision for our redemption, the angels are also described as capable of sinning. Some have fallen away from God’s service (Jude 6). But animals are not morally responsible creatures; so they cannot sin. Mankind originally fell into sin at the temptation of Satan. As the tempter, he continues to lure people into sin (1 Pet. 5:8); nevertheless, people remain fully responsible for what they do. God is not the author of sin, but His plan for world redemption does include His dealing with the reality of sin (2 Sam. 24:1; 1 Chr. 21:1). This truth is dramatically witnessed in the death of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion happened according to God’s will; but at the same time, it was the worst crime of human history (Acts 2:23). Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1995. Nelsons new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelsons illustrated Bible dictionary.;Includes index. T. Nelson: Nashville
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 06:25:09 +0000
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