Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“Identifying Sin”
Categories: DOCTRINE, GOD, NEW TESTAMENT, OLD TESTAMENT, RELATIONSHIPSHow can I know if something is a sin?
Inquisitively,
Wanting To Be Faithful
Dear Wanting To Be Faithful,
Sin is disobeying what God says. The very word 'sin' is defined as 'missing the mark'. God defines what a good life looks like in His Word. We wouldn't know who we ought to be if He didn't tell us. We are made in His image (Gen 1:26) and created for His glory (Col 1:16). We are the creation, and He is the Creator. Understanding His supreme authority is crucial. We must realize and accept that we are designed with a purpose and that the Creator understands how to properly guide our lives to fulfill that purpose.
Sin can be doing something that God has condemned (i.e. David sleeping with Bathsheba - 2 Sam 12:13). Sin can also be failing to do what you ought to (i.e. Jonah refusing to preach to the Ninevites - Jonah 1:3). We must model our lives after God's commandments and teachings. Our lives must bear godly fruit (Jhn 15:12, Lk 3:8), and we must flee from wickedness (1 Tim 6:11). It is our adherence to both the positive and negative commandments of God that shows our friendship with Him (Jhn 15:14). The Bible is God's roadmap for life; follow it to avoid the pitfalls of sin.
