Ask Your Preacher - Archives

Ask Your Preacher - Archives

“Identifying Sin”

Categories: DOCTRINE, GOD, NEW TESTAMENT, OLD TESTAMENT, RELATIONSHIPS
How 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.