SIN

1. Sin is transgression of the law. (There is no other definition in the Bible)

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (The ten commandments)

A. Romans 7:7 ”…for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”

B. James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. (The Ten Commandments)

2. Sins of ignorance.

A. Condemn to death: Leviticus 5:17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of  these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

B. Require Atonement: Numbers 15:28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

C. Blood of Christ covers: 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (Only sins of ignorance)

EXAMPLES:

(1) 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(2) 1John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death

3. Willful sin.

A. No sacrifice available (OT): Numbers 15:30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

B. No sacrifice available (NT) Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

EXAMPLES:

(1) 1John 5:16 There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

(2) Ezekiel 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his
trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

4. Romans 14:23 "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Paul is not giving an alternate definition for sin. He is explaining that a certain type of action is also sin (transgression of the law). The person who deliberately eats food he believes God has commanded him not to eat has committed sin by breaking the first
commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me". If a person willfully does something that he believes to be forbidden by the word of God, then he has in effect made himself a "god" by refusing to accept the rule of the Creator and thus breaks the first
commandment.

5. James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James (like Paul) is not defining sin, rather he is saying that a person is guilty of sin (transgression of the law) if he KNOWS to do good and refuses to do it. For example if a Christian knows he should keep the sabbath holy and does not do it, he is COMMITTING sin.

Conversely, the Christian who does not yet know to keep the sabbath is not held to be guilty of COMMITTING (willful) sin -for in order to commit sin one must deliberately break a known law of God. The word "commit" means: to perpetrate. If a person unwittingly breaks God's law he is not actually committing sin. It is a sin of ignorance and covered by the blood of Christ until the Holy Spirit exposes the sin.

6. THE PROCESS OF COMMITTING SIN

1st Stage of Sin - DRAWN AWAY!

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

The moment the Sin nature is given an opportunity it begins to act on a person's will by drawing him away from what is right through his own lust. - (Greek: Epithumia 1939, "a longing for what is forbidden.") Those "longings" will soon entice. - (Greek: Deleazo
1185, "to entrap.") Once the person is entrapped, his desires have grabbed hold of his mind, and the sin nature will work to draw him on toward actual sin by rewarding him with pleasure or the promise of pleasure if he will continue to entertain his "longing for what is
forbidden."

2nd Stage. SIN BROUGHT FORTH!

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:"

Very soon the lust will have "conceived," and the living seed of rebellion is planted in the fertile soil of the mind. It begins to take root and grow and then bringeth forth sin. - (Greek: Tiktei 5088, "to produce from seed.") Once the seed of rebellion has taken root
in the mind of the believer actual transgression is not very far away and is inevitable unless the person slams on his spiritual brakes and puts a stop to the process. This can only be done by an express act of the will and calling upon Jesus to rescue him from Sin's power.

3rd Stage: AN ACT OF SIN AND DEATH!

"and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:14, 15

If the person does not stop entertaining his lusts, the power of sin will have its way and the person will soon commit sin by choosing to set aside God's Law. Then Sin, "when it is finished (Greek: Apoteleo 658, "to complete entirely i.e. consummate.") BRINGETH FORTH DEATH"!

Harold Kupp