Sin Against God

What is sin? We make much about mankind having a sin problem which separates from the LORD but what is it? Back in the account of mankind’s first sin, it was our ancestors wanting and taking something the LORD had told them wasn’t fitting for them to have, something that would give them knowledge without wisdom. ¹

Or, go back to the original sin when Satan decided to make himself as God ‘I will ascend to heaven, I will set my throne, I will sit on the Mount, I will ascend above, I will make myself like the Most High’ and ‘there was war in heaven’ and satan was cast out. ²

Romans continues the truths of mankind’s problem before the LORD and you should read through the early chapters with a heart open to what out fallen nature truly is like in the eyes of the LORD who has never failed to be true to Himself, His values, His very nature. There is a commonality of all of us humans:

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! ³

Be honest about the things that you give priority over God, the things from which you draw your identity: what you have, what you have accomplished, what you desire, what you think, your beliefs, your security in relationships and possessions. Do you fit the self-made mold of modern mankind? Are you content in what you have done through your own abilities? What is it that you have given yourself over to the pursuit of attainment? It isn’t that difficult to leave God out of our formula for life’s success if we are dishonest with ourselves about what we actually are worth or deserve without Him.
The word translated ‘sin’ in Hebrew and in Greek are rooted in ‘missing the goal’ ‘forfeiting being in agreement’ ‘be astray of the path’ with even one root being ‘to miss the mark’ as in archery. The LORD by His Creator-ship and nature has the right to determine by His understanding and wisdom what is True, Right, Just and Agreeable. He communicated that from the beginning and each of us has rebelled in ‘doing it our way’ rather than staying in agreement with the LORD. Sin is universal whenever one wants to do anything apart from the aim of the LORD. We all create idols of the heart even if not physically. We all depart from God’s wisdom for the ‘I wants’ of this life. Yet, the LORD has provided the Way back to Himself if we are willing to forsake our ways, repent and commit to coming into a life of agreement with Him and His Way.