Before I became a Christian, I thought I was a good person. I mean, I was kind, had good intentions, and didn’t try to harm anyone.
I didn’t realize how sinful I actually was. It turns out, this is the experience of many people.
The Bible tells us, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?” (Proverbs 20:6 NKJV).
We often believe we’re good, but this isn’t true. The Bible tells us we’re sinful.
God has set a perfect standard and we all fall short of that standard.
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The Meaning of Sin
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek.
The Greek word for sin is ‘hamartia’ while the Hebrew word is ‘chata’.
Both of these words mean to miss the mark.
Let me explain with an illustration.
Suppose you’re shooting at a target. The middle of the target is perfect while any area outside of the middle isn’t.
The same goes for God’s boundaries for us. The middle is perfect but anything outside of the middle is outside of his standard for us. This example isn’t the best but you get the picture.
To “miss the mark” means we’re not perfect. We’re not going to get it right every time. In fact, we often get it wrong.
The Bible says, “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of it all,” (James 2:10 ESV).
So, even if we were to keep EVERYTHING but one part of the law, we’d still be guilty of sin.
Two Types of Sin
According to the Bible, there are two types of sin.
These are called original sin and personal sin.
Original Sin
Original sin refers to the disobedience of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the story – God commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they did, they would ‘surely die’ (Genesis 2:17).
They’re deceived by the snake in the garden (Satan) and eat the fruit of that tree anyway. This is known as the original sin. God’s intent for humans wasn’t suffering or death. Suffering & death came as a result of their sin.
Because of the original sin, we’re all born sinful before doing anything. We all have an inclination to do bad rather than good.
Personal Sin
Personal sin is sin that doesn’t relate to original sin. It’s our personal sins we struggle with on a day to day basis.
These sins might include lust, pride, greed, wrath, sloth, gluttony, and covetousness. (often referred to as the seven deadly sins).
For example, David (in the Bible) is often referred to as a man after God’s own heart. However, he still experienced sin. He sinned against God when he committed adultery with a woman and murdered her husband to cover it up.
Does God forgive all sins?
Our God is very forgiving. To the point that He tells us to forgive others just as He has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1 John 1:9 ESV).
I’ve heard some say they think they’re too far gone. THAT’S NOT TRUE. You are not too far gone. If you seek forgiveness from the true God, He will forgive you.
However, there is one unforgivable sin that the Bible touches upon.
What’s the unforgivable sin?
Jesus talks about the unforgivable sin in the gospels.
He says, “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32 NIV).
Speaking against the Holy Spirit has been called the unforgivable sin. But what does it really mean?
If you’re concerned about whether you’ve committed the unforgivable sin, you haven’t. Someone who’s committed the unforgivable sin wouldn’t feel guilt.
Let me explain. Anyone who isn’t saved won’t be forgiven because they’ve willfully rejected God. We’re given a choice. Those who decide not to follow God won’t be forgiven.
Are we really that sinful?
Yes, we really are.
I mentioned earlier how I believed I wasn’t that bad because my intentions and heart was in the right place (or so I thought).
Bible Verses About Our Sinful Nature
These Bible verses demonstrate just how sinful we are.
“All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12 ESV).
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:18 ESV).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV).
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV).
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6 NIV).
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