Question 14: Sin

Question 14: What is sin?

Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

The first thing we must notice in this question is that sin is to be understood in relation to the law of God, which is to say that it must be understood in relation to God himself. God created man and woman in his own image with particular instructions about the privileges and responsibilities that came with bearing his image. By sinning we do not merely break a standard; we insult and rebel against our Creator, breaking our relationship with him.

The catechism describes sin as transgression, which means crossing a boundary. Sometimes, God's law forbids us to do certain things. The sin of the fall, which is recorded in Genesis 3, demonstrates the idea of transgression clearly. The particular law which Adam and Eve broke was the law against eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:11-13). We do not have that law anymore today, but a closer look at the fall shows us that we commit very similar sins. For example, Eve's desire for the fruit was a form of covetousness, which is forbidden in the tenth commandment. Covetousness is a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5), which is forbidden in the first and second commandments. The sin of disbelieving God's word is also present (compare Hebrews 3:19), and others might be discovered as well. The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 show us the standard of God's law from the perspective of transgression.

However, transgression is not the only way to look at sin. Sin is also a want (lack) of conformity to God's law. Conforming to God's law - living out his image - is the purpose for which people are designed. Jesus, when asked which commandment was most important, said this: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39) Thus, the greatest sins are not defined by what we do, but by what we fail to do. We do not fully love God and neighbor as we ought. As James 4:17 reminds us, "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Jesus said that those who are well have no need of a physician, but only those who are sick. (Luke 5:31) If we cannot see our sinfulness, we will never see our need for salvation. Take some time to compare your life to the Ten Commandments, or to the two greatest commandments that Jesus summarized. Do you recognize your sin and your need for a Savior?

Reference: Explanation of the Shorter Catechism by Thomas Vincent