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Sin and Grace
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Sin The Greek words used for sin in the New Testament are various forms of hamartano. Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon gives the following definition for hamartano: “do wrong, sin of offenses against the religious and moral law of God.” Nelson’s Bible Dictionary gives the following definition: “Lawlessness (1 John 3:4) or transgression of God’s will, either by omitting to do what God’s law requires or by doing what it forbids. The transgression can occur in thought (1 John 3:15), word (Matt. 5:22), or deed (Rom. 1:32).” These are traditional definitions and are fine as far as they go. However, they do not point to the root of sin which is presented in Genesis 2-3. This is where Adam and Eve at from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Prior to eating from this tree, Adam and Eve followed God’s plan without question. After they ate, they began deciding what was good and bad. In this sense, you can look at the root of sin as not trusting that God knows what is best for you. Another way of expressing this same idea is to say that the root of sin is “having to have your own way.” Isaiah 53:6 puts it this way: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Yet another way of expressing this idea is to say that sin is when you choose to satisfy your needs your way instead of in the way that God has instructed you through the Bible. The most comprehensive lists of how sin is expressed in action can be found in Romans 1:29-31; Galatians 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-23; and 1 Corinthians 10: greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, God-haters, insolence, arrogance, boasting, disobedience to parents; senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless, sexual immoral, impurity, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, drunkenness, orgies, deceit, lewdness, folly, pride, and confusing freedom for license. When we choose to obey God, we enjoy the fruit of the Spirit. The most complete list of the fruit of the Spirit is in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (additional descriptions in Ephesians 5:9 and James 3:17).
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Grace Grace is favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves. Grace is one of the key attributes of God. God’s grace to us is expressed in two ways. First, He provided the means for our salvation through the sacrifice of His Son. Second, He provides us with everything we need to carry out His will and live a holy life through the Holy Spirit. There is no way in which we could do either of these two things ourselves.
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E-mail comments to: lrsc@rpeurifoy.com Disclaimer: This site contains general reference information and is not intended as a substitute for consulting with a physician or a psychotherapist. Copyright © 1999 by Reneau Peurifoy, MA — All Rights Reserved |