Sin . . . your questions.  John 9.1-7; Exodus 20.1-21

Click to read the Ten Commandments: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/qt/tencommandpara.htm?p=1

She looks like she could be my daughter—blonde hair, big brown eyes, medium height, an easy smile  . . . eighteen years old.  She sat with two other young athletes, new in their faith, with open Bibles ‘round my kitchen table – ‘um, is there somewhere in here that lists out the sins…you know, the things I should not do?’  Her heart was right; it was pure.  She wanted to honor God.

In another setting … a corporate one, actually… a brother asked a similar question—‘can you give me a list of sins?’   And then this morning… a reader from Soweto, South Africa e-mailed the simple question, “What is sin?”

This discussion of sin came because of Jesus’ healing of the man who had been born blind; his disciples asked the cause of his condition-- ‘who sinned—this man, or his parents?’  I had been ready to move further into John 9, but folks have continued to ask about sin and the nature of it.  What is sin?  Simply, it is  breaking God’s law; it is disobeying him.  We are born with a sin condition, which is what predisposes us to consider ourselves, first and foremost, before anyone or anything else.  Paul wrote, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

The Ten Commandments clearly spell out sins to avoid and laws to keep—such as honoring the Sabbath and honoring our parents.  God gave the Ten Commandments as guidelines for spiritual and moral living; however, Christians today often just wink at the commandments.  The problem is, Friends, God never winks at sin.  There are several other places in Scripture that outline sin as well: Galatians 5.19-21; Proverbs 6.16-19; 1 Corinthians 6.9-10--  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205.19-21;%20Proverbs%206.16-19;%201%20Corinthians%206.9-10&version=NIV1984&interface=print 

(In our next briefing, I will discuss those ‘grey’ areas the Bible does not address—how do we determine if they are sin or not?  Does it matter?)

I know that I am a sinner—that is to say, I know that I sin, saved or redeemed only by God’s grace extended to me.  Just as clearly as he gave the Ten Commandments, he clearly stated that ‘if I confess my sins to him, he will forgive them and cleanse me from unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1.9)  Cleansed and forgiven, I enjoy sweet relationship with my Lord, and am able to hear from him and feel his presence daily.

Christine