What IS Sin?

[Imperial]

What is a "sin" in Christianity? I've been thinking it was just like... a "nono" >_> or just an action that's considered bad. However when i think about the whole Jesus thing, I still fail to understand WHAT exactly happened when he let himself get killed. How does letting 1 person get killed forgive all the "nono's" people have done?

Maybe sin is like a magic that builds up in our systems and causes us to do more bad things? And by letting himself get killed he did some kinda magic ritual thing that now blocks our spirits from absorbing the magic? I dont know...






YES Gabriel i'm trying to actually learn here <_< so dont hurt me.............

[Canuckster1127]

There's two sense of the word. Sin in terms of behavior comes from a word that in the original language gives the picture of shooting an arrow and missing the mark. It doesn't matter if you're close or way off. It's failing to hit the mark.

Chrstians in general however don't believe we are sinners because we sin. We believe we sin because we are sinners. We're identified collectively in the fall of Adam which had separated us from God. Jesus Christ, God himself, incarnated and became fully human, lived among us, faced all the pains and challenges as we did, but where the first Adam failed, the second Adam, Christ lived a life of perfect obedience without sin and then demonstrated his love for us by suffering death, something He chose to do because death had no power over him except that he allowed it and submitted to it on our behalf. Jesus, the second Adam succeeded where the first Adam failed. We can choose to accept the grace God extends to us through Christ's life, death and resurrection and by that our sin problem is removed and we can live in relationship with God.

We now live in freedom because we're no longer trying to keep to a standard of law that we can't manage on our own. God to us is not like Zeus on Mt. Olympus waiting to hurl lightening bolts when we slip up. God is the Loving Father, Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Prodigal son, who sees us from a long way of and rushes to meet us on the road, eager to receive us and restore us to the position of child and heir.

Sadly even many who name the name of Christ, don't completely understand this and get caught into legalism and trying to live so that God will love and accept them. God's love and acceptance is extended through Christ. When we accept Christ, his spirit comes to live in us. We're made alive and we no longer try to live to please God by keeping laws. We love God and so we live in a way that will please the one who loves us. The behavior is often indistinguishable on the outside from those who live under either of these dynamics, but the difference is immense. One is effort based and a life of frustration and never measuring up. The other is a life of peace and joy where we're secure in a relationship that is already established and we don't have to prove or earn anything and we just respond in appreciation to the God who loves us.

[Imperial]

Christ lived a life of perfect obedience without sin and then demonstrated his love for us by suffering death, something He chose to do because death had no power over him except that he allowed it and submitted to it on our behalf. Jesus, the second Adam succeeded where the first Adam failed. We can choose to accept the grace God extends to us through Christ's life, death and resurrection and by that our sin problem is removed and we can live in relationship with God.

Here's the part i still don't fully understand. How does submitting himself to death do anything for us? How does that show he loves us?

[Canuckster1127]

If you gave your life to save another's could that demonstrate love? What part of that is difficult to understand?

[Imperial]

If you gave your life to save another's could that demonstrate love? What part of that is difficult to understand?

Ok now THAT isn't difficult to understand, you said it simply there. However it wasnt like he was jumping infront of a bullet, he let himself be crucified. So how does that give his life for us?

[Canuckster1127]

Did you understand what I said about all of mankind being identified with Adam whose sins separates all of us from God?

[Imperial]

Did you understand what I said about all of mankind being identified with Adam whose sins separates all of us from God?

Kind of... But how does jesus letting himself get killed bring us closer to god so that we can be forgiven?

*Brain Blast* - Maybe by sacraficing himself, although without sufficient reason, shows what he's willing to do for us since he loves us so much. And by accepting this "loving gesture", god is giving us a second chance because he believes we will do better than adam now that we know of his love?

Dude i seriously sat here for like 5-10 minutes trying to piece together that blast up there ^... XD every time i tried to piece it together its like my brain was slowing shutting down. I'm probably wrong though.

[Canuckster1127]

It is a radical idea and it's completely counterintuitive to how we operate as humans.

Yes, I think the demonstration of love is a statement, but it's more than that. Because God's love for us also involves justice and God cannot violate his nature and tolerate sin. The problem of sin had to be dealt with. Jesus, (who is God) became man and lived a life without sin. Death is the penalty for sin. Jesus chose to die and because he had no sin, His death was not for His sin, but could be counted as on our behalf. Just as we all identify in the first Adam and are sinners because of that, God gives us the opportunity to accept the death of Christ on our behalf if we choose to do so. Only Christ's death can work for this, because only Christ was without sin.

Sometimes Christians look at this and they portray God the Father as a judgmental, angry God, like Zeus of Mt Olympus, who must punish sin and who takes pleasure in it. I don't believe that is true. While each member of the Trinity has their own role to play, the Bible tells us repeatedly that God is love. Even God's justice, is to my underderstanding an extention of God's love. Because Jesus loved us, that is why he chose to give his physical life for us. Only a sinless life being offered on our behalf would both meet the requirement of God's holiness and show how great God's love for us is.

[Imperial]

It is a radical idea and it's completely counterintuitive to how we operate as humans.

Yes, I think the demonstration of love is a statement, but it's more than that. Because God's love for us also involves justice and God cannot violate his nature and tolerate sin. The problem of sin had to be dealt with. Jesus, (who is God) became man and lived a life without sin. Death is the penalty for sin. Jesus chose to die and because he had no sin, His death was not for His sin, but could be counted as on our behalf. Just as we all identify in the first Adam and are sinners because of that, God gives us the opportunity to accept the death of Christ on our behalf if we choose to do so. Only Christ's death can work for this, because only Christ was without sin.

Sometimes Christians look at this and they portray God the Father as a judgmental, angry God, like Zeus of Mt Olympus, who must punish sin and who takes pleasure in it. I don't believe that is true. While each member of the Trinity has their own role to play, the Bible tells us repeatedly that God is love. Even God's justice, is to my underderstanding an extention of God's love. Because Jesus loved us, that is why he chose to give his physical life for us. Only a sinless life being offered on our behalf would both meet the requirement of God's holiness and show how great God's love for us is.

So Death is a the punishment for Sin. And Jesus's sinless life acts as an empty vessel for us to dump our sins into his sacrafice? That would mean that ONE sinless life sacrafice was enough to absorb all the sins of the one's who accepted him. So what if someone else lived a sinless life as a normal human? Would they be seen as a holy savior too?

[zoegirl]

Yes, as the incarnate Christ, fully God and fully man, he became the substitution for our sins. THe wrath for sin was poured onto Him and His righteousness is laid upon us. Any who come to Christ acknowledging His being and HIs act (belief in Him) will have HIs righteousness imparted to Him. We are credited with His righteousness.

As to the other question, won't happen. No one is without sin.

[Kurieuo]

Sin can be seen as essentially anything against God who is the source of all righteousness. As Canuckster commented on, we sin whenever we miss or fail to add up to God's perfect standard of righteousness. And we all evidently fail at being completely righteous. Which brings about the following problem:

How can a completely holy and righteous God accept those tainted by sin? For God to accept someone with their sins intact would be to destory His holiness, for in accepting sinners, He is being complacent, even condoning sin. Thus, the only solution is for God to reject us all and expel us from His presence...

However, through substitutionary atonement our sins can be made white as snow. Israel practiced this through their sacrificial system prior to Christ, and substitutionary atonement was completed in Christ who completely atones for our sin. As such, those who belong to Christ will be clothed with Him and share in His righteousness (Philippians 3:8-9, Isaiah 1:18, Gal 3:27). Through Christ, we can be with God. Without Christ, we stand in our sin.

So how does substitionary atonement work? The sacrifice must be innocent and pure, must be associated with the sinner and when presented to God supplication is made on behalf of the sinner by someone God accepts (priestly order). Christ fulfilled all this and His resurrection verified God's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice for our sins. If Christ was not resurrected, we would have no hope. It is in Christ we hope that we will be accepted by God despite our sin.

Hope that helps.

[Gman]

I like the simple explanations..

Sin is simply doing things that isn't out of a Godly love....

[Gman]

I would describe it as a life for a life... Adam loses spiritual life by his sin, so how can it be corrected? By Christ.. Christ offers his life for the sins of mankind. A life for a life... Any other offerings are unbalanced like good deeds and such. Adam loses a righteous life, Christ pays it back with His life. We are now righteous under God's eyes.

[Imperial]

Ok then here's an out of the way question. Why not just call Jesus God if Jesus is God? Or why not call God Jesus? Its kinda confusing refering to them as if they were 2 different beings.

[Canuckster1127]

What do you think the words Jesus Christ mean?