What is sin?

Engaging in discussions about sin stands as one of our most demanding tasks as pastors and teachers, not because we are ashamed of God's standards but because it is hope we wish to leave people. You don't need to stay bound in your brokenness and rebellion.

We speak out not to cast blame or inflict shame but because of our firm belief that God wants what is best for everyone.

God shows His love through His desire for us to grow in our relationship with Him, with others, and within ourselves.

The insidious and deceptive nature of sin acts to erode our ability to flourish. It promises freedom but delivers bondage. It promises joy but leads to emptiness. It promises life but leads to separation.

So, what exactly is sin? Our faith and our relationship with God are deeply impacted by sin because it affects the core of both our spiritual journey and our devotion to God.

1. What is Sin?

Sin fundamentally represents an act of defiance toward God’s will and intentions. The Bible paints sin not simply as a list of bad actions, but as a deeper posture of the heart: sin emerges when individuals reject God’s goodness and decide to follow their personal paths instead.

The Old Testament Hebrew term “chata” ( חָטָא ) translates to “to miss the mark”, conveying the idea of an arrow missing its intended target. We are called to direct our lives toward God and His purposes for His glory, but sin causes us to deviate from this path and miss His intended design.

As Romans 3:23 (NIV) states: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The Greek term “hamartia” ( ἁμαρτία ) from the New Testament expresses the concept of straying from righteousness and missing God’s intended path. Sin goes beyond moral failure to create a break in our relationship with God. It represents the destruction of trust between God and humanity, disrupting the perfect order He created.

Sin reveals itself through people’s behaviours (lying, greed, injustice), mindsets (pride, envy), and failures to act (not showing love, not practising justice). Sin represents a fundamental heart problem where we dismiss God’s legitimate authority over our lives.

2. How Does Sin Impact Our Connection with God and Affect Us as Individuals?

The consequences of sin extend beyond personal boundaries to have deep relational, spiritual, and communal impacts. Let’s consider five ways sin affects us:

i. Sin separates us from God

According to Isaiah 59:2 (NIV): “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

The gap between us and God exists because sin constructs barriers of guilt and rebellion that interfere with our ability to connect with Him—not because God withdraws His love. Our spiritual separation causes us to yearn for divine communion while simultaneously shunning His presence.

ii. Sin distorts our identity

We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), but sin mars that reflection. Our identity becomes confused through sin, pushing us to see ourselves through the lens of our shortcomings and falsehoods instead of God’s revealed truth—just as the prodigal son in Luke 15 experienced spiritual amnesia about his status as a beloved child through sin.

iii. Sin enslaves us

As Jesus stated in John 8:34 (NIV): “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

The deceptive promise of sin to “live without limits” results in trapping us in unbreakable patterns. What begins as choice becomes chains.

iv. Sin damages relationships

Sin extends its consequences beyond our relationship with God to invade every personal connection. Lies destroy trust. Greed corrodes community. Pride breeds conflict. Unforgiveness breaks reconciliation. Sin separates us from God while also creating distance between us and other people.

v. Sin obstructs God’s excellent plans for our lives

God reveals His purposes through the image of the potter in Jeremiah 18:4-6 (NIV):

“But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.’”

Sin mars what God is shaping, yet God remains ready to reshape and restore if we return to Him. Even though sin may bring temporary benefits and satisfaction, it leads us away from God’s ultimate purpose for our lives. Our choices lead us to accept outcomes that fall short of God’s intended best for us—but God stands ready to redeem and re-form our lives when we surrender to His hands.

3. How Can We Overcome Sin?

Here’s the good news: God responds to sin with redemptive love rather than condemnation. While sin separates, Jesus reconciles. While sin enslaves, Jesus sets free. While sin distorts, Jesus restores.

Our victory over sin does not come through personal determination or independent efforts. God’s Spirit enables us to defeat sin through our loving obedience and pursuit of His ways and commands.

i. By embracing God’s forgiveness

1 John 1:9 (NIV) declares: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Through confession of our sins, God faithfully extends forgiveness and purification because of His justice.

ii. By pursuing intimacy with God

As we approach God more intimately, sin loses its attractiveness. James 4:8 (NIV) says: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Our relationship with God grows as we draw closer to Him and He draws closer to us. Sin is overcome through joyful engagement with God via prayer, worship, and His Word.

iii. By walking according to the Holy Spirit’s power

Galatians 5:16 (NIV) instructs: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

The Holy Spirit works within us to change our desires, providing strength for moral decisions and enabling righteous living. God’s Spirit participates actively in our lives so we never fight our battles alone.

iv. By renewing our minds with God’s truth

Paul’s guidance in Romans 12:2 (NIV) is: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

As we allow Scripture to transform our thinking into godly wisdom, a clear view of truth weakens the hold of temptation.

v. By walking together in community

God created us to face sin together with others and not alone.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) encourages: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another.”

This makes the church community an essential place for spiritual development and recovery.

Conclusion: God’s Heart for Us

As we continue on this journey, we must always keep God’s heart in view. God guides us away from sin not to take away our joy but to offer us complete and abundant living. Sin leads to deception and reduction while God offers redemption and restoration.

Through daily surrender to His love, trust in His ways, and dependence on His Spirit’s power, we achieve freedom—both from the guilt of sin and its controlling influence.

That freedom allows us to draw nearer to His heart while following His purposes and His beautiful plan for us and the world.

As His children, let us persistently affirm His love while rejecting every force that detaches us from Him.

For His glory, and for our flourishing.

Amen.