Define sin in your own words (2024)

FAQs

Define sin in your own words? ›

1. a. : an offense against religious or moral law. b. : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible.

A sin is a deeply regrettable action. The most common definition of sin is religious: it's an immoral act against God or divine law.

sin, moral evil as considered from a religious standpoint. Sin is regarded in Judaism and Christianity as the deliberate and purposeful violation of the will of God.

Some common synonyms of sin are crime, offense, scandal, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

And so in this way of seeing the world, sin is a failure to love God and others by not treating them with the honor they deserve. You can see this idea in the famous code of conduct given to the Israelites, the ten commandments.

a. : transgression of the law of God. b. : a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.

He committed the sin of stealing. Murder is a sin. I confessed my sins.

Start with a simple definition: sin is the bad stuff we do that makes God sad and separates us from him, often hurting us and other people (See Isaiah 59:1-2; Rom. 3:23; James 4:17). Offer your child examples they can relate to: fighting with a brother or sister, stealing from a friend, or disobeying mom or dad.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” This scripture is referenced in the Church's Gospel Topics section under Sin, which states: “To commit sin is to willfully disobey God's commandments or to fail to act righteously despite a knowledge of the truth.”

Where is sin defined? ›

Sin is defined by God in terms of His Law. Sin is “lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4). Sin is defined in terms of God's law because God's law is a reflection of His holy character. Sin is defined in terms of God's law because God's law is a reflection of His holy character.

In the Old Testament, the word for sin is “khata”, meaning “to fail” or “to miss the goal.” What is the goal? The answer comes on page one of the Bible, which says we are all made in the image of God.

In its simplest form, sin is any failure to meet God's perfect standard of holiness. It can be internal or external (Matthews 15:18-20; 1 John 3:12). Its consequences lead to death and separation from God (Romans 5:12,17).

Christian hamartiology describes sin as an act of offense against God by despising his persons and Christian biblical law, and by injuring others. In Christian views it is an evil human act, which violates the rational nature of man as well as God's nature and his eternal law.