What is Sin? It's Origin & Meaning in the Bible

In the Encyclopedia Britannica sin is defined as an act that goes against moral or divine law. It is a concept found in many religions and philosophies, typically involving the transgression of a moral code or divine commandments. Sin often implies a moral failing and has various consequences depending on the religious or cultural context.

Definition of Sin in Christianity

The Christian definition of sin is purposely disobeying the rules of God (1 John 3:4). The Bible says, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools..." (Romans 1:18-22).

God commands us to follow moral law and has given every human a conscience for intuitively knowing right from wrong.  

In The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis by Colin Brown we read that in the New Testament, sin is understood as an act or state of rebellion against God's will, often defined in terms of moral failure or disobedience to divine commands. Sin is described as both an action and a condition that leads to separation from God.

Semantic History of Sin

Let's look at sin in the historical context to understand its evolution and translation over time. The word originates from the Old English term "syn" translated from Biblical Greek and Jewish indicating the action of missing the mark. In the original sense of New Testament Greek, "sin" is a failure in missing the mark, primarily in spear throwing. Hebrew hata "sin" originates in archery and literally refers to missing the "gold" at the center of a target, but hitting the target. Relating to the Christian definition, the gold center of the target could be seen as God's commandment for righteousness. To sin is to miss our mark of living in a virtuous manner, not only failing to meet God's commandment but acting against our own interests by engaging the world in an immoral manner. To sin is to fall short of our potential, missing the mark of our highest self and best quality of life.

In Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem defines sin as any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Sin is both an act of disobedience to God's commands and a condition of being in rebellion against God’s moral standards.

The Oxford Companion to the Bible gives this helpful meaning: In biblical terms, sin is a violation of God's commandments and laws. It includes acts of moral wrongdoing and can be seen as both a personal failing and a breach of divine law. It is often associated with consequences that affect one's relationship with God and the community.

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Heavenly Origin of Sin

Earthly Origin of Sin

Original sin is a Christian view of the nature of sin in which mankind lives since the fall of man. Beginning with Adam and Eve's disobedience in Eden, the sin of indulgence was eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This status has been defined in many ways, varying from something as trivial as a small insufficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, to something as severe as total wickedness or habitual guilt of all humans through collective sin.

If we search for things that are condemned by God, there are literally hundreds of sins to be found in the Bible. Thankfully, some of the most important were condensed into the Ten Commandments, given to Moses by God (Exodus 20). These laws of "thou shalt not" are meant for our protection and guidance. God, our loving Father, wants to give us wisdom and keep us from choices that He knows will harm us. 

Summary of the Ten Commandments:

According to Jesus, there is one sin a person can do for which there is no forgiveness or pardon either in this age or in the age to come: blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?”

Jesus addressed the topic in Mark 3:20-30, a passage that ends with these words:  “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:28-29).

Read more about this topic at 10 Things You Need to Know About the Unforgiveable Sin and watch from the Video below courtesy of the BibleStudyTools.com YouTube Channel.

“The central theme of redemption in Scripture is that God has taken the initiative to act compassionately on behalf of those who are powerless to help themselves. The New Testament makes clear that divine redemption includes God's identification with humanity in its plight, and the securing of the liberation of humankind through the obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection of the incarnate Son.” (Excerpted from Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology)

Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Through the redemption provided by His death and resurrection, Jesus gave each of us a way to be cleansed of our sins, offering us the chance to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  All we have to do is take Him up on the offer.   

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV)

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The Seven Deadly Sins listed in the Bible are Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth. The Bible covers topics relating to sin, repentance, forgiveness, salvation, and others that help provide biblical guidance for Christians to follow to resist the temptation of sin.

This article is part of our larger resource library of terms important to the Christian faith. From heaven and hell to communion and baptism, we want to provide easy-to-read and understand articles that answer your questions about theological terms and their meaning. 
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Heaven - What is it Like, Where is it?
Hell - 10 Things You Should Know
Baptism - What Does it Mean and Why is it Important?
The Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit Explained