Sin literally means, “to miss the mark.” A dictionary definition of sin is, “to transgress against divine law.” The divine law giver would be God, so, sin would be to go against God. A big problem exists when sin is not recognized. If sin isn’t recognized, then neither is God. If that’s the case of an individual’s heart, then the individual sets himself/herself up as god. If God doesn’t exist, there also is no absolute standard or moral law which applies to humanity. Do you see the consequences that can evolve on this worldview?
The biblical view states that sin is the BIG problem. Paul illustrates the problem in Romans 3:23 - “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” In other words, EVERYONE is a sinner. Another part of the big problem is what sin produces - spiritual death. Paul again tells us in Romans 6:23 that, “the wages of sin is death.” What sin produces is devastating. Isaiah 59:2 states, “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.” Not only is sin devastating, but unchecked it can lead to untold evil. Consider what happened to God’s own people when they failed to recognize God or the consequence of sin. “The sins of Israel and Judah - the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets - have stirred up my anger. My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return. Even though I diligently taught them, they would not receive instruction or obey...they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly (Jeremiah 32:32-35).”
Unchecked sin is the fuel to untold evil and rebellion toward a holy God. Holy means, that God is set apart. He is not like us (sinners). In fact, it’s impossible for Him to sin. He cannot violate His own holy nature. If this is who God is, then shouldn’t He be the standard for what is right? If God is holy and we are not, what are we to do? Reflecting back to what Paul said in Romans, we have been declared guilty, all of us, and deserve eternal separation from God.
Sin is the big problem that we need to recognize in our lives. The great prophet Isaiah had a vision of God in the 8th century B.C. In this vision, Isaiah describes how a piece of God occupied the Temple. When this happened, the entire Temple was filled with smoke and started to shake. Isaiah was an upright individual in God’s sight, but how did Isaiah see himself when he encountered God? Isaiah said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man (Isaiah 6:5).” It’s only when Isaiah recognized his condition that he could be healed.
Sin must be recognized in our life and in our society or we are without hope. The good news (gospel) is that our sin problem can be taken care of by Jesus. By trusting in Jesus, the big problem becomes the great joy. Romans 5:6 states, “when we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Jesus, takes our sins away when we trust in Him. The big problem has a big cure and it’s found in a relationship with Jesus. The big problem remains when sin and God are discounted. Society will continue to crumble when it fails to recognize God and the consequences of sinning against Him. How have you dealt with the big problem?
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