Most Christians overlook what sin is, but sin is the most important thing to understand where faith is concerned. Is the bible about sin? yes! So it’s our duty as believers to search the scriptures to see where we’re going wrong.
To understand what sin is we must use the scriptures, they give us a clear definition of what this word means.
Within this article I will be looking at the origins of Sin and what really happened, by reading the scriptures themselves.
I will also look at what perfection is, and if it’s possible, how to to avoid sin, sinning knowingly and unknowingly and much more…
What Is Sin?
So let us begin with, what is sin?
Before we discuss Sin it’s important to know what it is. There’s a very concise bible sin verse definition in the scriptures many are unaware of, it can be found below:
1 John 3:4
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
When you look at the word sin in the Hebrew it means the following:
The Hebrew word for “sin” is חטאה (hhatah, Strong’s #2403) and literally means “miss the mark.”
As you can see sin means to miss the mark. In this case the mark would be the Commandments of the Most High?
You might also want to know the meaning of the word transgression, so let’s look at that too:
Transgression “an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offence”.
The laws to be transgressed here would be the Commandments, as they are the code of conduct here.
Bible Teaching About Original Sin
There are man fanciful interpretations of the original sin and how it took place.
Some use metaphors and say the the tree Adam and eve ate from was an Apple tree, others that this sin was really Adam and Eve having sex?
…But the most important thing is, what do the scriptures say? So let’s look at them and eradicate any doubt.
Man and Woman were created on the fifth day of creation (Genesis 1:23-27).
Man and Woman were then placed in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8), to take care of the garden (Genesis 2:15). Within that garden was the tree of life, and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9).
Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
They were told not to eat from a specific tree in the middle of the garden (Genesis 3:3) which you can see above from scriptures was the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
As we progress we are told that Adam and Eve were naked in the garden, but were not ashamed (Genesis 2:25).
While in the garden Eve had a discussion with a snake, who was said to be the most “subtil”, beguiling animal in the fields (Genesis 3:1).
Genesis 3:5-6
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Above we see the snake enticing Eve to eat from the forbidden tree, by telling her the tree would make her like a god just like the Most High.
This is enough to peak her imagination, at which point she takes “fruit” from the tree. We are not told if it’s an apple, pear, mango etc. Just that it was fruit. Eve subsequently gives it to Adam.
Genesis 3:7
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
When the two of them eat the fruit they become aware that they’re naked, and the rest is history, this is original sin the first bible sin that leads to death of man.
Do We All Sin?
As Believers we follow the scriptures but I will briefly touch on alternative ideas, that say sin is not transferable.
There is a belief in some religions that say children do not inherit any of the sins of their parents.
Not inheriting sins is definitely what people would prefer, but the scriptures tell us otherwise.
When we read the popularly acclaimed Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus the third commandment (Exodus 20:4-6) tells us that we will be punished for the bible sins of the father we have as far as the third generation.
Exodus 20:4-6
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
On a positive note, even though we do inherit the sins of our Fathers this can all change when we are conscious of the Most High, and we confess and repent for the actions of ourselves and our parents.
This is indicated in verse six where we’re told that the Most High will show mercy on thousands that love him.
In the Book of Psalms the Psalmist expresses that he was conceived in sin, which confirms what we read in the Commandments
Psalm 51:5
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
We can find elaboration of the forgiveness of sins in the scriptures below:
Ezekiel 18:27-28
27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Above you can see that the Most High will save a person if they go from being wicked to following the Most Highs commands. So even though we do inherit the sins of Our Fathers this does not define us if we change and keep the Most Highs Commandments.
Origins Of Bible Sin Offerings And Sacrifices
As a believer, you should know that there is always an atonement for sins and it’s required a sacrifice.
What you are about to learn here, is how sacrifices for sins came about.
As a Christian you probably ignore the books that are found outside the so called canon, but if you read them you will find that they give greater explanation on other scriptures.
In this case the Book of Adam and Eve tells us that sacrifices were offered to the Most high by Adam to atone for his sins and subsequently the Most High accepted this as a practice going forward.
When Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden. There was an incident where Satan was destroying their crops.
This was eventually stopped by the Most High which pleased Adam and Eve, so to show their gratitude they gave an offering of corn and an animal sacrifice. These are the first recorded bible sin offerings.
They can be found in the scriptures below:
Adam And Eve 68:9-18
9 And God adjured Satan with a curse, not to come again, and destroy the field of corn.
10 Then Adam and Eve took of the corn, and made of it an offering, and took it and offered it up on the mountain, the place where they had offered up their first offering of blood.
11 And they offered this oblation again on the altar they had built at first. And they stood up and prayed, and besought the Lord saying, “Thus, O God, when we were in the garden, did our praises go up to Thee, like this offering; and our innocence went up to thee like incense. But now, O God, accept this offering from us, and turn us not back, reft of Thy mercy.”
12 Then God said to Adam and Eve, “Since ye have made this oblation and have offered it to Me, I shall make it My flesh, when I come down upon earth to save you; and I shall cause it to be offered continually upon an altar, for forgiveness and for mercy, unto those who partake of it duly.”
13 And God sent a bright fire upon the offering of Adam and Eve, and filled it with brightness, grace, and light; and the Holy Ghost came down upon that oblation.
16 And God said to Adam, “This shall be unto you a custom, to do so, when affliction and sorrow come upon you. But your deliverance and your entrance into the garden, shall not be until the days are fulfilled, as agreed between you and Me; were it not so, I would, of My mercy and pity for you, bring you back to My garden and to My favour for the sake of the offering you have just made to My name.”
17 Adam rejoiced at these words which he heard from God; and he and Eve worshipped before the altar, to which they bowed, and then went back to the Cave of Treasures.
18 And this took place at the end of the twelfth day after the eightieth day, from the time Adam and Eve came out of the garden.
As you can see the offering and animal sacrifice were accepted and declared as a custom going forward.
Divine Perfection In The Bible
There is a stronger debate about perfection. So I will discuss it here, because it relates to sin.
The first thing to consider is how perfection is determined. And when we do the only logical answer here is that the Most High determines our perfection.
Walking towards perfection requires us to fulfill a set of criteria, in this case it is the keeping of the Commandments, we use to strive for perfection.
When we read the scriptures we find that Abraham was told to walk before the most high and be perfect.
Genesis 17:1-7
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
We can see that the Most High told Abraham to be perfect (Genesis 17:1) in walking with him, which means keeping his commands. This is an inspiration for us when we keep the laws and commandments.
The promise to Abraham was that he would be the father of many nations and established a covenant (Genesis 17:6-7), which he eventually did.
Abraham became the father of the Arabs and through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the children of Israel were also birthed and they are the heirs to the Kingdom today.
We also see the perfection of Enoch:
Genesis 5:24
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
And Elijah:
2 Kings 2:11
11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
The scriptures above show us that both Enoch and Elijah were taken up into the heavens because of their perfect walks in keeping the laws of God.
Earth Is Most Highs Footstool
You may have heard the phrase that “this is all a game”, or something similar. This phrase is often used to categorise life and it’s ups and downs. And how it can eventually be won.
But, what if life really is a game set up by the Most High?
When we read the scriptures we say that there is a lot of evidence to show that this is the Most High’s game and we are here to play it by keeping his commandments.
In the book of Job, Job is tested and we see that it is sign off by the Most High, but the devil, who is doing the tempting, is not permitted to harm him physically.
Job 1:6-12
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
In the story above Satan was allowed to test Job, because the Most High believed in Job so much he was sure he would pass the test…
I say all this to show you that the Most High controls the world and he does test us.
Further to this we are also told that the Earth is the most high footstool.
Isaiah 66:1
1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
The following scripture shows that the Most High will can also test us using false prophets, so we should stay alert.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Above you can see clearly that there is a possibility that the Most High can use a false prophet to test our faith as Believers.
All of this is part of “the game“, but the reassuring thing is that the Most High is in control of everything.
This should fill all believers with confidence to know that only The Most High has power over us.
To bring this point home we are also told that the Most High created Good and Evil.
Isaiah 45:7
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
This scripture serves as a reminder that nothing is outside the scope of God.
Messiah Died For Our Sins
When the Messiah came he came to fulfill the Covenant that was made with blood between Israel and the Most High, which you can see below:
Exodus 24:4-6
4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
The fulfillment required the Messiah to die which required an offering of his blood before his resurrection. By doing so he became the first fruits, showing us a shadow of what we are to receive when we keep the Commandments.
The Messiah’s death also covers the covenant previously made with Israel above (Daniel 9:27).
Because of this act there is no longer any need to use the blood sacrifices from animals to cover our sins. All we need to do now is believe that the Messiah died and resurrected. This satisfies the sacrificial part of the covenant and covers our sins, because the Messiah’s blood is eternal.
If We Wilfully Sin
The scriptures warn us about sinning Knowingly the example that we are given says that if we sin after we have knowledge of the truth how can our sins be atoned for again.
Hebrews 10:26
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
That being said there is also a mercy that can be received if this happens but this is not something that any of us as believers should ever endeavour to do.
Sin Committed In Ignorance
We understand as Believers that we are afforded mercy, but unfortunately we live in a world where society likes to play on mercy, refusing to hold themselves accountable for their deed.
The scriptures tell us when a sin is committed unknowingly it is still a sin.
Leviticus 5:17
17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
As you can see from The Scriptures above we are still guilty when we sin unknowingly.
Levels Of Sin
Scriptures clearly tell us that when we break one sin we break them all, but there is more to this.
Many want to believe that fornication is the same as any other sins, let’s say for example somebody steals because they hungry, would this be the same as fornication? What do the scriptures say?
1 Corinthians 6:18
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Above we see that fornication is seen as a more serious sin because it is done to the body. We should remember that God says our bodies are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
The Messiah also confirmed that fornication is the only sin serious enough to allow a marriage to be ended.
Matthew 19:9
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
The Messiah also said if you break, and teach others to break the least of these commandments, which again indicates that some commandments are more serious than others:
Matthew 5:19
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
…teaching the breaking of the commandments will get you sent to hell, so it’s important you understand, it’s not our place to choose the lesser of two evils.
Evil is evil, there is no lesser evil. We are to have faith and keep the commandments no matter what. Our souls are not for sale.
If you’re reading this and you’re a Christian that has been engaging in fornication because of societal ideals now is the time to stop.
Casual sex has no place when keeping the laws of the Most High.
Ask yourself, isn’t it better that you get to know somebody before you lay down with them?
How Sin Is Conceived
The scriptures give us more details about sin than most would like to admit. In the book of James we are given an insight into how sin occurs.
James 1:14-15
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
The first stage of sin is our own lust, it is this that we act upon which conceives sin.
It’s important to understand that the Most High does not tempt anybody to sin. There is a big difference between a test explained above and temptation.
Avoiding Sin
So, how do we avoid sin? We follow what the scriptures say. In the book of Timothy we are told to study to show ourselves approved unto the God.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
When we study we should not be ashamed. Of what any institution has to say? This is so often the case as there are so many preconceived notions within biblical circles.
The most dominant, or mother of these circles, of course is Roman Catholicism, which is the originator of many sub-denominations.
The most unknowingly sin broken within most denominations is the breaking of the Sabbath day law, generally observed on Sunday rather than the original Sabbath day, the 7th day Saturday.
Of course, it’s not always easy to understand scriptures. In some cases a teacher may be required. This website can serve as a helpful resource for you so don’t hesitate to email us or drop a comment.
Exodus 24:12
12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Above you can see that Moses was told to teach the Israel the laws and Commandments. So there’s no shame in learning from others, but always do your own due diligence, because that’s your personal responsibility.
A great place to start is Exodus Chapter 20. It gives a summary of the commonly called Ten Commandments.
To find more laws written that we should be keeping you can read the books of the Law which are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Keep in mind that the sacrifices and offerings have been fulfilled by the Messiah who is the final sacrifice to cover our sins.
This means there is no longer a need to sacrifice animals or give food offerings anymore.
When you find a commandment that you my be breaking the next step is to confess it and repent (change).
I will list some sins below that you may be unaware of to get you started.
Tattoos are not permitted (Leviticus 19:28).
Cross dressing, women shouldn’t be wearing trouser and men shouldn’t be wearing dresses (Deuteronomy 22:5).
A man shouldn’t be having sex with another man neither should a two women have sex (Leviticus 18:22).
We should not be eating Pig (Leviticus 11:7) (Pork, Gammon etc.), Rabbits (Animals with paws) (Leviticus 11:27).
Men should not cut their hair completely bald or shave their beards completely bald (Leviticus 19:27).
Men should not have effeminate behaviour (1 Corinthians 6:9).
You clothing should not be made out of multiple types of fabrics i.e. Wool and Linen (Deuteronomy 22:11).
We should keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11).
Conclusion
Hopefully you can now see the origins of sin and how sacrifices were implemented to cover our sins.
All of this information should help you understand that our whole purpose in life is to serve the Most High.
Our biggest test is to be and remain obedient as long as we live.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
As the scriptures above say our whole duty is to keep the commandments, not say they’re done away, as so many Christians unwittingly believe.
I hope this article serves as encourage to help you ace the test in this game of the world.
The end goal here is to live forever alongside side the Most High in the new heaven on earth. This is what the Messiah represented when he resurrected in his eternal body.
This eternal life was originally available for us before Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Interestingly there is also a tree of life (Genesis 3:22) that allows us to live forever, it is this that we will partake in if we keep the commandments to the end.
Shalom! And share this with someone that needs it.