Contrary to popular belief, it is not simply a list of good and bad, or dos and dont’s.
The word sin is generally translated from 3 different Hebrew words throughout the Bible, each having slightly different meanings.
1. Khata – missing the goal
2. Avon – iniquity
3. Pesha – transgression
What do these mean within the concept of sin?
1. If sin is missing the goal, then what’s the goal?
We were created in the image of God. We have to know the character of God to understand what the base line should be in order to recognize and be self aware when we are missing the goal.
And the beautiful thing is that we have access to study the life of Jesus, who was God in the flesh, yet lived a perfect human life as an example of what living under the image of God is supposed to look like. Jesus is the goal!!!! This helps us to have a more calibrated understanding of what hitting the goal does and does not look like.
This also makes it easier to accept the fact that we will NEVER score a 100 on the test every day. We needed a savior. So not only is Jesus the goal, He is also our savior redeeming us from our own failure.
2. What is iniquity?
Twisted behaviors, crooked actions, distortion of something that should be beautiful or good, etc.
It can also refer to the consequences and brokenness that come from this type of distortion.
3. What is transgression?
Violating trust or integrity in a relationship where trust should be assumed. This can be a violation in trust in relationship with God or violation in trust in a human relationship.
Read more about these words here: https://bibleproject.com/…/sin-iniquity-and…/
What is the central theme of all of these “types” of sin?
They’re all relational.
Either in relation to God or in relation to each other. If you read the 10 commandments in Exodus, they’re all relational. That’s also why Jesus was able to accurately boil the entire law down to the simple instruction to Love God with all of you and Love people as yourself.
Sin fractures relationships.
Eve was deceived by Satan when he distorted the truth.
Eve violated her relationship with God through blatant disobedience.
Adam lacked integrity in his relationship with Eve when he stood by and said and did nothing to correct her, neither before or after she acted in disobedience upon the commandment that was first given to him.
Adam then also violated his relationship with God by joining in disobedience.
Everyone missed the goal.
The result was shame, consequence, and fractured relationships between everyone involved.
This is what sin is.
This is what sin does.
It fractures and it separates.