— Jeremiah 17:9
Understanding the True Nature of Sin
The word "sin" means to miss the mark or fall short of a standard. God's standard is absolute perfection. Even one sin makes you guilty before God.
Sin is lawlessness - breaking God's commandments. Every time you lie, steal, lust, hate, or disobey God in any way, you are breaking His law.
God created you to reflect His glory, but sin has corrupted that image. You cannot bring glory to God in your natural state because you are spiritually dead in sin.
What Your Sin Has Done to You
Sin separates you from God. You are spiritually dead and cannot have fellowship with the holy God.
After death comes judgment. Because you are a sinner, you are destined for eternal punishment in hell.
This is your condition before God right now. You are a guilty sinner under the wrath of God, destined for eternal punishment. You must understand this reality before you can understand your need for repentance.
What God's Word Says About You
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the human race. Every person born since Adam has inherited a sinful nature. This is not something you chose - it's what you are.
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." — Psalm 51:5
David recognized that he was sinful from the moment of conception. This is the condition of every human being.
"There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin." — Ecclesiastes 7:20
Even the most moral person on earth is still a sinner. There are no exceptions to this universal condition.
You Don't Become a Sinner by Breaking the Law
You were born a sinner - this is your nature from the moment of conception. You don't become a sinner by breaking God's law; you break God's law because you ARE a sinner by nature.
David understood that his sinful condition existed from the very moment of his conception. This is the universal condition of all humanity.
God's law doesn't make you a sinner - it reveals that you already ARE a sinner. The law exposes your sinful nature and shows you the depth of your corruption.
Paul explains that the law's purpose is to make sin known - to reveal what was already there.
The book of Romans systematically proves that all humanity - both Jews and Gentiles - are born sinners under condemnation, regardless of whether they have the law or not.
"For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves" — Romans 2:14
Even without written law, they know right from wrong and are condemned.
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." — Romans 3:19
Having the law makes them even more guilty because they know better.
After examining both Jews and Gentiles, Paul concludes that ALL are born sinners, ALL are under sin, and ALL are condemned before God.
The law was never given to make people righteous. It was given to reveal sin, increase transgression, and drive people to desperation for God's mercy.
The law actually stirs up sin in our hearts, proving that we are sinners by nature, not by choice.
Understanding Why God Gave the Laws
God gave His law not to make you righteous, but to show you how sinful you really are. The law is like a mirror that reveals the dirt on your face - it shows you the problem but cannot clean you.
God's law demands absolute perfection. It requires you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Have you done this perfectly every moment of your life?
The law reveals not just outward actions, but the sinful thoughts and desires of your heart. God sees and judges the intentions of your heart, not just your external behavior.
What the Law Cannot Do for You
You cannot be made righteous before God by keeping the law. The law only condemns you because you have already broken it. Even if you could keep it perfectly from now on, you are still guilty of past violations.
The law does not bring God's favor - it brings His wrath upon sinners. Every commandment you break increases your guilt and condemnation before the holy God.
The law was given to make you conscious of your sin and your desperate need for forgiveness. It drives you to acknowledge your guilt before God and cry out for mercy.
The law's purpose is to make you acknowledge your sins before God and understand your desperate need to repent!
Now that you understand what sin really means, its devastating consequences, your sinful nature, and the purpose of God's law, you must face the truth: You are a guilty sinner who has broken God's law and deserves His eternal punishment.
The law has done its work - it has shown you your sin and made you guilty before God.
You now understand your desperate need for repentance and forgiveness, but how can a holy God forgive sins? What provision has He made for the forgiveness of sins? The next step will reveal God's plan from the beginning.
Are you ready to learn about God's provision for the forgiveness of sins? The next step will show you how God established the way for sins to be forgiven through His divine plan.