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Only a few decades ago, the majority of US citizens acknowledged the existence and consequences of an entity called sin. A vast number of our citizens now deny sin’s existence—by their deeds, if not by their words. But what if there is such a thing as sin? When one considers the implications of sin, he may discover why so many have denied its reality. Sin implies the following:
- The existence of God. The simplest definition of sin is disobedience of God, but if there is no sin, there is no God—just what many wish. The atheist has no objective basis for identifying any behavior as “moral,” “sinful,” or “righteous.”
- The holiness of God. He is the standard of purity, righteousness, and holiness, and sin contradicts and offends these absolutes of the Creator.
- The law of God. Sin does not exist in the absence of God’s law: “But where there is no law, neither is there transgression” (Rom 4:15b). The existence of sin implies the existence of God’s law, for “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV). Those who insist upon an all–grace/no-law “gospel” err greatly, denying the existence of any law from God in the Christian Age. The New Testament explicitly calls itself “law” (Rom. 8:2; 1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2; Jam. 1:25).
- The justice of God. God has required man’s obedience to His law from the beginning (Gen. 2:16–17). Perfect justice demands condemnation of and retribution for sinful behavior because it offends His absolute purity: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
- The mercy and grace of God. God is rich in mercy and grace (Eph. 2:4, 7), through which He has provided for our redemption. Were it not so, all would be lost, “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).
- The free will of men. God did not create robots (who cannot sin), but men, who could choose to obey or disobey Him (i.e., sin). He did not prevent Eve or Adam from eating the forbidden fruit. He did not force Noah to build the ark. While God detests and despises sin, He will never force men to serve Him. Rather, He gently invites them through His Son (Mat. 11:28–31).
- The accountability of men. God allows men to reject His law and mercy, yet all will give an account to Jesus as Judge Whom they rejected as Savior (John 12:48; 2 Cor. 5:10).
- The immortality of the soul. That men must account for sin in the Judgment by Christ demands the existence of a soul that survives death and will never die—either with or apart from God forever.
[Note: I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, November 13, 2015.]
Attribution: From TheScripturecache.com, owned and administered by Dub McClish.
