What Is Sin?

Many people are more than just a little uncomfortable when someone starts talking about sin. One reason for this discomfort is that sin has too often been presented as a spiritual crime against God which we should feel terribly guilty about and for which we will eventually be severely punished. The problem with these kinds of presentations is that guilt is a lousy motivator. Guilt can be a powerful short-term motivator but eventually people rebel against constantly feeling bad about themselves and fearful of their eventual fate. When someone is not living up to their spiritual potential and not getting the most out of life because of poor decisions, the very last thing they need is to have guilt thrown into their face. The Bible actually tells us that sin is so much more than doing or not doing things on some list of cosmic dos and don’ts. Sin is a principle that is a basic force that has pervaded all that exists in the physical world. On our own, sin and the destructive influence it has on our lives is not something that we can overcome. The good news is that there is a way out of the sin trap.