Maybe our definition of sin needs some work. . .

Most of us have defined sin as “missing the mark.”  That is a pretty good rendering of the Greek word for sin.  But does missing the mark really seem so bad?

“Oh well, I missed the mark.  Better luck next time.”

It’s good to remember that Jesus wasn’t Greek, He was Hebrew.  And the Hebrew language has much more intense words for sin.  Each of them make you realize that sin is not to be trifled with.

A great author, John Bunyan, defined sin like this:

“Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.”

Suzanna Wesley gave this definition of sin to her son John in a letter written in 1725:

“Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.”

Sin is certainly more than missing the mark…and it has the potential to cause you to miss the Kingdom!

I’m so thankful that if we confess our sins, Christ is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)