Sin
The word for sin in the Greek language is Hamartia. And that is important because the New Testament of your Bibles was mostly written in Greek. The translation literally means, "To miss the mark" or "To miss the target". The way we came to call it sin was because when English versions of the Bible began to be written in the 1500's and most famously with the writing of the King James Version in 1611, the word to describe "missing the mark" was Synn. Synn was an old archery (bow and arrow) term. Someone standing near the target would yell, "SYNN!" if an arrow missed the target. Eventually as the Old English faded out, the word became "Sin".
WHO CARES!?
Shut-up, voice inside my head. You should probably listen to this one because YOU are a bad one, my friend.
Anyhoodles, when the Bible speaks of sin, what is the target? What is the mark that has been missed?
Absolute and total perfection, in your actions and even in your thoughts. So you can see why Christ followers say we are all sinners. They say it because the Bible says it, baby:
Romans 3:23 (NIV)- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Another way you could say you are "missing the mark" is by saying that the mark is "The Ten Commandments". You can read them here if you like. I'll just tell you straight up, I have broken all ten. Now don't get in a Tizzy, Thin Lizzy. I see that Adultery is on there and I have not cheated on my wife in the most obvious way. So chill out puddin' pops. That story is for another post.
Now there is something we humans tend to misunderstand. We don't really understand our sin. I often hear people talk of something (or some things) bad they did that they can't seem to forget or that has bothered them for along time. They feel guilty about it and would generally agree with you that, yes, that was a horrible sin I committed. But on the other hand, if they could just be forgiven for those several things, they would feel like they were in pretty good spiritual standing, heaven wise. But you know, that one or few bad things is not what Jesus is really trying to forgive you of. Read these scripture verses and then we will continue:
James 2:8-11 (NIV)- If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"also said, "Do not murder."If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
That was written by James, the half brother of Jesus. With an apology to my Catholic friends, he was conceived in his mother Mary's womb the old fashioned way. But what he is saying is this; You may as well imagine the 10 commandment were written on glass tablets. You can't break one off without shattering the whole thing. You are a "Lawbreaker" and I am a lawbreaker, a sinner. So that one big sin you are so worried about is no more significant or damning as the "little" sins that you commit so often that they no longer register on your I-just-did-something-wrong-o-meter.
So I am sorry to tell you, Cup A Joe-ites but we are all sinners, lawbreakers. Now if we all lived in Joeytown and I was the mayor maybe I wouldn't be so tough in my judgements on all you sinners but this cosmos we all live in is Jesustown and HE is the mayor (the King). And in His perfect wisdom He has promised that the result of our being sinners is death, hell, eternal punishment; whatever you want to call it. That's just the way it is and that is bad news. But I have good news:
Romans 6:23(NIV)- For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It's not so much the SINS that you have committed as it is that you ARE a sinner. THAT is what Christ is after. Did you see that in the verse right above? It says sin not sins.
So there is a solution to your problem. There is a remedy that will make you white as snow, despite your sin. You will not be counted guilty, despite your sin. In fact you will be counted as perfect in heaven, despite your sin...... But I'm not going to tell you until the next post.
SO DON'T YOU GO DYIN' ON ME!!
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