4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whosoever abides in Him does not sin: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him.
Sin is the transgression of the law
Romans 4:15
.... the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans 13:10
Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:35-40
35 Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Although the Scriptures present sin in different ways as we explore below, it is basically a transgression of God's law, a violation of the divine precept of love, namely love for God with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength, and love for one's neighbor as one loves oneself.
John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commandments.
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love [is what matters].
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome.
1 Timothy 1:5-11
5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
Sin as a result of not abiding in Jesus
John 15:4-6
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. 6 If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
While not abiding in Jesus can mean being disconnected from Jesus - not knowing Him (1 John 3:6), being connected alone to Jesus (having a relationship with Him) does not mean abiding in Him. Abiding as a branch in Jesus means remaining connected to Him, the vine, and depending on Him for every need. This dependence on Jesus as the source of life results in producing fruit that pleases God. Therefore, being obedient to Him (not transgressing the law) is abiding in Him.
1 John 3:24
And he that keeps his commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave us.
A branch is by definition a connected part of a tree, so, a branch that is not abiding in Jesus represents a believer who doesn't intentionally continue to have his eyes, heart and mind fixed on Jesus. That branch will eventually be cut off (John 15:6) if no correction is made. Because sin will come from not abiding in Jesus (1 John 3:6), and therefore the believer won't exemplify walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6).
1 John 2:3-6
3 And by this we know that we know Him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that says, I know Him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in Him. 6 He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
Sin is darkness and cannot fellowship with the light:
1 John 1:5-7
5 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Sin as a result of acting in doubt rather than in faith
Romans 14:22-23
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
The topic in the above scripture is what food a person of faith may eat, but a general principle is given about acting in faith versus acting in doubt. Sin arises from having doubts about one's actions, decisions or positions. All these should be a reflection of one's faith. Even weak faith is more pleasing to God than a lack of faith about a matter or course of action. The apostle Paul thus also exhorts in Romans 14 to be mindful of a brother or sister of weaker faith than one's own, and to not sin by judging that brother or that sister. That servant of God shall give an account of himself/herself to God. So, one should not thus put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in that person's way by unwarranted judgments (Romans 14:12-13; James 4:11-12).
The Scriptures thus do not deny that views may differ between believers about the same matter. But each servant of God should exercise the faith he has. God can direct the actions of his servants according to the faith He gives them for his purposes and his glory to be revealed through their lives.
Sin as a result of omission to do the right thing
James 4:17
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
To finish, let us consider Matthew Henry's Commentary on James 4:17:
"V. We are taught, in the whole of our conduct, to act up to our own convictions, and, whether we have to do with God or men, to see that we never go contrary to our own knowledge (v. 17): To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin; it is aggravated sin; it is sinning with a witness; and it is to have the worst witness against his own conscience. Observe, 1. This stands immediately connected with the plain lesson of saying, If the Lord will, we shall do this or that; they might be ready to say, "This is a very obvious thing; who knows not that we all depend upon almighty God for life, and breath, and all things?" Remember then, if you do know this, whenever you act unsuitably to such a dependence, that to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin, the greater sin. 2. Omissions are sins which will come into judgment, as well as commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as well as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned. Let us therefore take care that conscience be rightly informed, and then that it be faithfully and constantly obeyed; for, if our own hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God [1 John 3:21]; but if we say, We see, and do not act suitably to our sight, then our sin remaineth, Jn. 9:41."
(Source: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
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