What is Sin?
The most basic definition of sin is in 1 John 3:4: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law" (KJV). Here God defines a boundary for mankind. He says that sin is transgressing His holy, spiritual law (Romans 7:12-14). Breaking that law-crossing that divine boundary, that limit God set for us-is sin.
Other translations help us gain another important perspective regarding this verse. Here's how the NKJV translates it: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." The word translated "lawlessness" is the Greek word anomia, meaning "without law" or "against law." The concept conveyed here is that sin is active violation of God's laws and basic moral principles. This refers to actions that are not just outside the bounds of God's law, but actions that are in deliberate rebellion against His laws.
God gave humanity His laws to show us His way of love. His laws define how we demonstrate love to God and our fellow human beings (Deuteronomy 30:15-16; Matthew 22:35-40; 1 John 5:3). Sin is violation of God's law of love. God showed us a way to live in peace and harmony with Him and with mankind, and He defined this way of life by His law. When we sin, we violate, we transgress, that boundary by breaking His law.
We find a broader definition of sin in 1 John 5:17: "All unrighteousness is sin ..." Other Bible versions help us more fully understand the meaning: "Every wrong action is sin" (Twentieth Century New Testament). "Every act of wrong-doing is sin" (Phillips Modern English). "Any kind of wrongdoing is sin" (Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech). "All iniquity is sin" (Moffatt Translation).
The word translated "unrighteousness," "wrong action," "wrong-doing" and "iniquity" in these versions is the Greek adikia.
The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words defines it as "action that causes visible harm to other persons in violation of the divine standard" (Lawrence Richards, 1985, "Sin").
Other meanings of the word and its verb form are "evildoers," "dishonest," "unjust," "wickedness," "to be unfair," "to harm," "to mistreat," "to hurt" and "to wrong [another person]" (ibid.).
These meanings go beyond just physical deeds and actions and cross over into attitudes and motives for our actions and what goes on in our minds. They involve our thoughts.
We should realize that sin starts in the mind. When we allow evil thoughts to enter our mind and stay there, eventually they can spring into action, leading us to sin. We are what we think (Proverbs 23:7).
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