Friday, March 11, 2011

Great Lent #05 - 11/03/2011

Sin

Yesterday we read about Confession. If we commit a Sin we should confess. But What is Sin? What does it mean to Sin? How does the Bible portray it?

The Greek word translated "sin" in the Bible is an interesting term. It, (hamartano), literally means, "to miss the mark."In shooting an arrow from a bow, if your arrow flies beyond the target or falls short of it, if it veers to the right of the target or to the left, you "miss the mark." If in our lives we go beyond the will of God, doing things God has said not to do; if we fall short of the will of God by not doing things commanded by God; if we veer away from God's will, doing things for which we have no authority; we "miss the mark" or SIN. As John states in 1 John 3:4, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." Sin is lawlessness. God has revealed to us His law or will. The Bible is the final authority on sin and its consequences.

In the Old Testament Sin signifies simply what is unacceptable to God or even to humanity. However, in the New Testament anything wrongly related to God is Sin as St. Paul said in the Romans: “But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is Sin.”

How Can We Judge if Something is Sin? Many sins are spelled out plainly in the Bible. The Ten Commandments give us a clear picture of God's laws. They offer basic rules of behavior for spiritual and moral living. Many other verses in the Bible present direct examples of sin: Proverbs 6:16-19; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Apart from that What all can be classified as Sin? Mark 3:29 says, "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.

Let us not “MISS the mark” atleast in these 50 days, Let us follow the Commandments! May God accept our Prayers and Fast!

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