What is the Biblical definition of Sin?

When it comes to understanding what sin means, we need to start from the beginning; where it all started. Lucifer was one of God’s angels in heaven, he was a beautiful and powerful worshiper, but he wanted to be like God or perhaps more than God, as a result, God kicked him out of heaven along with his companions. He sinned against God by trying to become higher than God (Ezekiel 28).

The beginning of sin is in the garden of Eden, when Satan tempted the first humans of this world, Adam and Eve, with the same mindset, that you shall be like God (Genesis 3:5). Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying His command. This is where we lost the holy relationship with our heavenly Father; we died spiritually. A wall of sin stood between us and God (Isaiah 59:2).

Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought sin into the world and since we are their descendants, all mankind became sinful, including us (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12). So, the simple meaning of sin is disobeying God, sinning knowingly, and going against the will of God.

Are all sins equal?

It’s very dangerous for any believer to define any sin less than others because the Bible says “For the wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23), no matter how you sin, by actions, by thoughts or words, all lead to the same eternal punishment in hell. However, there are degrees of sin. Some sins are worse than others, it’s obvious that simply talking behind a man’s back is millions of times less of a degree of sin than killing a man. All sins may be equal and maybe not, but all of them take us away from God.

Having said that, we have the good news that Jesus paid the penalty of our sin as well as the sin of the whole world on the cross (1 John 2:2). Though we were sinners because of our ancestors Adam and Eve’s disobedience, we can now be forgiven, if we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus. We can have a gift of eternal life with Him if we have faith in Him (Romans 10:9).

Bible verses on sin

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
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“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
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“ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
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“Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34)
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“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
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“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
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“Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19)
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“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
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“Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:24)
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“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
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“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)
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“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)