Sin (Part 5)

Sin is a violation of God’s law as well as failure to live up to God’s moral standard. We talked about “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) in the previous article. Today we shall talk about “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17).

“Unrighteousness” is contrary to what is righteous, just, upright, right (e.g. wrong), true (e.g. lies, hypocrisy), and good (e.g. iniquity, wickedness). The Scripture describes the unrighteousness of human beings who were created by God but “glorified him not as God, neither were thankful… changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever… Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful” (Rom 1:18,21,25, 29-31). Our Lord Jesus describes the unjust judge as the one who did not fear God nor regard man (Luke 18:2, 6). The Scripture says, “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth” (Prov 14:21) and “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin” (James 2:9). The Lord Jesus says to those who fail to enter in at the strait gate (fail to live in the boundaries of God’s Word), “I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (unrighteousness)” (Luke13:24-27).

Thanks be to God for His good news for you and me: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18) and “If we confess our sins (to the Lord), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Please read our next articles.