But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. - James 2:9-11

What Is Sin?

Sin is a violation of the law of God—a failure to keep God’s law and to uphold His righteousness. 

Three key words capture the nature of sin (I use the mnemonic of RID to remember these). Sin is...

Rebellion

Sin is rebellion because it is violation of the moral character of God, His Word, and The Law of God, as revealed in the Scriptures. “The sinner tramples on God’s law, tramples on God’s character, willfully crosses God’s will, affronts God, mocks God...” He/she is living as if there is no God, and so we get to call our own shots and be our own bosses. Sean Cole defines this rebellion in this way, "Sin choosing our own way, loving and cherishing what God actually hates, stubbornly refusing to listen to God, and [carrying out] outright rebellion against Him as Lord."

John Piper puts it this way: "Sin is our preference for anything over God. Sin is our disapproval of God. Sin is our exchange of his glory for substitutes. Sin is our suppression of the truth of God. Sin is our heart’s hostility to God. It is who we are to the bottom of our hearts. Until Christ... Sin hates glorifying God and thanking God. But sin is not just a hater, sin is a lover... [People] don't just bury truth; they embrace alternative lovers... Sin hates the real God and loves God-substituting images... Sin hates the truth about God and worships, serves, and loves God substitutes. [People] prefer lies to truth and images to God!"

"Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: 'The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me.'" - Isaiah 1:2 NLT

"...They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations; so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.” - Isaiah 66:3c-4 NIV

"Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me." Hosea 7:13 ESV

Ingratitude

God made everything. “Everything we have, everything we are, is from God...” and it’s all made for His glory. But we act as if it’s all about us and as if all is at our disposal, to serve us. We are in essence, glory-thiefs. 

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles... They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” - Romans‬ ‭1:21-23, 25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Defilement

Defilement is the state of being impure, dishonored or desecrated; polluting one's self - similar to a stain on a white dress. It is the ugliness in the face of beauty. When a sinner really sees his sin, he sees it for what it is. 

“There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.” - Ezekiel‬ ‭20:43‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” - Ezequiel 14:11 NIV

Quotes On Sin

"...You are a sinner. There are times when you let yourself be ruled by your self-focused desires rather than by God’s clear commands. There are times when you love something in the creation more than you love the Creator. There are times when you willingly step over God’s boundaries in pursuit of what you want. There are times when your little kingdom of one means more to you than His transcendent kingdom of glory. There are times when you work hard to deny what you have done or to cover your tracks in fear of being caught." - Paul David Tripp

"...Questioning God's wisdom, his goodness, his sovereignty, His love—that's the heart of what it means to be sinful!" - Erik Raymond

"You were hardwired to depend on God, so your dreams of self-reliance and self-sufficiency will prove to be more nightmares than dreams... because you wanted and trusted your own way and relied upon your own strength... Bad things happen when we attempt to live as we were not created to live. Sin causes us to deny our need for God and others. Sin causes us to assign to ourselves the wisdom, strength, and righteousness we do not have. Sin causes us to dethrone God and enthrone ourselves. Sin is shockingly proud and self-assured. Sin really does cause us all to fall into the delusion that we can be like God. And because sin does this to all of us, it is dark, deceitful, and dangerous... Self-reliance and self-sufficiency as your fundamental approach to life will never lead to anything good. Sin always leads to death of some kind in some way. So we need to be rescued from our quest for independence and brought into relationship with the One who really does have everything we need. And that’s exactly what the grace of Jesus does for us!" - Paul David Tripp

"What an amazing reality! As defiling and corrupting as sin is, as openly rebellious and ungrateful as it is, God still embraces the sinner who comes in humble repentance and asks in faith for forgiveness." - John McArthur

Articles on Sin

Quote by John Piper