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Sin, Forgiveness, and Salvation

We hear the word sin often and perhaps its sound recalls some sort of negative action. How often do you consider the meaning of sin and its cause more deeply? Just what is this thing called sin anyway? A dictionary definition is "a missing of the mark". Sounds pretty innocent, doesn't it? We even joke about it; calling it a little white lie, or otherwise making light of it.

Let's look at the range of things God calls sin. If we start with a working hypothesis that sin is missing a full obedience to God's revealed will, sin can occur in several ways:

1) Sin can be a deliberate rejection of God's will such as in James 4:17.

2) Sin can be done in ignorance. The apostle Paul declares some of his own sins were done in ignorance in 1 Tim 1:12-13.

3) Sin can be committed with good intentions.Paul talks about his desire to delight in the law of God, yet he struggles with his human frailties and succumbs to sin in Rom 7:22-25. He intended to do right, but even he fell short.

Christians are simply people who are ashamed of the sinful things they have done, and have sought God's forgiveness in the way God revealed. Just what did this "little white lie" cost? In Rom 5:8-11, Paul points out that Christ died for us when were in our sinful state. His death was a deliberate act of love, John 3:16. When Peter preached to the crowd that had demanded Jesus' death in Acts 2, they realized their hopeless condition before God. That was exactly what God intended! In their anguish they cried out "Brethren, what shall we do"? Peter told them to "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins". They had reached a crossroads in their life. Either they could continue in their old life that had murdered the Son of God, or they could change their life and live it for Jesus. Simply put, that is the question all of us face, because all of us are guilty of sin. Rom 3:23 God made it possible for us to be reconciled to Him; it's our choice to respond.