What Is Sin?

Rev. D. de Wit, Barneveld, the Netherlands

(Second of five articles about sin based on The Treasure Book by Zacharias Ursinus)

After asking in our previous article, “Is there sin in the world,” this article will consider, “What is sin?” The Treasure Book states, “Sin is unrighteousness” (1 John 3:4), or to say it in another way, “All that is contrary to God’s law.” This is the matter which we wish to contemplate. It is stated very plainly here what unrighteousness is; it is the opposite of righteousness which this portion of the catechism is describing.

Subsequently, The Treasure Book calls sin in its essence a “shortcoming.” It is from this “shortcoming” that the inclination or the activity which is in conflict with God’s law comes forth. Now we can ask ourselves, “Is sin a shortcoming? Are we lacking something? Are we not completely corrupt? Most assuredly!” Soon The Treasure Book will begin to explain the word shortcoming as “missing,” for example, missing love towards God and our neighbor. In this sense the word has an immeasurable depth, and we should not use the word superficially. Sin is sin because it is in conflict with the law of God.

To this, the guilt of the person who sins is inseparably connected. The sinner must be punished with both temporal and eternal punishment, according to the order of God’s righteousness. Here, the word righteousness comes to the foreground. Unrighteousness must be punished according to God’s righteousness. The Treasure Book tells us that sin will not be eternally punished in God’s children (the believers). That is why it must be stated with this punishment, “Unless there is forgiveness by means of the Mediator, the Son of God.” The nature of sin is such that it deserves eternal punishment. Forgiveness is only out of free grace. Those who believe in Christ are not punished with eternal punishment because their sins are not imputed unto them for Christ’s sake.

Sin is a deficiency in the intelligence; it is ignorance and doubt regarding God and His will. It is a missing of the love for God and our neighbor, a missing of joy in God, and a missing of a hearty longing to obey God according to all of His commandments. There is, then, also the desire, the evil inclination, the rebelliousness of the heart and the will against the law of God and the judgment of the conscience.

These sins are condemned by God. This is apparent in His law (Deuteronomy 27:26; Exodus 20:17). The law demands the perfect knowledge of God and love towards God and our neighbor. It is apparent in the many testimonies in all of God’s Word, for example, in Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9, and Romans 7:7, of God’s punishments and the resultant death. This is true also, and it must be said with extreme tenderness, for children who have not yet done any good or evil. They also have sin, and that is why death also rules over them (Romans 5:14).

Now, we can easily say that we cannot do anything about it and, therefore, do not deserve any punishment, but such an attitude cannot be maintained when placed over against God’s righteous judgment. The missing and the inclinations which cannot be avoided by us make us guilty. Everything which is contrary and in strife with God’s law is sin and deserves punishment. We could also say that these inclinations are part of our nature and, therefore, are good. The nature was good (that is our character) because that is the way God has created us. Then we also had good desires (desires which by nature are good), but if we pay attention to the inclinations as they now are, then we must say that they have been corrupted by sin; thus, our desires and inclinations are wrong. They direct us to matters which have been forbidden by God’s law and, as a result, are not good.

It is a distressing thought which The Treasure Book relates when it points to the fact that under God’s righteous judgment, the punishment in many instances is also another sin because God often punishes sin with sin. God has the power to remove His Spirit from His creatures. Oh, when the Lord leaves us over to ourselves, even God’s people may fear that.

(To be continued)

Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until it be slain, may repent that he ever began the quarrel. So may he who undertakes to deal with sin and pursues it not constantly to the death. r ,

— John Owen

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen