Sin | The Lawlessness of Man
One of the scariest part of human existence cannot be seen, affects all, and is frequently down played in the life of humanity. The issue of sin plagues all of mankind yet many disregard its effect and influence in all of our lives. What is worse is our consistent downplaying of the weight of sin on the soul and our general spiritual well-being. One cannot fully grasp the significance of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross without understanding the depths of depravity that comes from the sin of mankind. The problem of sin shattered and cracked creation with its effects rippling across the universe. It would take a divine act of restoration to return creation to its proper place. The question the Christian should face is to understand “What is sin?”
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:4-10, ESV)
At the core of our understanding of sin is the notion of sin being rebellion against God. Those who practice sin practice lawlessness and decide for themselves what the rule of law should be. Yet, this sin nature that resides within each of us has corrupted our flesh and drives us to rebel against the Lordship and Kingship of the ruler of the universe. We must first understand that sin is rebellion against God which separates us from His loving presence.
Sin As Rebellion Against God’s Rule
The basic question regarding sin should be to first identify what exactly it is. Everyone seems to have some notion of what it means that people sin. Some have sought to reduce it to making bad choices. Some of sought to explain the existence of sin as an inclination in a person. Others still have sought only to claim that sin is non-existent but just a made up construct to get people to conform to a particular way of thinking. Scripture, though, gives a pretty clear understanding of sin and its effects upon mankind. Simply put, sin is lawlessness that seeks to rebel agains a good and sovereign King and His rule and reign over all creation.
When we sin it displays a complete lack of trust in faith in the Kingship and Lordship of God over all the universe. God created the world in a structured and intentional way with everything fitting together perfectly and for His glory. Nothing came into being that God did not intend. Sin as lawlessness though is nothing more than rebellion against the law and, more importantly, against the giver of the law. The law was given as a gift and grace to guide mankind but produce only rebellion in the hearts of those who stand against the King. Sin is nothing short of rebellion. It is chaotic and destructive. Even still, humanity drifts and dives straight into sin thinking we know better than God.
Sin As Incompatibility With God
John makes its clear that those who continue to remain in and abide in sin cannot continue to abide in God. Man cannot rebel against a sovereign King and continue to be in His good graces. The sin nature and the nature of God are inherently incompatible with one another. John makes it clear in the above verse that those who continue in their sin nature have no part in the presence of God. The temptation is to paint God as this moral monster who punishes those who are neutral or misguided. In truth, though, those who choose to remain in sin willingly depart from the presence of God in an incompatible nature. We cannot to pursue sin in our lives while also claiming to be pursuing Jesus Christ.
Sin separated mankind from the presence of God that mankind could not restore on our own. Furthermore, this notion of the lawlessness of God is incompatible with God’s law. If anyone has ever broken any aspect of the law, including the standards set by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, which dealt with the inner workings of the heart, then we stand condemned by our own sin. No one is born neutral as if people are balanced on a teeter totter, righteous until they sin. We must all wrestle with our incompatibility of the desires of our flesh and the righteousness that comes by abiding in Christ. The sin our flesh desires will only have the effect of separating us from the loving kindness of God that will only be able to be bridged by Jesus Christ.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
