Hamartiology

Sin: Its Character and University

A. Human Speculation on Sin

Because sin is a dominant fact of human experience as well as a major theme of the Bible, it has been the subject of endless discussion. Those who reject scriptural revelation have frequently provided inadequate concepts of sin. A familiar feature of the nonbiblical approach is to regard sin as to some extent an illusion, that is, that sin is just a misconception based upon a false theory that there is right and wrong in the world. This theory, of course, fails to face the facts of life and the evils of sin, and denies the existence of a moral God and moral principles. Another ancient approach to the problem of sin regards it as an inherent principle, the opposite of what God is, and related to the physical world. This is found in oriental philosophy as well as in Greek Gnosticism and is the background both for asceticism, the denial of the desires of the body, and its opposite, Epicureanism, advocating indulgence of the body. The effect, however, is to deny that man really sins and is accountable to God. A common, although inadequate, concept is that sin is just selfishness. While sin is often selfish, this concept does not cover all cases, for man sometimes sins against himself. All these theories fall short of the biblical standard and are a rejection of the biblical revelation of the character and universality of sin.

B. The Biblical Doctrine of Sin

The teaching of Scripture is that sin is any want of conformity to the character of God, whether it be an act, disposition, or state. Various sins are defined in the Word of God as illustrated, for instance, in the Ten Commandments which God gave to Israel (Exod. 20:3-17). Sin is sin because it is different from what God is and God is eternally holy. Sin is always against God (Ps. 51:4; Luke 15:18), even though it may be directed against human beings. A person who sins is, accordingly, unlike God and subject to God’s judgment. The doctrine of sin is presented in the Bible in four aspects. 1. Personal sin (Rom. 3:23) is the form of sin which includes everything in the daily life which is against or fails to conform to the character of God. Men are frequently conscious of their personal sins, and personal sins may take a variety of form. Generally speaking, personal sin relates to some particular command of God in Scripture. It includes the aspect of rebellion or disobedience. Although at least eight important words are used for sin in the Old Testament and as many as twelve in the New Testament, the basic idea is lack of conformity to God’s character and will by acts either of omission or commission. The essential idea is that man comes short, he misses the mark, and he fails to attain the standard of God’s own character of holiness. 2. The sin nature of man (Rom. 5:19; Eph. 2:3) is another major aspect of sin as revealed in the Bible. Adam’s own initial sin caused him to fall, and in the fall he became an entirely different being, depraved and degenerate, and only capable of begetting posterity like his fallen self. Therefore, every child of Adam is born with the Adamic nature, is ever and always prone to sin, and, though this nature was judged by Christ on the cross (Rom. 6:10), it remains a vitally active force in every Christian’s life. It is never said to be removed or eradicated in this life, but for the Christian there is overcoming power provided through the indwelling Spirit (Ron/. 8:4; Gal. 5:16-17). Many biblical passages allude to this important subject. According to Ephesians 2:3, all men “were by nature the children of wrath/’ and man’s whole nature is depraved. The concept of total depravity is not that every man is as evil as he possibly could be but rather that man, throughout his nature, is corrupted by sin (Rom. 1 : 1 8 – 3 : 2 0 ) . Accordingly, man in his will (Rom. 1:28), his conscience (1 Tim. 4 : 2 ) , and his intellect (Rom. 1:28; 2 Cor. 4:4) is corrupted and depraved, and his heart and understanding are blinded (Eph. 4:18). As seen in previous study, the reason why men have a sin nature is that it is transmitted to them from their parents. No child ever born in the world has been free from his sin nature except in the unique case of the birth of Christ. Men do not sin and become sinners; it is rather that men sin because they have a sin nature. The remedy for this as well as for personal sin is, of course, the redemption which is provided in salvation in Christ. 3. Sin is also presented in Scripture as imputed or reckoned to our account (Rom. 5:12-18). As revealed in connection with the fall of man in the preceding chapter, there are three major imputations set forth in the Scriptures: (a) the imputation of Adam’s sin to the race, on which fact the doctrine of original sin is based; (b) the imputation of the sin of man to Christ, on which fact the doctrine of salvation is based; and (c) the imputation of the righteousness of God to those who believe on Christ, on which fact the doctrine of justification is based. Imputation may be either (a) actual, or (b) judicial. Actual imputation is the reckoning to one of that which is antecedently his own. Although God might righteously do this, yet because of the reconciling work of Christ God is not now imputing to man the sin which is antecedently his own (2 Cor. 5:19). Judicial imputation is the reckoning to one of that which is not antecedently his own (Philem. 18). Though there has been disagreement as to whether the imputation of Adam’s sin to each member of the race is actual or judicial, Romans 5:12 clearly states that the imputation is actual, since in the federal head representation, Adam’s posterity sinned when he sinned. The next two verses (Rom. 5:13-14) are written to prove that this is not a reference to personal sins (cf. Heb. 7:9-10). However, Romans 5:17-18 implies that his imputation is also judicial, as it is stated that by one man’s sin judgment came upon all men. Only the one initial sin of Adam is in question. Its effect is death — both to Adam and directly from Adam to each member of the race. The divinely provided cure for imputed sin is the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ. 4. The resulting judicial state of sin for the entire human race is also presented in Scripture. By divine reckoning the whole world, including Jew and Gentile, is now “under sin* (Rom. 3:9; 11:32; Gal. 3:22). To be under sin is to be divinely reckoned to be without merit which might contribute toward salvation. Since salvation is by grace alone and grace excludes all human merit, God has decreed all, as regards their salvation, to be “under sin,” or without merit. This estate under sin is remedied only when the individual, through riches of grace, is reckoned to stand in the merit of Christ. Taken as a whole, the Bible clearly indicates the devastating effects of sin upon man and the hopelessness of man solving his own sin problem. The proper understanding of the doctrine of sin is essential to understanding God’s remedy for it.

Source: Lewis Chafer & John Walvoord, Major Bible Themes, (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1974), 177-180.