What is sin?

Sin is a lack of conformity to the character of God and essentially a restless unwillingness on the part of the creature to abide in the sphere and limitation in which the all-wise Creator placed him. The holy character of God is the only standard for measuring sin; therefore, sin is sinful because it is unlike God.

All humanity must deal with three kinds of sin. Imputed sin is the sin of Adam placed to the account of every offspring (Rom. 5:12), resulting in every human being being born spiritually dead (John 3:17). Inherent sin is the unique sin nature inherited from parents (John 3:6; Gal. 5:17). Personal sin results from individual choices and serves as outward evidence of the sin nature (Rom. 3:23).

Personal sins are categorized as mental (thoughts), verbal (words), and overt (actions). Sin is a terrible barrier between God and man, but Jesus Christ removed this barrier at the cross by becoming sin for all men (2 Cor. 5:21).