What Is Sin? ...

“Any want of conformity to or lack of obedience to and transgression of the Law of God is sin; anything that is against the nature of God and offends God’s holiness. It’s utter rebellion against and rejection of God’s authority.

We need not know God’s Law to be sinners, transgressors, lawbreakers, unjust, or disobedient. The Bible says, “Sin is lawlessness.” There can be no lawlessness without Law, nor injustice without justice or a Judge (for Abraham knew: “shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”), nor iniquity, which is another name for evil which Satan had and tempted Adam with, nor can there be disobedience without obedience [(to some commandment) which was the test for Adam; we are all born “in Adam” and in solidarity with him. Since God told Cain that sin wanted to destroy him (cf. Gen. 4:7), we know that sin existed before the Law was given to Moses but not reckoned or imputed. The fact people died just proves sin as its wages. (cf Rom. 6:23).

“The Law came through Moses and grace and truth through Jesus Christ,” (cf. John 1:17). Even Abraham knew about righteousness and obeyed the Law (e.g., giving sacrifices, tithing, adultery, marriage, lying) and it has always been written in the hearts of men (cf. Romans 2:14–15) with a moral compass or conscience. There had been an oral tradition from Adam. They were all culpable for their sins, iniquity, lawlessness, and injustice.

We are all sinners and born in utter disregard for God’s Law. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, (cf. Romans 3:23). “There is not a just man on earth who does what is right and does not sin,” (cf. Eccl. 7:20; cf. 1 Kgs 8:46). It isn’t just sinners and the lost who utterly disregard God’s Law, even believers are capable of it. Christians are justified sinners, but still sinners (cf. Gal. 2:17). God declares us just but doesn't make us just.

But in times before Jesus, God overlooked man’s ignorance though he was a sinner now commands all men everywhere to repent (cf. Acts 17:30). Even Christians need to repent and live of life of repentance. But the point is that we all are in sin and sin by birth, by nature, and by choice; we are not sinners because we have sinned, but we sin because we are sinners—it’s our nature as fallen creatures.

The unsaved cannot not sin; they are incapable of not sinning or doing good, (“There is none that doeth good, no not one,” —cf. Romans 3:10,13). Note: Only the believer can have victory and power over sin.