BIBLE STUDY FOR THE YOUTH WEEKEND RETREAT (June Edition)

THE THREE THINGS YOU MUST BELIEVE

SIN
In the previous lesson we have studied about man, yourself. How man was created, how
God was pleased with His creature which was after His own image, how man sinned and
how death came as result of sin.
In this lesson let us study a little deeper about “SIN” which brought the tragic fall of
man, yourself, and chained us to death.
Because without the knowledge of sin, it will be impossible for you to understand the
salvation through Jesus Christ. Throughout the entire Bible you come across with
constant mentioning of sin and sins.
Now we must make clear one thing before we go into our study about sin. By sin we do
not mean such acts as stealing, cheating, killing, although everyone of these is sin. We
want to deal with the basic sin that prompts you to commit many outward sins. We
want to look at the cause – not the effect only.
Well, then, what is SIN?
First, your inability to meet the standard set by God is sin “For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). This means that because all men have sinned: all
fall short of God’s glorious ideal”
The term “the glory of God” mentioned above is to mean “the absolute perfection” God
set a perfect standard for our thought, action, words and indeed life itself. All words,
deeds and thoughts that do not meet this standard are sin.
Second, breaking the law of God is Sin. We are not only unable to meet the standard of
life set by God we constantly break His law. God has sent certain rules for us to obey
and thus be happy. But the very fact that most of us are unhappy is the direct result of
breaking His law.
Third, all evil thoughts and deeds are sin. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old
time, thou shalt not commit adultery: BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, that whosoever looked on a
woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already IN HIS HEART,” (Matt 5:27,28)
Fourth, when you know that you must do good but if you do not do it – it is sin.
Generally, we believe that if we don’t do this and if we don’t go there we do not sin. But
Christianity is not a religion of “don’t” but od “do”. Christian gospel is not a negative or
passive one. It demands and prompts you to act good. It is not enough for you to avoid
evil. “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin,” (James 4:17).
Then let us summarize: the failure to meet the standard of God, the breaking of God’s
laws, evil thoughts and evil deeds, not doing good when you know to do – this is what
we mean by SIN according to His Word.
Then this is not all. The Bible says, and you must remember that the final authority rests
in the Bible, that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and offend in one point, he is
guilty of all” (James 2:10). In other words, If you met God’s standard, never broke His
law, never harboured any evil thought in your mind and committed evil deeds, but if
you did not do the good that you knew you ought to have done, you have broken the
entire law!!
At this point comes to your question: who is not sinner then?
Indeed, who is not? That is why the Bible says, “All have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). “There is
none righteous, no not ONE” (Rom. 3:10)
The degree of your education, family, background, social position, rich or poor, talents
and ability, experience or your age, strict moral discipline you might have attained – all
these mark no difference to the fact that you are a sinner. Do you think that there is a
single person in the World who has not commited any of the four points we studied
above?
So all men, including you an I, have sinned before and the result is death. But is that the
end?
We have seen in lesson one that God is love. How Can the God of love just stare at the
dying man without any feeling like a marble wall – beautiful but cold and indifferent?