Sin?

[Godmachine]

I’m sure someone else has asked this question in one form or another. I have always had a problem with the concept of “sin”. Rather than ask what a sin is, perhaps a better question is what it isn’t. It is often said that Jesus was without sin. The implication is that Jesus did not do something that literally everyone else who has ever lived has done and still does. Or perhaps he did something that everyone else who has ever lived does not do?

What was it specifically about Jesus’ behavior that was different from that of everyone else who has ever lived that it can be said he was “without sin”?

 

[marty1818]

I think this post may be helpful.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=23441

Simply put, what makes Christ different that everyone else is that he was God and man.

 

[fhansen]

I’m sure someone else has asked this question in one form or another. I have always had a problem with the concept of “sin”. Rather than ask what a sin is, perhaps a better question is what it isn’t. It is often said that Jesus was without sin. The implication is that Jesus did not do something that literally everyone else who has ever lived has done and still does. Or perhaps he did something that everyone else who has ever lived does not do?

What was it specifically about Jesus’ behavior that was different from that of everyone else who has ever lived that it can be said he was “without sin”?

There’re two concepts involved here. One is the “guilt” of original son, meaning that humans are born in a state somehow not quite the way it was intended. Jesus was not born in this state. The second concept involves our personal sins, something that humans are likewise said to universally participate in. Jesus didn’t commit personal sins either. The “guilt” of original sin consists in a lack of something in man-a lack of justice, a lack of integrity. It’s not his fault but the evidence for it is everywhere we look, in the moral evil we witness in our lives and read in our newspapers, because all personal sin flows from this lack, this brokenness in man that results in lack of control within his moral world.

In this sense sin can be described as “unnatural” acts for man stemming from an unnatural condition, that of being cut off from the creator of his being. Man was created to be conscious of his creator-this is an integral part of the make-up of a sentient being possessing reason and free will. But that same free will also gave man the power to reject the authority of his creator, meaning to reject his creator as God, meaning he was no longer conscious of any god before himself.

In losing this consciousness, man lost himself, as well; the “partnership” or communion being vital to his keeping his bearings in this universe and vital to his own integrity and happiness in general. But man *preferred *this situation, preferred himself to God, according to Church teachings.

And this is why faith is considered to be so critical-because faith is the first step in rectifying this disordered situation, restoring relationship of man with God. Jesus’ life and death and resurrection were for the purpose of reconciling man with God, of restoring a trust that should’ve never been broken to begin with. That’s the meaning of the Atonement, literally the at-one-ment. Man’s ultimate justice consists in not only faith but primarily in loving God with his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and his neighbor as himself. And this excludes sin.

Jesus always existed in a state of union with God. He always loved God and neighbor. Every act He made was pure, consistent with His human nature as God intended it-consistent with truth at every turn. This is our purpose as well; as God and man were united in Jesus, man and God must be united in us.

 

[JRKH]

I’m sure someone else has asked this question in one form or another. I have always had a problem with the concept of “sin”. Rather than ask what a sin is, perhaps a better question is what it isn’t. It is often said that Jesus was without sin. The implication is that Jesus did not do something that literally everyone else who has ever lived has done and still does. Or perhaps he did something that everyone else who has ever lived does not do?

What was it specifically about Jesus’ behavior that was different from that of everyone else who has ever lived that it can be said he was “without sin”?

You ask a good question here and have received a couple of good answers already.

To me, when we talk about sin, what it is and is not, we need to look at the Hebrew and Greek words translated as “Sin” in our Bibles:
Chata’ (Hebrew)
to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness
Hamartano, (Greek)
To be without a share in; to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor; to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
So we can see from this that “Sin” is not merely guilt for disobedience, but is a matter of focus and path. Anything that leads one away from God (Who is Love 1 John 4:8) is “error”, is “going wrong”, and thus is “sin”.

Jesus, by his nature, had a perfectly correct focus, pointed always toward God and God’s Will. This union of wills meant that He could not sin.

Hope this helps.

Peace
James

 

[Lisa44]

I’m sure someone else has asked this question in one form or another. I have always had a problem with the concept of “sin”. Rather than ask what a sin is, perhaps a better question is what it isn’t. It is often said that Jesus was without sin. The implication is that Jesus did not do something that literally everyone else who has ever lived has done and still does. Or perhaps he did something that everyone else who has ever lived does not do?

What was it specifically about Jesus’ behavior that was different from that of everyone else who has ever lived that it can be said he was “without sin”?

God abhors sin and it is alien to God’s nature. Whereas a human ENJOYS sin, it is repugnant to God. This is why we are not God and God is not us.

The first sin is not to love God. The second is to act meanly towards others (not loving God).

Don’t forget that Jesus was able to do what he willed through the Father. However, miracles aside, Jesus was a genius. There is no one that could prove him wrong or find fault with him. The Pharisees tried and condemned themselves.

Humans are faulty and we cannot ever be faultless unless God makes us so.

So the sin is that we don’t know our place (we don’t love God) and secondly because we do not know God, we act out of a false sense of righteousness. We don’t even know we sin unless God explains to us what sin is. We are not capable of knowing God, unless God reveals himself to us. We are mortal.

 

[fhansen]

So the sin is that we don’t know our place (we don’t love God) and secondly because we do not know God, we act out of a false sense of righteousness. We don’t even know we sin unless God explains to us what sin is. We are not capable of knowing God, unless God reveals himself to us. We are mortal.

This is true. In the “original sin” man forfeited true righteousness, the righteousness of God, in favor of his own “righteousness”. The rest is history, sin flourished. God desires to restore His righteousness to man, to become our God again. This begins with grace through faith, because faith was effectively lost at the Fall, and faith is the beginning of knowing God again.

 

[inocente]

What was it specifically about Jesus’ behavior that was different from that of everyone else who has ever lived that it can be said he was “without sin”?

Sin is most simply described as turning our back on God. Jesus is God and so can’t turn His back on Himself.

 

[bmullins]

The concept of sin can be most easily described as missing the mark. Take the concept of shooting an arrow at a target. When we hit the ‘bulls eye’ we hit the mark. If we miss, we have missed the mark. That indicates that anything less than the bulls eye is indeed ‘missing the mark.’

So what isn’t sin? Anything that follows perfectly with God’s will and revelation to us. We find that the commandments are so in depth when we truly study them that they can guide every action that we have. By examining the standards set forth by Jesus (adultery can be of the heart, just looking at a woman. looking at someone with anger, is the same as killing etc) we find that ALL of us have missed that mark. That’s the purpose of Jesus work on the cross.

So what is not sin? When we follow God’s moral law (loving God with our heart, mind and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves) is not sin. Therefor, anytime we do not show those two standards in our actions… we are also guilty of sin.