Sin is simply “to miss the mark.”
Sin is anything we do that is displeasing to God. We all miss the mark (that is, we all sin) at one time or another (Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:10). Sins are implicitly unfaithfulness and hostility towards God (Leviticus 26:40).
Our sin, which makes us unclean, separates us from God, who is holy and perfect. Jesus can reconcile or make us right with God, allowing us to approach God, despite our flawed living.
This was the purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth: to die in place of all of us for the wrong things we have done. In essence, he paid our fine and did our time, so we won’t have to.
It’s easy to accept this gift (it’s free) and start on a journey with Jesus. Jesus simply said, “Come, follow me,” (Mark 1:17).
Key verse about Sin: Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-8, NIV)
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.