by Frank Tarquini Iii

Created on: December 30, 2010   Last Updated: January 05, 2011

If one wants to define and explain the concept of sin they can easily over complicate or over simplify it. We can over complicate it by beginning to list sins, which we have seen in the past to be destructive. We can over simplify it by writing sin off as doing something bad, which then encompasses a whole variety of actions that may not be good but are still not sin. Unfortunately, we build up such imbalanced concepts of sin that we leave many people berating themselves for things that are not sinful that they may have committed. Understanding what sin really is becomes freeing for many and helps an individual focus on how they must live a good, holy life.

You can over complicate sin by beginning to analyze actions and compare them to something you know to be sin, finding common threads that aren't really there. The church has in the past stood up and accused women of sin based on the most idiotic actions such as using makeup. In fact, they would go so far as to tell a woman who wore makeup that they looked like Jezebel. First, they can't say that cause they never saw Jezebel. Second, her sin was not how she looked but what she did, which was slaughtering the people of God.

Over complication occurs when we take our ideal or preferences and justify them with out of context scriptures in order to feel better about ourselves. It is birthed from arrogance, a sin that easily infiltrates into positions of authority and influence. And this is a sin because it is clearly defined and labeled in scripture in Proverbs 16:18 or 29:23. Real sin is obvious, with no need to rationalize why it is sin.

Some, to avoid conflict or too much effort will classify sin as doing anything bad. This is far off base for there are many bad things that can be done which are not sin. For example, a thought can pop into your head, which is bad, but not sin, for that is temptation. Temptation is described in the Bible as being a "desire" and one that "entices" you towards sin in James 1:14. Many have been tempted, see it as sin, and yet, because they really did nothing wrong, feel no guilt. Thus, they think they are some kind of horrible and evil person.

For example, everyone has been given a sex drive. In Genesis when God said to be fruitful and multiply He gave us a sex drive (1:28). A sex drive, quite simply, is the desire to have sex. Thus, it is natural to want to have sex, but we see the thought as some evil thing and condemn ourselves for being sick and disgusting

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