Sin is a touchy and uncomfortable subject for us all. The images that comes to mind when we think of sin are those of murderers, drunks, sexually immoral, and the like. While these are arguably the most recognizable of sinful activities, it is not merely the activity that is sin. Sin is a condition of the heart. It is the decision that we make to ignore God and his commandments that is the very core of sin.

Jesus himself taught that “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”. Committing the act of adultery was the conclusion of the sin. The beginning of the sin started when the person chose to betray their mate, in direct opposition to the law of God.

This makes the basic definition of sin: a attitude of the heart that is in opposition to the commands of God.

You have sinned.
I have sinned.
We all have sinned against God!

Now what?

God, because he is the very essence and definition of good (in Biblical terms this is called “Holiness”), cannot allow sin to go unpunished.

Why? Even in our worldly system of law, if we allow a crime to be committed and we do nothing about it, we are guilty of conspiracy in the crime.

God cannot be guilty of conspiracy. Therefore he is compelled by the nature of his holiness to punish sin.
And what is the punishment? The penalty is a death sentence. Not merely physical death, but the death of your very spirit.

WOW! Where does that leave us? Is there no hope?
A new hope