Sin
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Part 4. The Human Condition
1. Introduction Every religion begins with an implicit anthropology — an understanding of what it means to be human and why human existence is marked by both beauty and brokenness. Christianity and Buddhism, though profoundly different in metaphysics, share a penetrating diagnosis of the human predicament: humanity lives in alienation…
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Part 2: The Language Barrier – From Revelation to Realisation
Bridging the Light: Explaining Christianity to Buddhists with Clarity and Compassion 1. Introduction When Christians speak about God, sin, faith, and salvation, they are using a vocabulary born from revelation — truths given by a personal God who speaks and acts in history.Buddhists, however, understand truth as something realised through…
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Part 6: Sin and Suffering — The Christian Meaning of Deliverance
Bridging the Light: Explaining Christianity to Buddhists with Clarity and Compassion 1. Introduction Every religion wrestles with the same universal question: Why do we suffer? For Buddhism, the answer is found in ignorance and craving (avijjā and taṇhā).For Christianity, the answer is found in sin — the breaking of relationship…
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Part 6: The Disruption – Sin and the Breakdown of Relationship
1 Introduction The story of humanity is the story of broken relationships.Sin did not merely introduce moral error; it disrupted the whole order of creation.It fractured the vertical bond of faith and worship and the horizontal fabric of love and justice. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory…
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Law, Sin, and Grace (Contents)
Part I – Introduction and Definition Part II – The Nature of Sin Part III – The Classification of Sin Part IV – Sin in Relation to Realms and Beings Part V – The Consequences of Sin Part VI – The Revelation and Recognition of Sin Part VII – Deliverance…
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Part I – Introduction and Definition
1. Etymology and Terminology of Sin 1.1 Hebrew and Greek Roots The biblical terms for sin convey the notion of deviation from a divinely defined standard.In the Hebrew Bible, the principal word is ḥaṭṭā’th (חַטָּאָה), derived from the verb ḥāṭā’—“to miss the mark” (Strong, 1990). It implies failing to meet…
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Part II – The Nature of Sin
3. Philosophical and Theological Nature 3.1 Sin as Rebellion, Corruption and Privation The essence of sin lies in the rejection of divine authority. Scripture defines it as lawlessness (anomia)—a deliberate refusal to submit to God’s rule (1 John 3:4). Sin is therefore not an external defect but an inward revolt…
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Part III – The Classification of Sin
5. Individual and Personal Sin 5.1 Sins of Commission and Omission Personal sin refers to deliberate human acts that violate God’s revealed will.Theologians commonly distinguish between sins of commission—the conscious doing of what is forbidden—and sins of omission—the failure to do what is commanded (James 4:17). Both forms express moral…
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Part IV – Sin in Relation to Realms and Beings
8. Sin against God (Vertical Dimension) 8.1 Violation of Divine Holiness All sin is first and foremost theological—a rupture in relationship with the Holy God. King David confessed, “Against You, You alone, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4 NRSV). Though his transgression harmed others, he recognised that every offence ultimately violates…
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Part V – The Consequences of Sin
11. Spiritual Consequences 11.1 Separation from God The primary consequence of sin is alienation from God. Isaiah declares, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2 NRSV). This separation is not geographical but relational—loss of communion between Creator and creature. Augustine (1998) defined this state as aversio Dei…
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Part VI – The Revelation and Recognition of Sin
14. The Law as Mirror 14.1 Purpose of the Ten Commandments The moral law—epitomised in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:1–17)—reveals God’s holiness and humanity’s deviation from it. The Law was never intended primarily as a means of salvation but as a disclosure of divine righteousness. Paul declares, “The law is holy,…
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Part VII – Deliverance and Restoration
16. The Role of the Mediator (Christ) 16.1 Fulfilment of the Law Jesus Christ stands at the centre of redemption because He fulfilled what the Law demanded but humanity could not accomplish. He declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have…
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Part VIII – Conclusion
18. Summary of the Doctrine of Sin 18.1 Sin as Universal Condition The biblical and theological witness affirms the universality of sin: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NRSV). Sin is both a condition inherited from Adam and a continuing reality expressed through…
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Part 3 – Original Sin and Divine Grace: From Adam to Christ
Series: Grace Beyond Ability – The Justice and Mercy of God Toward the Helpless and the Ignorant 1. Introduction To understand why all people share the consequences of sin yet remain objects of divine mercy, one must grasp the biblical relationship between Adam and Christ. Adam stands as the head…
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Part 4 – Achan: Faith with Hidden Sin
Key Verse “Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things.”— Joshua 7 : 11 (NIV) 1. The Hidden Crime among the Faithful Achan belonged to the covenant people who had just witnessed miraculous victories: the crossing…
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Article 11: Nathan and David – Prophetic Rebuke over Sin
1. IntroductionOne of the most striking direct confrontations between a prophet and king occurs when Nathan confronts King David over his sin with Bathsheba. This interaction reveals prophetic courage and royal accountability within the same generation. 2. Historical and Biblical ContextDavid, Israel’s revered king, committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged…
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Chapter 1: Humanity’s Condition Before Salvation
PART I: SPIRITUAL CONDITION AND THE CALL TO SALVATION Theological Overview: Total Depravity and Separation from God The Christian doctrine of salvation begins with a sobering truth: humanity’s fallen condition. Drawing from the Augustinian and Reformed traditions, the doctrine of total depravity asserts that every part of human nature—mind, will,…
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Chapter 3: The Work of the Holy Spirit in Conviction
Overview: How God Awakens the Heart The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is the crucial starting point in the believer’s journey of salvation. Before a person can respond to the gospel in saving faith and genuine repentance, they must be awakened to the reality of sin, the righteousness of…
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Chapter 15: Spiritual Warfare and Resisting the Enemy
Overview: The Believer’s Battle Against Sin and Satan The Christian life is not a peaceful retreat from the world, but a spiritual battleground. Every believer is engaged in a continual conflict against the forces of darkness—including Satan, sin, and the fallen systems of the world. This warfare is not physical…
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God’s Sinless Purity vs. Human Fallenness
Section 4: Morality and Holiness — God’s Sinless Purity vs. Human Fallenness 1. Introduction Morality is not a human invention but a reflection of the holy character of God. Scripture presents God as absolutely holy, the source of all moral truth and righteousness. In contrast, human nature—though created good—has been…
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3.7 Redemption Stories from Sin to Salvation
🔹 Story 1: Paul the Persecutor Became a Preacher Main Characters: Saul/Paul, Jesus, AnaniasStory Summary: Saul hunted and imprisoned Christians until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. He was blinded, humbled, and transformed into the apostle Paul—writer of much of the New Testament.Key Verses: Acts 9:1–22; Galatians 1:13–16Theme…
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6.6 Stories of Generational Sin and Redemption
🔹 Story 1: Adam and Eve – Sin Enters the World, Redemption Promised Main Characters: Adam, Eve, God, serpentStory Summary: Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought sin and death into the world, affecting all generations. Yet in the same moment, God promised a future Redeemer who would crush evil.Key Verses: Genesis…
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Chapter 8 – Early Humanity and Supernatural Involvement
The Temptation by the Serpent and the Fall of Man Biblical Basis: The Entrance of Evil into the Human Story Genesis 3 records a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative—the entrance of evil into the human experience. The serpent, described as “more cunning than any beast of the field” (Genesis…