The biblical definition for sin is "to miss the mark." To illustrate the point, let’s think about shooting an arrow at a target. As you aim for the bullseye, you shoot. You hit the target but missed the bullseye. Because your shot did not hit the mark, it fits the definition of sin. You can say, "But wait a minute! I hit the target," and you did, but you were aiming for the bullseye. Seeing sin through this "all or nothing" lens can be frustrating and even scary. What does God do with all of our “just missed” sins? How about those bigger sins, where at times we may not even aim the arrow? Are we simply lost causes? Fortunately, the Bible explains all of this to us in great detail. The conclusions the Scriptures draw us to are both dramatic and inspiring!
Forgiveness #1 and Forgiveness #2
There are actually two kinds of forgiveness that God can give us. The biggest and most comprehensive forgiveness has to do with sin’s earthly origin. We know Adam’s original sin led to all of humanity to be born with that defect. This means we are all destined for death, as that was the consequence for his disobedience. When Jesus died on the cross, he canceled out Adam’s sin by sacrificing his own perfect human life in place of Adam's. This brings salvation from the death sentence to all of humanity either now (for Jesus' faithful followers) or in the future (for the "everybody else").
There's good news!
There can be no greater news to anyone than the opportunity to have Adam’s death sentence removed at God’s appointed time. As good as this is, we still have a problem...we still sin! We still do and say things that are just not right. That’s okay, because there is more good news: God can and will forgive those sins as well, however, here it’s a little different. Because these sins happen as a result of our own choices, we do have a responsibility to bring them before God and seek His forgiveness. Okay, that sounds easy enough. I sin, I feel bad, I ask God for his forgiveness - and then I’m good! Right? Not quite, but we’re on the right track.
Check out our February 24, 2025 podcast, “Will God Forgive Me?” for details. First, we clarify the differences between these two types of forgiveness. We then explore how forgiveness for our present-day sins works. This process really does begin with us, as we need to want God’s forgiveness. We begin with the role regret plays in the forgiveness process. What we find is that regret, while important, is only a beginning step. The next step of repentance is where being forgiven really has traction. Join us as we take what looks like a lot of confusing details and put them together into straightforward and understandable steps. To live a forgiven life is fundamental for any Christian! Doesn’t it make sense to be clear on what it means and how we can get there?