The Seriousness Of Sin—Breaking God’s Law
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, November 10, 2025 (Donate)
What Is Sin?
What is sin—and how we can be saved from the wrath we
deserve from our sin from a perfect and holy God? Sin is breaking God’s law.
We’ve all broken God’s perfect law. In fact, we sinned when our mutual
ancestors Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. This is called
original sin.
You need to understand that our life was wrapped up in Adam
and Eve when they sinned—being that we are their descendants (consider Hebrews
7:9-10[1]).
But we all sin too as individuals. There is two type of sin—by commission and
omission. Sins of commission are doing
what God forbids and sins of omission are not being or doing what God requires.
We are in a culture today—sadly even in some church
congregations—where sin is being ignored, celebrated, or even encouraged. There
are some proclaiming that certain sins are not sins or some go so far as to say
you are a sinner if you call out sin as defined in the Bible!
Now, I want to ponder this—to call something a sin that is
not a sin is itself a sin. So be careful of what you call sin and why you say
is not a sin. God defines sin in His revealed Word—the 66 books of the Bible.
Far too often, I’ve had church members and leaders
tell me something is a sin that is not. I’ve had people tell me hate
is a sin, anger is a sin, wine is a sin, listening to music with
drums is a sin, denim jeans are a sin, and the list goes on.
Looking at God’s Word, God hated Esau (e.g.,
Malachi 1:3[2];
Romans 9:13[3])
and commands that we hate evil (e.g., Proverbs 8:13[4]).
Hate is not a sin—if it were, God would be a sinner, and we too
would be sinners for obeying God.
God was often angered (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:21[5];
2 Chronicles 28:25[6]).
Clearly then, anger is not sin because God cannot sin.[7] Jesus
drank wine in Scripture (e.g., Luke 7:33–34[8];
John 19:28–30[9]),
and wine is elsewhere positively mentioned (Psalm 104:14-15[10];
Ecclesiastes 9:7[11]).[12] Timbrels/tambourines
and cymbals are considered percussion instruments, as are drums (and cymbals
are features on a drum set by the way) and were often used in godly worship and
celebration (e.g., Exodus 15:20[13];
2 Samuel 6:5[14];
Psalm 150:4–5[15])
and are mentioned positively in Scripture.
Denim jeans are merely a different way the thread is woven.
It uses a diagonal ribbing that makes it more durable and rugged. Threading
cotton or linen one way versus another is not sin. Nevertheless, man sins
in many ways. And it doesn’t end there—sin is all around us.
God Defines Sin Through The Law
God alone defines sin because God himself is the ultimate
standard of what is good and right (and by contrast, bad and wrong). God’s
revealed Word is the absolute source that defines sin for man. Again, sin is
any thought, word, or deed that breaks God’s law by omission (not
being or doing what God requires) or commission (doing
what God forbids).
So, is God’s law important to know? Yes, it is essential to
know “what is sin.” When God speaks, it is all essentially law
because God is the ultimate Lawgiver—though what was preserved in
the Bible is sufficient and the absolute standard on all matters.
By what authority can one object to God’s absolute
authority? When anyone tries to do this, they are committing a faulty
appeal to authority fallacy at the very outset of their argument.
Thus, any following argument is fallacious.
God’s law is essential to know
what sin is. God through Paul says,
But we know that the law is good
if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous
person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners,
for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers,
for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for
perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
(1 Timothy 1:8–11, NKJV)
Does God have the power to change his laws to man
at different times and for different circumstances?
Yes, and by the way, this does not affect the
unchanging nature of God. But as an example, God originally
only permitted man to eat vegetation (Genesis 1:29[16]);
then after the Flood, God also gave meat as food (Genesis 9:3[17]).
With Moses, the Israelites were permitted to eat only clean
meats. But with Christ’s declaration in Mark 7:19[18],
all foods have been made clean—which is not a problem for an all-powerful God.
So we, as Christians, can eat all foods, but unlike in the time of Noah, they
are all clean.
From the earliest pages of Scripture—from man’s Fall
into sin until Christ—man was commanded to give sacrifices
to God to cover sin. Abel offered sacrifices (Genesis 4:4[19]),
as did Noah (Genesis 8:20–21[20]),
Abraham (e.g., Genesis 22:13[21]),
and the Israelites (repeatedly). However, after Christ offered Himself as the
ultimate Passover sacrifice (e.g., John 10:17-18[22];
Hebrews 9:28[23]),
man no longer needed to sacrifice because Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient
once for all (Hebrews 10:10). This is why sacrifice is no longer required of
man.
So there are cases where God, by his own power and
authority, could and did change laws assigned for man. The key is using
Scripture to see what God changed and when.
What Is The Punishment For Sin?
The punishment for the first man’s sin and
rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden was death (Genesis 2:17[24],
3:19[25]).
Adam committed high treason against the Lord God who created him.
Is sin serious? Yes.
But look deeper at the big picture. The punishment from an
infinite and eternal God would, by extension of God’s very
nature, be an infinite punishment that would go on forever (this is called the
“second death” or “hell”). Man, being made in the image of an
eternal God would receive this limitless wrath of God as an
everlasting sentence. This is what hell is—an eternal punishment with the full
wrath of God on man forever.
Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is
Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19, NKJV)
Those animal sacrifices, starting in the Garden of Eden
(Genesis 3:21) and continuing through Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
the Israelites, were never going to be good enough. Directly to the
point, God says this in Hebrews,
For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4, NKJV)
Animals are not infinite or eternal. The best they could
offer was a short-term covering for sin. What we really needed was an
infinite sacrifice that could take the infinite punishment from our infinite
Creator.
Can Ceasing To Sin Save You?
Some have thought that if they could just slow down
their sinning or, if it were even possible, stop sinning
altogether, that they would be okay and could be saved from God’s
wrath. However, this doesn’t solve the problem of past sins and
guilt. God, being perfectly holy, must punish sin. He must enact
justice, being a perfectly just God—even for those sins already committed.
We have all sinned (Romans 3:23[26])
and have all carried out high treason against God when we committed
even one sin (breaking just one of God’s laws). We all sinned in
Adam as well. When he sinned, we all sinned too. For “original sin” alone,
we rightfully deserve God’s infinite wrath for just that sin!
Because we were all “in Adam” when he committed
that sin. Each of our lives was wrapped up in Adam and Eve when
they rebelled. Think of it in light of Levi and Abraham. Levi was Abraham’s
great-grandson. Yet the Bible says that Levi was in the body of his
ancestor Abraham when he paid tithes to Melchizedek.
Even Levi, who receives tithes,
paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his
father when Melchizedek met him. (Hebrews 7:9–10, NKJV)
When Adam sinned, we all sinned because all of our lives
were in Adam when he committed that sin. And we continue to sin. Even
if it were possible to cease sinning, we would still need to be punished for
the sins we already committed. So how is it that anyone could possibly be
saved?
How Can We Possibly Be Saved From Sin Then?
Who is even capable of taking that infinite and eternal
punishment for us? Who would possibly care that much for wretched sinners? Who
could love us enough to do such a thing? And who is in a position of power to
take such a punishment?
You might think there is nobody, but you’d be wrong. There
is Someone. There is Someone powerful enough to take an infinite
punishment from an infinite Being. There is Someone everlasting in his very
nature who can take an eternal punishment and do it in a moment. And yes, there
is Someone who cares and loves us enough to do this for us.
That Someone is God himself. God is love,
and He is perfect love. The nature of God is triune—there are three persons of
the one triune God. The love between those three persons (the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit) is of perfect essence. By this love, the Father (the
first person of the triune God) sent his Son Jesus Christ (the
second person of the one triune God) to be sacrificed and take the
infinite punishment we deserve for sin. The Father enacts the punishment,
and the Son endures it—perfect justice for sin accomplished through
the Son taking the full wrath of the Father upon Himself on our behalf (Isaiah
53).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on flesh and became a man (which is not too hard for an all-powerful God). He lived a
perfect life, keeping the law without sin. It pleased God to
punish Christ, and this satisfied the wrath of God once for all by
Christ’s eternal nature.
When we believe in Jesus Christ’s work on the cross and his
death, burial, and resurrection, we are saved. As a result of our salvation, we
should want to turn from our sin in repentance and
try to be obedient to Christ in his commands.
Christians don’t do good works to try to “earn” salvation,
but we do good works because we love Christ (John 14:15[27]).
When people believe on Him, Christ’s righteousness is transferred to them (imputed to them) so that they are now
seen as spotless before the Father. Salvation is a gift of God, not by
works, but by Christ’s work on the cross.
For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9, NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who
believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God. (John 3:16–18, NKJV)
Salvation is being saved from the wrath of God by
his very grace that he bestowed on us. But it is so much more than that. It is
experiencing the goodness of our good and loving God forever. We are
made in the image of an eternal God, and we get to experience that great
and eternal being forever.
But as it is written: “Eye has
not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man, The things
which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV)
Conclusion
Will we one day sin in heaven and fall from God’s grace? In
the same way that Adam led us into sin, so Christ led us out of sin. And when
Christ returns and consummates a perfect new heaven and new earth, Christ will
forever be our head. So we will never fall into sin again in heaven because
Christ our eternal head is God and He cannot sin. So
we can rest assured that eternal life means eternal and everlasting life
without the fear of falling back into sin.
Nevertheless, on this side of heaven, when someone calls
something sin that isn’t sin, what that shows is that those individuals are
elevating their own thoughts to supersede
what God says is sin. It is a dangerous position to attempt
what God alone has the authority to do.
When we, as fallible sinners, sin (even by calling
something sin that isn’t), then we are in disobedience to Christ. We
need to humbly acknowledge our sin before a holy God in
repentance.
Sin is indeed serious. But don’t miss the best part!
What God did to solve the sin problem is so much more. When
you are in Christ, there is a joy and peace of knowing that God’s wrath no
longer abides on you. The “sting of death” is taken away, and you can rest
assured that your salvation is forever in Christ. May the
Lord Jesus receive the eternal honor and glory. Amen.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various
churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers
in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding
news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight
Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Originally at Answers in Genesis; Edited; Republished
by permission.
[1]
Hebrews 7:9-10 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so
to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
NKJV.
[2]
Malachi 1:3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for
the dragons of the wilderness. KJV.
[3]
Romans 9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
NKJV.
[4]
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance
and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. NKJV.
[5]
Deuteronomy 32:21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to
jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a
foolish nation. NKJV.
[6] 2
Chronicles 28:25 And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn
incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers. NKJV.
[7] Of
course, we should be careful that our anger does not lead to
sin. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger”
(Ephesians 4:26).
[8]
Luke 7:33-34 “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,
and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ “The Son
of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a
winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ NKJV.
[9]
John 19:28-30 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of
sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it
on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour
wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
NKJV.
[10]
Psalm 104:14-15 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for
the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine that
makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which
strengthens man’s heart. NKJV.
[11]
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry
heart; For God has already accepted your works. NKJV.
[12] However,
we are commanded in Scripture not to be drunk: “And do not get drunk with wine,
for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
[13]
Exodus 15:20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel
in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with
dances. NKV.
[14] 2
Samuel 6:5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before
the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed
instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. NKJV.
[15]
Psalm 150:4-5 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed
instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing
cymbals! NKJV.
[16]
Genesis 1:29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields
seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit
yields seed; to you it shall be for food. NKJV.
[17]
Genesis 9:3 “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given
you all things, even as the green herbs. NKJV.
[18]
Mark 7:19 “because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is
eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” NKJV.
[19]
Genesis 4:4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
And the LORD respected Abel and his offering. NKJV.
[20]
Genesis 8:20-21 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean
animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And
the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will
never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s
heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living
thing as I have done. NKJV.
[21]
Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him
was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the
ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. NKJV.
[22]
John 10:17-18 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I
may take it again. “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I
have received from My Father.” NKJV.
[23]
Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who
eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for
salvation. NKJV.
[24]
Genesis 2:17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” NKJV.
[25]
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to
the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust
you shall return.” NKJV.
[26]
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. NKJV.
[27]
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. NKJV.
