( Romans 5:12) As King David of Israel said, “I was born guilty of error.”- Psalm 51:5. ( Genesis 3:5, 6, 17-19) When they had children, they passed on sin and imperfection as inherited defects. ( Genesis 1:27) However, they lost their perfection by disobeying God. That is because they were created perfect, in God’s image. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were sinless in the beginning. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ( Romans 3:23 1 Kings 8:46 Ecclesiastes 7:20 1 John 1:8) Why is that so? Is it possible to avoid sinning completely? ( Revelation 4:11) We are accountable to him for our actions.- Romans 14:12. For example, a group of soldiers in ancient Israel were so adept at slinging stones that they “would not miss.” That expression, if translated literally, could read “would not sin.” ( Judges 20:16) Thus, to sin is to miss the mark of God’s perfect standards.Īs the Creator, God has the right to set standards for mankind. In the Bible’s original languages, the words for sin mean “to miss a mark,” or a target.

( 1 John 3:4 5:17) The Bible also describes sins of omission-that is, failing to do what is right.- James 4:17. It includes breaking God’s laws by doing what is wrong, or unrighteous, in God’s sight. Sin is any action, feeling, or thought that goes against God’s standards.

Sin starting with 5