Short answer: In the Bible, sin is missing the mark of God's holy standard: breaking his law, rebelling against him, and failing to do the good we know we should do. 1 John 3:4 calls sin lawlessness, and James 4:17 says it is also sin to know the right thing and not do it. Sin is not only bad behavior but a broken relationship with God, and the Bible's answer to it is forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
In This Article
Of all the questions people in the pews kept asking, this one sits underneath the rest. Before we can ask whether drinking, anger or tattoos are a sin, we need to know what the word means. It is a short word with a long shadow, and many people carry a vague sense of it without ever having had it explained from Scripture.
(If you landed here looking for the sine function in math or a Social Insurance Number in Canada, this is a different kind of page. This one is about the biblical word.) Below we look at how the Bible defines sin, the Hebrew and Greek words behind it, the main ways the Bible sorts sin, where it came from, whether all sins are equal, and how God deals with it.
How Does The Bible Define Sin?
The Bible never gives one tidy sentence that covers everything, but it does give several definitions that fit together. Here are the three most direct.
Sin Is Lawlessness
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
1 John 3:4 (NIV)
Sin is a violation of what God has commanded. The standard is not our feelings or our culture but his revealed will, summed up in the law. For a closer look at the best-known statement of that law, see the Ten Commandments.
Sin Is Failing To Do Good
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
James 4:17 (NIV)
This is why sin is not only a list of "don'ts." Walking past someone in need, withholding forgiveness, and ignoring what God has plainly told us to do all count. Theologians call these sins of omission, and I give them their own article: what are sins of omission.
Sin Is Falling Short Of God's Glory
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
This one is the widest. The standard is not "be better than your neighbor." It is God's own glory and holiness. Measured that way, everyone falls short, which is exactly Paul's point in Romans 1 through 3. Nobody is sinless, whether they are religious or not.
Taken together, these verses give us this working definition: sin is any thought, word, deed, attitude or failure to act that falls short of God's character and breaks his law. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, which many Protestants know well, says nearly the same: sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. Underneath all of it, sin is personal. Psalm 51:4 shows David confessing that his sin was against God above all. Sin is not just breaking rules; it is wronging a person, the Lord.
What Did Jesus Say Sin Is?
Jesus is the best answer to "what are sins according to Jesus?" because he moved the focus from the outside to the inside. In Mark 7:20-23 he says that what comes out of a person is what defiles them, and he names evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lust, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. In the Sermon on the Mount he traced murder back to anger and adultery back to lust (Matthew 5:21-28). And in John 16:8-9 he told the disciples that the Spirit would convict the world of sin because people do not believe in him. Unbelief is itself the root issue. For more, see lust and anger, the two he singled out.
What Hebrew And Greek Words Mean Sin?
The Bible was not written in English, and the original languages have many words for sin, each with its own picture. If you have ever wondered about "what is the meaning of sin," these words are the best answer. Reading them side by side shows how rich the idea is. Here are the main ones.
| Word | Language | Basic Picture | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| chata' | Hebrew | Missing the mark, like an archer who misses the target | Judges 20:16 |
| pesha' | Hebrew | Transgression, rebellion, breaking with authority | Isaiah 53:5 |
| 'avon | Hebrew | Iniquity: twistedness, and the guilt that results | Psalm 51:2 |
| shagag / shegagah | Hebrew | Straying, sin by mistake or without intent | Numbers 15:27 |
| hamartia | Greek | Missing the mark, the usual New Testament word for sin | Romans 3:23 |
| parabasis | Greek | Stepping across a line, transgression | Romans 4:15 |
| paraptoma | Greek | A false step, a trespass | Ephesians 2:1 |
| anomia | Greek | Lawlessness | 1 John 3:4 |
| opheilema | Greek | A debt owed | Matthew 6:12 |
Notice the pictures. Sin as a missed target says that we were made for something and fall short of it. Sin as a crossed line says there is a boundary God has drawn. Sin as rebellion says it is personal. Sin as a debt says there is a cost, and that someone has to pay it. Sin as twistedness (the Hebrew 'avon) says it bends us out of shape inside. Our article on iniquity in the Bible goes deeper on that last one.
One note on the plain words. The Greek in Matthew 6:12 is the word for debt, and the Lord's Prayer asks forgiveness of our debts, which is why some church traditions say "debts" and others say "trespasses" or "sins." They are different pictures for the same reality.
What Are The Types Of Sin?
The Bible does not give one official list of "types," so teachers sort sin in several useful ways. If you hear "the three types of sin," it usually means one of the following, and none is wrong.
Sins Of Commission And Omission
A sin of commission is doing what God forbids. A sin of omission is failing to do what God commands, as James 4:17 describes. Jesus' story of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 hangs entirely on omissions: I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. See sins of omission.
Sins Of Thought, Word And Deed
This older way of sorting says sin can live in the mind, on the tongue or in our actions. Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 covers all three. For some examples, see the articles on gossip, lying, and lust.
The Lust Of The Flesh, The Lust Of The Eyes, And Pride
John gives a three-part sorting of what is in the world that draws us from God:
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
1 John 2:16 (NIV)
Many teachers see this as the pattern of every temptation, from Eden to the wilderness. The woman saw that the fruit was good for food, pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom (Genesis 3:6), and Satan tested Jesus along the same lines.
Unintentional And High-Handed Sin
The law of Moses distinguishes sin done in ignorance or by mistake from sin done "with a high hand," that is, in open defiance (Numbers 15:27-31). The first had a provision for sacrifice; the second was serious rebellion. This is one reason the Bible does not treat every sin as the same in the way it deals with it.
Mortal And Venial Sin (Catholic Teaching)
The Catholic Church draws a line between mortal sin (grave sin committed knowingly and freely that cuts a person off from God's grace until repented and absolved) and venial sin (lesser sin that wounds but does not sever). They base it partly on 1 John 5:16-17. Most Protestants do not use the two categories, but they agree that Scripture speaks of degrees of seriousness. I treat this in what is a mortal sin, and the related teaching in what is original sin.
Where Did Sin Come From?
The Bible traces human sin to a specific moment. In Genesis 3 the serpent questions God's word, Eve and Adam eat the fruit God had forbidden, and everything changes: shame, hiding, blame, curse and death. Paul reads that moment as the doorway for all of us:
sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin
Romans 5:12 (NIV)
He goes on to say that death spread to all because all sinned. Christians have understood this in different ways. Some traditions call it original sin and teach that we inherit a sinful nature and guilt from Adam. Others stress the inherited nature and corruption but not inherited guilt. Both agree that every person after Adam sins, and that we are born with a bent toward it. The full discussion is in what is original sin, and a related question about family consequences is covered in the sins of the father.
Before Adam, there was a rebellion in the spiritual world. The Bible says the devil has been sinning from the beginning (1 John 3:8), and many Christians connect Genesis 3's serpent with Satan. The Bible does not give a detailed account of how evil first began. What it makes clear is that God is not the author of sin, that humanity chose it, and that God has already acted to deal with it. That brings us to the next question.
Are All Sins Equal?
This is one of the questions I hear most often, and my answer has two parts, because Scripture says two things.
In one sense, all sin is equal: every sin is a breach of God's law, every sin makes us guilty, and none of us can pay for even one. James writes that whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at one point has become accountable for all of it (James 2:10). A single sin is enough to make us need a Savior. In that sense, no one can say their sins are small enough to skip the cross, and no one's sins are too big for it.
In another sense, sins are not equal in their effects or in how seriously Scripture treats them. Jesus spoke of "the weightier matters of the law" (Matthew 23:23) and told Pilate that the one who handed him over was guilty of a greater sin (John 19:11). Paul says sexual immorality is a sin against one's own body in a way other sins are not (1 Corinthians 6:18). Teachers are held to a stricter judgment (James 3:1). Murder harms others in a way that a harsh word does not, though both are sin.
So I would say it this way: all sin is serious, all sin is forgivable in Christ, and not all sin has the same consequences. I take up the question in full in are all sins equal, and answer the questions people ask about the "worst" sin in the greatest sin in the Bible and the unforgivable sin. Briefly, Jesus described the unforgivable sin as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and a person who is worried they have committed it, is by that very concern showing a heart still turned toward God.
What Is Not Considered A Sin?
A final note on the other side of the question. Not everything people call sin is sin. Paul tells believers not to quarrel over disputable matters, such as certain foods and special days (Romans 14:1-5), and to follow their conscience without judging others. Many questions on this site end up in that category, or are not addressed in Scripture at all. Some have little to do with morality, such as being left-handed or highlighting in a Bible. Others are matters of wisdom more than command, such as playing football or yoga, which depend on motive and practice. Weigh these against Scripture, not against rumor. The full A to Z list of questions is on our Is It A Sin index.
Why Does The Bible's View Of Sin Matter In Daily Life?
It is fair to ask why a pastor spends so many words on a heavy subject. The reason is that how we define sin shapes everything else. If sin is only breaking rules, we will try to manage it by willpower and keep score. If sin is only a feeling of guilt, we will try to talk ourselves out of it. If sin is only what other people do, we will never see our own need. The Bible's definition is bigger and more honest than any of those. It treats sin as a real offense against a real God that reaches the heart, and then it offers a real remedy.
That view also protects us from two opposite errors. One is the legalism that adds rules God never gave, and the other is the casualness that shrugs off what he did say. A clear understanding of sin lets us take God's commands seriously without burying ourselves in fear, because we know where forgiveness is found. It also makes us gentler with other people. The one who knows how much he was forgiven finds it harder to throw the first stone; see what it means to be without sin and cast the first stone and hate the sin, love the sinner. And for a church leader or anyone else who has failed publicly, the picture is the same, as we see in what the Bible says about pastors who sin.
How Does God Deal With Sin?
Here is the good news that makes the hard news bearable. The same Bible that says sin is serious says that God has dealt with it.
The Consequence
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Sin separates us from a holy God (Isaiah 59:2) and leads to death, both physical and spiritual. God is not careless about wrongdoing. His justice is real.
The Substitute
In the Old Testament, God provided sacrifices that covered sin and pointed ahead to something greater (Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement). The New Testament says Jesus is the fulfillment: he bore our sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24) and took our place. Paul puts it in one startling sentence in 2 Corinthians 5:21, which I explain in what it means that God made him who had no sin to be sin. His resurrection shows that the payment was accepted.
The Response
What is asked of us is to turn and trust. Repentance is a change of mind and direction, and confession is telling God the truth:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
For how this works in practice, see how to repent and what it means to confess your sins to one another. For the question of whether any sin is beyond forgiveness, read does God forgive all sins and what the Bible says about forgiveness of sin.
The Ongoing Fight
Forgiven people still struggle. The Bible expects that. Believers are called to resist sin by the power of the Spirit, and it admits the battle is real; see sin after salvation, habitual sin and how we can overcome sins. We also carry a responsibility toward others, because we can lead them into sin or help them away from it; see is it wrong to cause others to sin. And the final hope is that sin will one day be gone entirely, as the Bible describes in Revelation 21.
Key Bible Verses About Sin
- 1 John 3:4: sin is lawlessness.
- James 4:17: knowing the good and not doing it is sin.
- Romans 3:23: all have sinned and fall short of God's glory.
- Romans 5:12: sin entered the world through one man.
- Romans 6:23: the wages of sin is death, but God's gift is eternal life.
- Psalm 51:1-4: David's prayer of confession, sin as wrong done to God.
- Psalm 103:10-12: God removes our transgressions as far as east is from west.
- 1 John 1:8-9: if we confess our sins, he forgives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bible definition of sin?
The Bible defines sin as lawlessness (1 John 3:4), as knowing the good you should do and not doing it (James 4:17), and as falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). In short, sin is anything in thought, word, deed or neglect that departs from God's character and law.
What are sins according to Jesus?
Jesus taught that sin comes from the heart. In Mark 7:21-23 he lists evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, greed, deceit, envy, slander and arrogance, and in Matthew 5 he traces murder to anger and adultery to lust. He also said the Spirit convicts the world of sin because people do not believe in him.
What are the three types of sin?
There is no single official list, but a common one is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Others sort sin into thought, word and deed, or into sins of commission and omission. See sins of omission.
What is the biggest sin that God cannot forgive?
Jesus spoke of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the sin that will not be forgiven, a persistent, hardened rejection of God's work. Anyone worried they have committed it shows by that concern that their heart is still turned toward God. Read what is the unforgivable sin.
What is not considered a sin?
Many things people worry about are not addressed as sin in Scripture. Paul calls them disputable matters and tells believers to follow conscience without judging one another (Romans 14). Check any question against the Bible itself; our A to Z index covers many of them.
