What is a “sinner”?

When we hear the word “sin” in Japanese, we think of a serious crime being committed. What we really should focus on is that a law has been broken, not the size of the crime. There are many kinds of laws, and every country makes its own laws. Some countries have the same laws: “Do not steal” is a law everywhere. And some have unique laws: In Singapore, it is illegal to sell chewing gum. Law is the standard that a society has required of its people. There are also laws of physics (ex. gravity) and laws of nature (ex. seeds require water and nutrition, etc. to grow).

Like the laws of nature, God’s perfect righteousness and holiness are a law unto itself. God obeys His own law perfectly and never does something that would violate His holy nature. Some people say that God can do anything, but the Bible says that God can not lie– it would be impossible for Him to do so because it would make Him unholy. As the Laws are made to keep societies and individuals safe, God put His law here for each of us to have the best life. Anything we do that does not line up with God’s law is sin. The consequence for violating God’s law is separation from Him. God is pure and holy and cannot dwell with impurity or wickedness. We saw that “The Fall” caused all of Adam and Eve’s descendants to have a fallen nature. It is our fallen nature that causes us to sin. We are all born into the fallen nature and so none of us can live up to God’s righteous standard. Be it a terrible crime or something that seems minor, like a small lie or an impure thought, every person has sinned in one way or another.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

(Romans 3:23)

“As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”

(Romans 3:10)

We are a precious creation and are meant to have a good relationship with God, but when sin entered the world, that good relationship ended. Since sin is a state of separation from God, it includes indifference and apathy towards one’s relationship with God. But God is not happy to be separated from us. Our sin may be a denial that God exists, or indifference toward Him, or even pride that recognizes God but does not trust in Him. And even worse, we live our lives thinking we have no sin. That is what the Bible calls “sinners”.

Awareness of our sin

There are a few things that we can say about people coming to realize their own sin.

Because humans have been gifted with a “conscience”, we are able to judge good and evil in our own minds. So, if we do something bad, through our consciences, we can instinctively know that what we did was wrong. Also, laws and other rules, including those written in the Bible, can show us a standard for right and wrong. And if one has an awareness of his or her own sin, it shows that God is already at work in that person’s heart.

Since ancient times, we have long struggled with the questions of “Are man and nature naturally holy?” versus “Are man and nature naturally evil?” When we look around, we can see how the question is difficult to answer. We see the good in people, but there is also an element of evil which results in pain and difficulty for both man and nature. From the section “2. What are Human Beings?”, we find the answer is both. Humans and nature are created with a holy purpose but because of The Fall, evil has corrupted that purpose. So, we need to seek ways to recover that holy nature.

Japanese culture shows that people are meant to be pure. Because of this we follow customs such as purification rites and washing of our hands before entering a temple, through which we try to purify ourselves. But even if this could make us completely clean, the moment we stop washing we will become impure again by the thoughts in our heart such as envy, greed, or selfishness.

Are there any people who have never told a lie? Are there any people who have never been selfish or envious? Sin is not only a bad action or a bad thought; when we do not do what we are supposed to do, what is good or righteous, that is also a sin. When we ignore someone in need, for example, even though we can help. We hope that as long as it is hidden from other people God will not see. But God can see all things.

Having our sins and shortcomings brought to our attention can cause us to be vulnerable to bad emotions. However, there is always hope to be found in the Bible! We will see that the solution to the problem of sin is surprisingly not to try harder to be a better person. It is actually to accept that we can never make ourselves truly pure, so we must find another way. God has made that way. Continuing to the next sections “4. What is the Cross of Jesus?” and “5. What is Salvation?”, we’ll learn God’s solution to the problem of sin. Let’s keep our hearts open as we search ourselves.

For more details on this topic, go to Appendix 3. What is Sin?