What Is Sin?Sample

“And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.” (Genesis 4:8)

Sin disturbs man’s relationship with fellow humans.

Sin is first and foremost about man’s stance before God. But it also affects inter-human relationships. This was immediately apparent in the family of Adam and Eve, when their firstborn killed his brother. A few generations later, Lamech boasted:

“I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me” (Genesis 4:23).

Thus, violence and murder are almost as old as humanity. By nature, humans are primarily focused on their own benefits and less on the welfare of others. It’s not without reason that God repeats His commandment to love others as yourself over and over again — this does not come naturally for us humans!

These disrupted relationships between people have dramatic consequences on small and large scales. Quarrels in families, divorces, civil wars, unjust social structures of exploitation and slavery... All this is a result of sin. This is not how God created it. He longs for mutual love and harmony: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1, NIV).

How are your relationships with people around you affected by sin?