- to err, be mistaken
- to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong
- to wander from the law of God, violate God's law
- that which is done wrong, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
- collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many
Romans 14:23 (NKJV)
“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”
James 4:17 (NKJV)
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
The word hamartia is the noun form and comes from the Greek verb “hamartanō (ham-ar-tan'-o)”, an archery term meaning ''missing the mark.''
What I find interesting is that this word carries a different meaning in literature, where it is referred to as either a character's fatal flaw or to a fatal mistake. It was further defined as “A mistake or error on the part of the tragic hero that results in the hero's downfall.”
Yet, we see in scripture the same.
Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The dominant theme throughout the Old Testament is that sin separates us from God, the New Testament reveals the only remedy for it, as we heard in Romans 6:23, Jesus Christ!
Matthew 1:21 (NKJV)
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
Jesus means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.”!
We can tie this to the Greek word for sanctification we looked at last week. While sanctification is initiated by faith in Jesus Christ, the believer's process of sanctification is an active spiritual growth towards holiness. And all that God comes in contact with must be sanctified!
1 Corinthians 6:17-19 (NKJV)
“But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins (hamartanō) against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
Jesus is the one that cuts away the old sinful nature!
Colossians 2:11-13 (NKJV)
“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins (hamartia) of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,”
Scripture is clear that God hates sin
Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)
“These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”
Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
There has always, and will always be only one cure, and His name is Jesus!!!