Sin is failing to do what we should do. This is called a sin of omission. Failing to forgive, love your neighbor, honor God, give thanks, believe in Jesus.

Sin is doing what what we shouldn’t be doing. This is called a sin of commission when we know the rule but break it anyway. This would include stealing, hypocrisy, lying, murder, idolatry, greed, sexual impurity.

We are all guilty.

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... Romans 3:23

God has a standard of perfection that he wants us to live by. A law or moral code. It’s the way he lives as God. When we fail to live up to that standard, we sin. Sin is falling short of God’s perfection.

Sin creates barriers and divisions. Since God is holy, he must distance himself from unholiness. Since sin causes us to hurt others, it creates divisions between us and our family and friends. Sin is always about separation. God is about unity and bringing us together.

The penalty for sin is death. Death is the ultimate separation. That’s the penalty for one sin or many sins.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

The only way we can have sin wiped clean from our record is if someone pays the penalty for our sin. Either I die and pay that penalty or someone else dies in my place.

Jesus died for my sins and took on the penalty of death, satisfying God’s legal requirements. All I need to do is agree that I’m a sinner and that Jesus paid for my sins on the cross.  Case closed.