This morning I am going to answer a question posed by one the recipients of the morning meditations. What is the difference between sin and transgression?

Morning Meditations 10/11/14

I will attempt to answer that as I understand what the Bible teaches on that subject. Sin in its primary meaning means “to miss the mark?” Strong defines the word thus: “to be without a share in; to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong.” What mark is this speaking about” What mark has man missed so that sin has been committed? Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” What is the “glory of God.” I define the word “glory” is that in anything that caused praise and adoration. It is the sparkle of the diamond as its worth is considered. I we could have seen man in the garden before he sinned, we would fully understand the glory of God as it is associated with man. Man was created in the image of God. The word image means a visible representation. Man was created to be the visible image of the invisible God. When man disobeyed God, he lost the ability to be the visible image of God. That is what sin is. Sin is coming short of that glory.

Man attempts to come back into harmony with the purpose for which he was created by his on efforts. But there is a weakness there that was derived by his spiritual death. He is now unable to be the vehicle of Divine manifestation. The thing that makes him weak is what is called the old sin nature. Many times that nature is referred to in the New Testament as sin when it is used in the singular. Not every time but most of the time.

Man can be a sinner without the law. Romans 7 verses 7-8 says. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.” It is obvious sin existed before Paul heard the law. The law gave occasion for the manifestation of sin. Romans 5:12 associates “sin” with the sin of Adam and its passing to his decedents. Romans chapter 5 verse 13 definitely states that sin was in the world before the law.

So, sin has to do what man is by nature with or without the law. Sins are what a man who is by nature a sinner commits. Sin is the root, sins are the fruit.

Transgression is the breaking of God’s law; it is literally over stepping God’s law. There has to be a law there to overstep. God gave the law to make man realize that he was a sinner: Romans chapter 3 verses 19-20 say, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Paul said in Romans chapter 7 and verses 9-14: “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Paul would not have know “lust” (evil desire) unless he had discovered it by the law.”

So, as I understand it sin describes what we are as well as what we do and transgression describes man’s failed attempt to keep God’s law. Both sin and transgression is taken care of by Christ on the cross. Romans six describes how God takes care of sin. The death of Christ is the believer’s also. As Roy Hession would say, “At the cross I was ended not mended.” This is the way God sees it. I am now free to see my death with Christ as God sees it.

Romans 7:4 describes how God takes care of the law. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” The law lives on but I do not. The law had a right in my life until I died. Now it cannot command a dead man. I have been freed from the law by death and I have be joined to another in marriage. And that other is Jesus Christ. He has a right to direct my life but not the law. This is the reason Romans chapter 8 and verse 1 says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” We walk according to His Lordship which He exercises through His blessed Holy Spirit (2Cor 3:17).

I hope this helps. May God bless this to all our hearts.

In Christ

Earl White