Though the whole of man, both body and soul, was created good, the whole of man fell and thus the whole of our being was corrupted. This condition is inherited in reproduction in which the soul is reproduced (traducianism) as well as the body. Therefore, humanity was “seminally” present when the first sin was committed and sin was imputed to all men so that the natural condition of a human being is sinful and thus completely, or in totality, contrary to his original design in body and soul.
I hold to the view which says that the image of God contains a number of aspects. Among them is the charge of dominion, the ability to act morally, also the right use of that ability, and his fellowship with God. With the fall, the image was marred and twisted to the point that that original image, most reflected in each of the above ways, actually became a dishonor to God. This is the state in which all men are now born and live apart from Christ.
The image of God, though marred at each point, was not lost. The image of God is still present (see 1 Corinthians 11:7). According to the Genesis account (1:26; 3; see also Ps 8:4-8 and 2 Cor. 3:18) man was created good and fell from that original goodness into depravity and a sinful state. However, it can also be recovered by reconciliation which is offered through Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). This renewed image of God contains the capacity for recovering the image of God (partially) in his knowledge of God, and his ability to fulfill His law (2 Cor. 3:18). The ramifications of which include a changed life for the Christian, who will become a new creature with a new nature and destiny.
Sin is, even at this time, an essential, core aspect of the being of man. But Mark 7:14-23 shows that “…from the heart proceed evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness…” Sin is a matter of the heart and comes out in the life of mankind in which we are born and made (Ps. 51:5). It manifests itself by what comes out of the mind, will, and affections demonstrating that, apart from Christ, we are totally depraved in every aspect of being. Just as Eve questioned God (mind), desiring to take the fruit (affections), acting against His command (will), so the whole of the human being has been since then and is now corrupt. The intellect and mind of mankind is depraved and thinks the wisdom of God is foolishness, his heart devises evil continually, and their actions are unceasingly opposed to God and his law. Romans seven demonstrates that the law of God condemns mankind as he is incapable of doing anything that is pleasing to God.
Since the disobedience of Adam in the garden, mankind has been under the curse of sin. The punishment for this is death (Rom. 6:23), and separation from God (Eph. 4:18) both now and in eternity. The effects of this truth in the life of the believer first of all reveals his great need for God’s grace and his total inability to come to salvation on his own. We are totally dependant on God’s goodness and should praise Him for it (Psalm 103:1-3).
If it were not for God’s saving grace, we would be caught in transgression and cast out from God’s presence permanently. This further affects how we do evangelism in that we see the human heart and mind as condemned and in need of the saving message of God rather than in need of a rational persuasion per se.
The absolute best single explanation that I can find for the basics of how the Bible further defines sin is found in the systematic theology: Biblical Doctrine:
Of the Bible’s sixty-six books and 1,189 chapters, only two books and four chapters do not mention sin or sinners. Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22 stand alone as unique chapters that rehearse the creation before sin and the new heaven and new earth, which will never be infected by sin. The rest of the Bible, from Genesis 3:1 to Revelation 20:15, abounds with the themes of human sin and the need for salvation. Sin is a major doctrine.
The study of sin is called hamartiology. This designation comes from the Greek word for “sin,” hamartia. Several associated terms and concepts indicate that sin is a multifaceted and complex reality. In the Old Testament Hebrew, khata’ is often translated “sinning” or “sinned” (Gen. 20:6; Ex. 10:16). The word is also linked with missing the mark (Judg. 20:16). Proverbs 19:2 states, “Whoever makes haste with his feet misses [khata’] his way.” This term is closely related to the Greek noun hamartia (“sin”) and its verb form hamartanō, meaning “miss the mark,” “err,” or “be mistaken.” The verb form is found in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned [hamartanō] and fall short of the glory of God.”
Pasha‘ is another strong Hebrew term for sin in the Old Testament. The word means “to rebel,” “to trespass,” or “to betray.” It is used of Israel’s revolt against God in Isaiah 1:2: “But they have rebelled [pasha‘] against me.” Also, the Hebrew word ‘abar means “to transgress” or “to pass over.” In a moral context it refers to transgressing a commandment or violating a covenant. Moses said, “Why then are you transgressing [‘abar] the command of the Lord, when it will not succeed?” (Num. 14:41). In Judges 2:20, God was angry with Israel because “this people have transgressed [‘abar] my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice.”
Various Greek terms for “sin” exist in the New Testament. The word adikia means “unrighteousness” or “injustice” (Rom. 1:18). Paul referred to certain persons “who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness [adikia]” (2 Thess. 2:12). The term planaō emphasizes “wandering” or “straying” (2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Pet. 3:17). Sin is also anomia, which means “lawlessness,” that is, rejecting God’s law. First John 3:4 simply declares, “Sin is lawlessness.”
Apeitheō carries the sense of being disobedient and willfully obstinate toward God’s will (Rom. 11:31; John 3:36). Asebeia can be translated “ungodliness,” “wickedness,” or “impiety.” Jude said, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly [asebeia] passions” (Jude 18). Agnoia refers to ignorance or the absence of understanding. Paul said that unbelievers were darkened in their understanding “because of the ignorance [agnoia] that is in them” (Eph. 4:18). Parabasis is a breaking of or deviation from God’s law. Romans 2:23 states, “You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking [parabasis] the law.”
The above is not an exhaustive list, but together these representative biblical terms demonstrate the multidimensional nature of sin. Sin is clearly wrong in many ways. But is there a central or core element of sin? Various answers to this question have been offered. Augustine asserted that pride is the heart of sin, because it is the motive behind man’s attempt to live his life in the power of self. Others have postulated that lack of shalom, or peace, is the core of sin, since it always brings disruption and pain. Selfishness and idolatry are other suggestions. Selfishness is loving oneself more than God. Idolatry is worshiping a creature instead of the Creator. The first commandment warns against idolatry—“I am the Lord your God.… You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:2–3). Certainly all the concepts surveyed above are components of the complexity of human depravity.
Sin must be understood from a theocentric or God-centered standpoint. At its core, sin is a violation of the Creator-creature relationship. Man only exists because God made him, and man is in every sense obligated to serve his Creator. Sin causes man to assume the role of God and to assert autonomy for himself apart from the Creator. The most all-encompassing view of sin’s mainspring, therefore, is the demand for autonomy.
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds., Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 452–453.
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