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What Is Sin? 

Why the Law Isn’t Enough—and Why Jesus Is

by: Leon Harris

 

What is, or isn’t, sin might seem straightforward, but I’m not so sure. We often hear how this is sinful, how that is sinful, and how other things “lead us to sin.” This can make it sound like sin is a specific object, or perhaps a place we’re dragged into, like a horse being pulled by the reins.

 

I think that way of speaking misses the point.

 

Ironically, the Greek word translated as sin literally means “missing the mark.” And that’s exactly what sin is. It isn’t a thing or a person—it’s a failure to live up to the standard God has set.

 

Sin is missing the mark.

 

If you think you’re living up to that standard perfectly, I have news for you.

 

Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

 

Every one of us. No exceptions.

 

We are all sinners—not because we are evil incarnate, but because we are human and flawed. Sin is not who we are; it is what we do when we miss the mark God has set for us. Left to ourselves, we all tend to miss it, and every one of us acts on that tendency.

 

That’s why Scripture warns us to be careful when we point fingers.

 

In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus Himself addresses this in the Sermon on the Mount:

 

“Judge not, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

 

He follows this with a piercing question:

 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

 

Jesus is not telling us to ignore sin. He is telling us to start with our own.

 

What gives any of us the insight to measure another person’s soul anyway? God does not weigh people by outward appearances or isolated actions. He weighs the heart, the motivations, and the whole of a person’s life. Most of us struggle to understand ourselves—how could we presume to fully judge someone else?

 

So if sin is missing the mark, how do we know where the mark is?

 

For that, we turn to Scripture.

 

The Bible gives us a clear foundation for understanding God’s standard through what is commonly called the Law—most clearly summarized in the Ten Commandments. I can almost feel the collective cringe:

 

“Oh great. A list of things we can’t do, right?”

 

I understand that reaction. Many of the commandments confront desires we struggle with or habits we justify. But the Law was never meant to crush us. It was meant to reveal the standard and to show us how far we fall short of it.

 

That’s why there’s no point beating ourselves up endlessly when we sin. Acknowledging sin isn’t about self-loathing; it’s about honesty. But that honesty also comes with a sober truth: sin has a cost.

 

Romans 6:23 tells us plainly, “The wages of sin is death.” It doesn’t stop there: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

This is the heart of the matter.

 

The Law shows us what the mark is. It tells us what God’s standard looks like. But it was never meant to save us—only to make our need unmistakably clear. Jesus made this clear when He taught that sin is not just about outward behavior, but about the heart and the motivation behind it.

 

You may not murder, but do you harbor hatred?

 

You may not commit adultery, but do you nurture lust?

 

Jesus doesn’t lower the bar—He raises it, so that we finally understand the truth: none of us can follow the Law perfectly. The Law was never meant to save us—only lead us to Him.

 

The Law can get us to the door.

 

But only Jesus can bring us inside.

 

That is why Christ matters so deeply. He didn’t come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. He paid the price for the sin we inevitably commit and offers grace where the Law can only diagnose the problem.

 

We will never be perfect. That’s why we need Jesus. But with God’s grace, the example of Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can grow, change, and walk closer to the mark than we ever could on our own.

 

At various points, we’ll spend time with the Ten Commandments—both as a whole and individually—looking at what they say, why they matter, and how they ultimately point us toward Christ rather than condemnation. They help clarify the mark God has set, reveal where we fall short, and remind us why grace is not optional, but essential.

 

Just remember this:

 

God is for you.

It doesn’t matter who you are.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done—or haven’t done.

 

God loves you.

 

It’s just something to think about.