James 4:17 “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

The word “Set” has 464 definitions in the 1989 Oxford English Dictionary, yet some Christians still insist that the word “sin” can have only one definition. For his words to communicate effectively, we have to know what James intended the word sin to mean. What was his definition? James used a word translated as sin that had two common definitions. Both definitions make sense in the context James was using. I believe he intended that this sentence be understood using both definitions.

Definition 1: Sin is missing the mark or coming up short of the goal one is aiming for. Christians know the good they ought to do; they should be generous, patient, kind, honest and much more. Suppose a Christian has a rough day, they are tired and worn out. When a coworker says something that frustrates them, and they reply harshly, they have sinned. They have missed the mark, and come up short of showing the patience that a Christian should demonstrate. This type of sin is not an act of rebelliousness; it is proof that even Christians are imperfect. When we miss the mark, we still need to say we are sorry to both God and anyone we harmed. They also need to ask God to continue helping us grow in grace. We learn from our failures and grow to be more Christlike.

Definition 2: Sin is a deliberate disobedience of the known will of God. There are somethings Christians just cannot do. We also know that there are somethings we should do. God wants us to feed the hungry, He wants us to cloth the poor, and He wants us to share the gospel. If in an act of selfishness we choose to spend money upon ourselves that God wishes for us to spend helping the needy, it is sin. We have deliberately disobeyed God. This type of rebelliousness, if it continues, will strain and eventually break our relationship with God. Sins that results from rebelliousness and willful disobedience require us to repent and ask God’s forgiveness.

By any definition, sin is not a good thing. Because of sin, bad things happen. By any definition, there is only one cure for sin. God poured out his love for us in the blood of His son Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is the only cure for sin.