The Doctrine of Sin | Romans 5:12 | Message 9
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12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Romans 5:12
We live in a culture that minimizes sin, renames it, or explains it away. But the Bible speaks plainly: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If we’re going to overcome biblical illiteracy, we must recover the clear, courageous, Scripture-shaped doctrine of sin.
1) The Definition of Sin
Throughout Scripture, sin is described with strong words: transgression (overstepping God’s law), missing the mark (falling short of God’s holy standard), lawlessness (a rebellious frame of mind), and unrighteousness (what contradicts God’s character). James 4:17 reminds us that sin includes failing to do the good we know we should do. Sin is not merely a mistake or a dysfunction—it is personal rebellion against a holy God.
2) The Nature of Sin within Us
Sin isn’t simply “out there” in society; it is within the human heart. Romans 7 exposes our inner conflict: even when we know what is right, we can’t do it in our own strength. Think of the “worm in the apple”: the problem starts inside and eats its way out. That’s why clever rebranding cannot cure sin and self-help cannot save; we need a Savior and the power of the Holy Spirit.
3) The Imputation of Sin
The Bible teaches that Adam’s sin impacted all humanity. Through one man, sin entered the world; through one Man, Jesus Christ, grace overflows (Romans 5). We are sinners by birth and sinners by choice—which is why the gospel must be more than moral advice. It is good news of substitution, forgiveness, and new life.
4) Seven High-Impact Realities about Sin
• Sin brings death—physically and spiritually (Genesis 2:17; Ephesians 2:1–5).
• Sin breeds rebellion—pride lifts us up only to cast us down (1 Timothy 3:6).
• Sin is idolatry—you cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
• Sin enslaves—but Christ breaks the chains (Romans 6:12–18).
• Sin destroys—it promises pleasure but pays out pain (Hebrews 11:25; Proverbs 6:32).
• Sin separates—it darkens the mind and blinds the heart (2 Corinthians 4:4; Romans 1:21).
• Sin multiplies misery—no one plays with fire and escapes unscorched (Proverbs 6:27–28).
5) Honest Confession and Real Hope
1 John 1:9 is God’s promise to the repentant: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” Confession means agreeing with God about our sin—calling it what He calls it. Renaming sin does not remove sin. Only the blood of Christ cleanses the guilty conscience and restores fellowship with God.
6) Temptation and the Way of Escape
Temptation is not sin; yielding is. Every believer is tempted, and the enemy targets our weaknesses. Yet God is faithful and “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,” but will provide the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). That escape often begins with a fresh yielding of our will: deal with known sin, die to self (1 Corinthians 15:31), present yourself to God (Romans 6:11–13), and ask the Father to fill you with the Spirit (Luke 11:13; Ephesians 5:18).
7) Why We Must Keep Preaching about Sin
Silence about sin shrinks the gospel. If we minimize sin, we impoverish redemption. As Lewis Sperry Chafer warned, one of Satan’s most effective attacks is to soften the voice that is supposed to proclaim the evil of sin. “Sin is what God says it is,” Chafer wrote, “and here human opinion and philosophy must bend to the testimony of the Word of God.”¹ And as Vance Havner memorably put it, “Sin is spiritual cancer. A man who tries only to live with cancer dies with it.”² We don’t coddle a malignancy—we confess it, forsake it, and run to Christ.
8) A Pastoral Call
If you feel far from God, know this: Jesus came to save sinners. He bore our guilt, rose in victory, and now offers forgiveness, cleansing, and power to walk in newness of life. Don’t harden your heart. Turn today. By God’s grace, refuse the lie that your sin is “manageable.” Own it and then disown it at the cross. The Spirit of God will meet you with mercy, and the joy of salvation will be restored.
Footnotes:
1. Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 2, Angelology, Anthropology, and Hamartiology (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947; reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1993), 297.
2. Vance Havner, Rebuilding the Foundations (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, 1952), 109.
