While this might seem like a complicated question, there’s a simple way to look at it. Sin is a failure to love God and love others. It is the opposite of love.
Sin and Salvation
What Is Sin?
Sin is the opposite of loving God and others. It goes beyond dos and don’ts to what’s in our hearts.
Learn more about sin, its results, and how we can be forgiven.
Browse All Topics on Sin and Salvation
How Does Forgiveness Really Work? What Does the Bible Say?
Forgiveness—a familiar word but often-misunderstood concept. Learn how the Bible defines it, how it’s supposed to work, and what it shows us about God.
The New Covenant—What It Is and What It Means for Us Today
The Bible talks about the covenant, or promise, God made to save us from sin. Learn more about the old and new covenants and why they matter to us.
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
Poverty, genocide, a school shooting. A tsunami or earthquake that wipes out thousands of lives and leaves behind mourning family members.
Does the Bible Teach Predestination?
your choices, actions, and habits really matter to your eternal destiny? Or is the path you choose in life predetermined, and your life is just following a script that’s been laid out for you?
How Do I Know God Has Forgiven My Sins?
Knowing you’re forgiven is a big part of finding freedom in Christianity. The Bible tells us that after we’ve prayed for God’s forgiveness, we can believe we’re forgiven and accept His gift of pardon.
How Does Jesus Christ Help Us Overcome Sin?
You might have heard the phrase somewhere about “gaining victory over sin” through “the power of Jesus Christ” or “through the blood of Jesus,” etc. But what does that mean exactly, and how does it all work…especially if we’re still having to live out our lives in a world that’s still full of sin?
What You Need to Know About Temptation and How to Resist It
Ever felt like you face the same temptation day after day? The one temptation that always seems to resurface?
It can be frustrating, yes. But be encouraged—being tempted doesn’t mean you have done anything wrong! And even if you give in to temptation, you are never too imperfect to come before God.
Faith and Works—Do Both Matter in the Christian Life?
In so many religions all throughout time, individuals work toward enlightenment, salvation, or the favor of a deity. People are taught subtly—or not so subtly—that if you only do enough good deeds, you’ll be worthy/ascended/redeemed/approved, etc.
What Is Salvation, and How Do I Get Saved?
Salvation, or being saved, is what God wants for all of us. And since God created us with free will, this salvation is ultimately our choice. We become “saved” by accepting that Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the punishment meant for sinners upon Himself.
What the Bible Says About Tattoos (Are They a Sin?)
Only one Bible verse speaks directly to permanent, symbolic markings on the skin. It’s Leviticus 19:28, and it’s one item in a list of ways God told Israel to distance themselves from the pagan practices of the people they lived among.
Why is There Good and Evil in the World?
Human nature is capable of the most self-sacrificing and heroic acts—a soldier risking his life for his country, a mother protecting her children from harm, a man jumping into a swirling current to save someone who is drowning.
What is the Great Controversy?
The Great Controversy is a battle between good and evil that began when a beautiful angel rebelled in heaven. It’s the cause of the evil and suffering in our world today.