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There are several other words used to portray the many-sidedness of sin, but those we
have considered are the chief. By one man sin entered into the world, and all have sinned
and COME SHORT (chata). This condition is named as one of lawlessness and
unrighteousness. Our very natures are wrung out of their course, or wrong and crooked
(avah), we are plunged into ignorance that is not synonymous with innocence (asham),
and all our efforts are purposeless, wearisome toil (amal). We have turned our backs
upon God, and a usurper has dominion over us. Sin has mounted the throne of God
(aven), and deceit and inequality, iniquity in fact, now mark us (aval). We pass over or
transgress the law of conscience or of revelation (abar), and become rebels (pasha).
Restless wickedness becomes our characteristic (rasha), and utter ruin, or evil, is our end
(ra). Such is the condition of the sons of Adam. From such a state nothing can deliver
them, but the redemption that is in Christ.
It will be found that in Rom. 5: 6-10, when speaking of those who stand in need of
salvation, the apostle deals with sin in somewhat the same way in which we have treated
its development. He begins with the negative and passive, and leads on to the positive
and active:--
For when we were yet WITHOUT STRENGTH
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negative.
In due time Christ died for the UN-GODLY
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While we were yet SINNERS
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positive.
When we were ENEMIES
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The types of sin in the Scriptures will need examination before we have considered all
that has been given to teach us, and these we must pass in review in a subsequent article.
So far we have gathered something of the nature of sin from the inspired language
employed to describe its character and its outgoings. We must, however, seek a clearer
Scriptural understanding of the redemption that delivers. We commend this study to all
true Bereans, praying that the method suggested in investigating the word asham may
stimulate others to search out similar phenomena in connection with the remaining
words. We should welcome any help in this direction, and would forewarn any who
contemplate the search, that they will have "need of patience", and that, as the study
requires accuracy both of text reference and original words, some system of checking
must be adopted to make such study of service.