We believe that sin is a congenital lack of conformity to the moral law of God (Psalm 51:5; 1 John 3:4; 5:17). It is in essence the rebellion of man against the rightful place of God in his life (Luke 19:13; Phil 2:10,11), a refusal to acknowledge God for who He truly is (Isa 40:12-24; 44:9-17) and what He justly deserves (Rev 14:6,7). Sin is an Adamic (Rom 5:12) disposition of the heart (Jer 17:9; Rom 6:12; 7:8-10, 17) against the Creator that is manifest through actions (I John3:4) and attitudes (Exod 20:17; Lev 19:17; Matt 5:27-29) both voluntary (2 Peter 3:5) and involuntary (Gen 20:6). It effects the body (Rom 8:10; Eph 4:19) the mind (Rom 8:5,6,7; Eph 4:17,18) the will (John 8:34) and the emotions (2 Cor 7:10b). Man is consequently totally incapable of self-reformation (Jer 13:23;) or salvation (Rom 1:18; Rom 3:9, 19,20; Tit 3:5).
Sin originated in Satan (Isa 14:12-14; Ezek 2815; 1 John 3:8) and entered the world through his agency and the transgression of Adam (1 Tim 2:14), the federal head of the human race (Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:22). Adam’s sin is imputed to all men such that all stand guilty and condemned before God because of their identification with Adam (Rom 5:18,19). The pollution of the sin nature has been passed down from Adam through natural generation such that all men are born polluted or depraved (Gen 5:3; 8:21; Psalm 51:5; 58:3).
The ultimate consequence of sin is death (Rom 5:21; 6:23). This death includes physical death (Jam 2:26), spiritual death (Eph 2:1) and the second death (Rev 20:14,15)
The presence of sin in the universe of an omnipotent, sovereign God is unfathomable. It must be concluded that God permitted sin in order to ultimately bring glory to Himself (Psalm 16:4).