This is the sixth part in a seven-part series entitled, ARE ROMAN CATHOLICS CHRISTIANS OR HERETICS. There are seven (7) major differences between Roman Catholic Doctrine and Christianity. They are a different Church, Authority, Jesus, Gospel, Mary, View of Sin, and a different Path to Eternity.
What Is Biblical Sin?
Sin is the failure to keep God’s law and to uphold his righteousness, thus failing to glorify the Lord fully. While there are many different manifestations that sin can take, they are all rooted in the initial disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden. All those who have been born afterward, other than Jesus Christ, have been born into sin and cannot escape the guilt and punishment that sin incurs apart from the freedom found in Christ. God did not create sin or the suffering that sin brings into the world.
But God is sovereign over his world and provides a way to be reconciled to him, faith in his Messiah, Jesus. There are many ways Sin is described in the Bible, the following are a few. Sin is the quality of any human action that causes it to fail to glorify the Lord fully.
SIN | HOLY SCRIPTURES |
failure to keep God’s law “lawlessness” | "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4). |
a lack of God’s righteousness | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and un-righteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). |
an absence of reverence for God | "to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 15). |
a refusal to know God | Unbelievers, "walk, in the futility of their minds, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:17b-18). |
coming short of the glory of God | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). |
failure to glorify God | "in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (1 Corinthians 4:4). |
rebellion against God | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). |
hostile to God | "because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so" (Romans 8:7). |
actions have consequences | "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.(Matthew 7:17). |
deed done with wrong motives | And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’(Matthew 22:37). |
idol worship | "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures (idols) .(Romans 1:22-23). |
out of the heart come evil thoughts | "For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the person” (Mark 7:21-23). |
suppress the truth | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom 1:18). |
carrying out desires of body and mind | "Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest" (Ephesians 2:3). |
works of the flesh: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God | "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you" (Galatians 5:19–21). |
an unbelieving heart | "Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin"(Hebrews 3:12-13). |
The Beginning of Sin
Sin had its beginning with Lucifer, probably the most beautiful and powerful of the angels. Not content with his position, he desired to be higher than God, and that was his downfall, the beginning of sin.
"How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless, you will be brought down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit" (Isaiah 14:12-15).
Satan brought sin to the human race in the Garden of Eden, where he tempted Adam and Eve with the same enticement, “you shall be like God.” Genesis 3 describes Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God and against His command. Since that time, sin has been passed down through all the generations of mankind and we, Adam’s descendants, have inherited sin from him.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Scriptures tell us that through Adam sin entered the world, and so death was passed on to all men because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). It can also be known as imputed sin.
Principle of Imputation to Benefit Mankind
Therefore, to impute is “to take something that belongs to someone and credit it to another’s account,” and imputed sin is Adam’s guilt attributed to or credited to us. All human beings are counted as having sinned in Adam and thus deserving the same punishment for sin as Adam. After Adam's sin, everyone was subject to death, even before the Mosaic Law was given, because of imputed sin, which affects our standing before God.
"So then, as through one offense (Adams sin) the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness (Jesus) the result was justification of life to all mankind" (Romans 5:18).
God used the principle of imputation to benefit mankind when He imputed the sin of believers to the account of Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for that sin—death—on the cross. Imputing our sin to Jesus, God treated Him as if He were a sinner, though He was not, and had Him die for the sins of the entire world.
"And He Himself is the propitiation (Jesus satisfies and takes away all sin) for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
It is important to understand that sin was imputed to Him, but He did not inherit it from Adam. He bore the penalty for sin, but He never became a sinner. His pure and perfect nature was untouched by sin. He was treated as though He were guilty of all the sins ever committed by the human race, even though He committed none.
God then imputed the righteousness of Christ to believers and credited our accounts with His righteousness, just as He had credited our sins to Christ’s account. (
"He made Him who knew no sin to be[a]sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Simply put, Jesus took on all of mankind's sins at the cross and gave to all who believe in Him, His righteousness.
The Apostle Paul summarizes sin as the total depravity of mankind.
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all, for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written: There is no righteous person, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks out God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, There is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the venom of asps is under their lips; their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and they have not known the way of peace. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:9-18).
He begins this passage by saying that “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” Simply put, this means that man is under the control of sin or is controlled by his sinful nature (his natural tendency to sin). The fact is that unregenerate people are controlled by their selfish, sinful tendencies.
Then in the rest of this passage, Paul quotes extensively from the Old Testament in explaining how sinful man really is. For example, we see that 1—no one is without sin, 2—no one seeks after God, 3—no one is good, 4—their speech is corrupted by sin, 5—their actions are corrupted by sin, and 6—above all, they have no fear of God. So, when one considers even these few verses, it becomes abundantly clear the Bible does indeed teach that fallen man is “totally depraved,” because sin affects all of him including his mind, will, and emotions so that “there is none who does good, no not one.”
"They (mankind) have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, there is not even one” (Romans 3:12).
6. Christians and Roman Catholics Have a Different View of Sin
Catholicism declares venial sins "do not cause death, only temporal punishment." (ccc1863)
Scripture declares it is a doctrine of demons that embraces Satan's first lie, "You surely shall not die" if you disobey God (Genesis 3:4).
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will [a]fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1).
The Roman Catholic Church divides sin into two categories, mortal sin and venial sin. The consequences of not having a biblical understanding of sin and, thus, not responding to sin accordingly, are devastating beyond words. An incorrect understanding of sin can result in an eternity separated from God in hell. Mortal Sin is “sin causing spiritual death,” and Venial Sin is “sin that can be forgiven.” Venial sin is invariably used in contrast with mortal sin. Mortal sins are those sins that exclude people from the kingdom; venial sins are those sins that do not exclude people from it. Venial sin differs from mortal sin in the punishment it entails. Venial sin merits temporal punishment expiated by confession or by the fires of purgatory, while mortal sin merits eternal death.
Mortal Sin in Catholicism
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church is found this description of mortal sin:
“For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: ‘Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.’”
According to the Catechism, “Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments.” The Catechism further states that:
“mortal sin results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell.”
In summary, mortal sin is an intentional violation of the Ten Commandments (in thought, word or deed), committed in full knowledge of the gravity of the matter, and it results in the loss of salvation. Salvation may be regained through repentance and God’s forgiveness.
Venial Sin in Catholicism
Regarding venial sin, the Catechism states the following:
“One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul’s progress in the exercise of virtues and practice of moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace, it is humanly reparable. ‘Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.’” (ccc 1864)
Venial sin may be a violation of the Ten Commandments or a sin of a lesser nature, but it is committed unintentionally and/or without full consent. Although damaging to one’s relationship with God, venial sin does not result in the loss of eternal life.
All Sins Bring Divine Condemnation and Death
FOR CHRISTIANS IN CHRIST: "Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8:1-2) |
FOR EVERYONE ELSE INCLUDING ROMAN CATHOLICS: God' wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Romans 1:18). |
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). |
The soul who sins shall die (Ezekial 18:4). |
The 2nd death is the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). |
God's wrath (judgment, condemnation) remain if you don't believe in the Biblical Jesus (John 3:36). |
When sin has run its course, it brings forth death (James 1:15b). |
Unbiblical Picture of How God Views Sin
Biblically, the concepts of mortal and venial sin present several problems: first of all, these concepts present an unbiblical picture of how God views sin. It is true that the Bible states God will be just and fair in His punishment of sin and that on the day of judgment, some sins will merit greater punishment than others.
"Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:22).
But the fact is that all sin will be punished by God. The Bible teaches that all of us sin
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
and that the just compensation for sin is eternal death.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
The Bible does not state that some sins are worthy of eternal death whereas others are not. All sins are mortal sins in that even one sin makes the offender worthy of eternal separation from God.
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10).
Notice his use of the word “stumbles.” It means to make a mistake or fall into error. James is painting a picture of a person who is trying to do the right thing and yet, perhaps unintentionally, commits a sin. What is the consequence? God states when a person commits even unintentional sin, he is guilty of breaking the entire law.
Unbiblical Picture of God's Payment for Sin
Second, these concepts of mortal and venial sins present an unbiblical picture of God’s payment for sin. In both cases, forgiveness of the given transgression is dependent upon the offender making restitution of some type. In Roman Catholicism, this restitution may take the form of going to confession, praying a certain prayer, indulgencies, receiving the Eucharist, or another ritual of some type. The basic thought is that in order for Christ’s forgiveness to be applied to the offender, the offender must perform some work, and then the forgiveness is granted. The payment and forgiveness of the transgression is dependent upon the offender’s actions.
Is this what the Bible teaches regarding the payment for sin? No! It clearly teaches that the payment for sin is not found in or based upon the actions of the sinner.
“For Christ also died for sins once, for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).
Take note of the wording, “Christ also died for sins once for all.” This passage teaches that for the person who believes in Jesus Christ, all of his or her sins have been taken care of on the cross. Christ died for all of them. This includes the sins the believer committed before salvation and the ones he has committed and will commit after salvation.
“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [God] made you alive together with Him [Christ], having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
God has “forgiven us all our transgressions.” Not just the sins of the past, but all of them. They have been nailed to the cross and taken out of the way. When Jesus, on the cross, stated,
“It is finished” (John 19:30)
He was stating that He had fulfilled (accomplished) all that was necessary to grant forgiveness and eternal life to those who would believe in Him. This is why Jesus says.
“he who believes in Him [Jesus] is not judged” (John 3:18).
Paul states this fact in Romans 8:1:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Why are believers not judged? Why is there no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? It is because the death of Christ satisfied God’s righteous wrath against sin,
"By this, the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins" (1 John 4: 9-10).
and now those who trust in Christ will not bear the penalty of that sin.
"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who does not (believe) obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
Whereas the concepts of mortal and venial sin place the responsibility to gain God’s forgiveness for a given transgression in the hands of the offender, the Bible clearly teaches that all sins of the believer are forgiven at the cross of Christ. The Bible does teach, that when a Christian gets involved in sin, he or she may reap temporal, physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual consequences. But the believer never has to reacquire God’s forgiveness due to personal sin because God’s Word declares that God’s wrath toward the believer’s sin was satisfied completely at the cross.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit" (Galatians 6:7-8).
Unbiblical Picture of God’s Dealings with His Children
Third, these concepts present an unbiblical picture of God’s dealings with His children. Clearly, according to Roman Catholicism, one of the consequences of committing a mortal sin is that it removes eternal life from the offender. Also, according to this concept, God will grant again eternal life through repentance and good works (keeping the sacraments).
Does the Bible teach that a person who is truly saved by God through Christ can lose his salvation and regain it? It clearly does not teach this. Once a person has placed his faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, the Bible teaches that that person is eternally secure--he cannot be lost. Consider the words of Jesus,
"My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).
Consider also the words of Paul,
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, (nothing) will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Reflecting back upon the fact of the total satisfaction of God’s wrath toward our sin in the death of Christ, our sins cannot separate us from God’s love. In love, God chooses to take Christ’s death as payment for believers’ sins and doesn’t hold them against the believer. Thus, when the believer commits sin, the forgiveness of God in Christ is already present, and, although the believer may experience self-inflicted consequences, God’s love and forgiveness are never in jeopardy.
For every Christian, there is a war going on between living in the Spirit and living in the flesh. But the sin issue has been dealt with by the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In either case, it is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that saves and forgives completely and forever.
"I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand, I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:14-25).
Paul clearly states that the believer will struggle with sin throughout his earthly existence, but that Christ will save us from this body of death. And “therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Whereas the concept of mortal sin teaches that a person can lose his salvation through personal sin, the Bible teaches that God’s love and favor will never be removed from His children. Nothing can separate us from the love and embrace of God.
God's Grace
God’s grace not only redeems the believer from every lawless deed, but it also guides the believer into holy living and makes the believer zealous for good deeds. This doesn’t mean that the believer never sins, but that his passion will be to honor God because of God’s grace working in the believer’s life. Forgiveness and holiness are two sides of the same coin of God’s grace--they go together.
Although a believer may stumble and fall into sin at times the general path and direction of his life will be one of holiness and passion for God and His glory. If one follows the concepts of mortal and venial sin, he or she may be deceived into viewing sin with a flippant attitude, thinking that he or she can sin at will and simply seek God’s forgiveness at a point of personal desire. The Bible instructs us that the true believer will never view sin flippantly and will strive, in the strength of God’s grace, to live a holy life.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit" (Galatians 6:7-8).
The Scriptures call it sanctification. It is the same as growing in the Lord or spiritual maturity.
"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity, Amen" (2 Peter 3:18).
Based on the above biblical truth, the concepts of mortal and venial sin are not biblical and should be rejected. In Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the problem of our sin is completely taken care of, and we need look no further than that amazing demonstration of God’s love for us. Our forgiveness and right standing with God are not dependent upon us, our failings, or our faithfulness. The true believer is to fix his eyes on Jesus and live in light of all that He accomplished on our behalf. God’s love and grace are truly amazing! May we live in light of the life we have in Christ! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, may we be victorious over all sin, intentional, or unintentional.
To get a more accurate and comprehensive view of the Roman Catholic church please read all my blogs outlining the seven (7) major differences between Roman Catholic Doctrine and Christianity. They are a different Church, Authority, Jesus, Gospel, Mary, View of Sin, and a different Path to Eternity. www.fullerofgraceandtruth.com/blog
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW GOD INTIMATELY AND FEEL HIS LOVING PRESENCE?
This is the ultimate Christian online course on learning how to be intimate with God, not just knowing about Him, but to experience Him so He influences your heart, your marriage, family, church, and world. www.fullerofgraceandtruth.com/blog
JESUS PLUS NOTHING SAVES YOU
This is a detailed discussion on who Jesus is and how you get saved!
We All Have the Same Dilemma, We're Dead in Sin
Every human being, ethnic group, race, or gender finds themselves in this same dilemma. Therefore, there are three questions you would be wise to ask yourself and extremely prudent to answer.
One, why do I need to be saved?
Two, what does it mean for me to be saved?
Three, how am I saved?
I believe Only Jesus plus nothing not only saves you but answers these three questions.
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