Anything that soils our robes of righteousness is a sin.

That is my definition of sin, not something anyone else has to agree with. So let us move on to the issue of having a right standing before God the Father.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Given this is true, how can I say that I even have a robe of righteousness?

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Paul in his letter to the Romans has laid out some very rational arguments between Romans 3:10 and 3:20 that states why we are not righteous but here in verse 20 he adds a qualifying word that makes everything right in God’s eyes. That word is justified. Justification Is an accounting term where the ledger of debt is paid moving us out of the red (debt) and into the black.

No deed of the law, including total obedience to the law, brings us into a relationship with God the Father that is acceptable in His eyes. If we think that obeying all the law will bring about righteousness, we are mistaken. So how do we obtain these robes of righteousness?

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

God provides the robes of righteousness to prepare us for the wedding. 

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

So faith in Christ is how we will be issued robes of righteousness, to become betrothed to the Son. God would not create a law that He Himself would not keep.

Exodus 21:9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

2 Corinthians 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Wearing those robes only makes us look righteous in God’s eyes. Underneath our flesh still touches these robes and soils them because we have not been translated into our incorruptible state of being. Yet!

Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

No one talks about sin any more. Talking about it makes people uncomfortable. As I began this line of thought I did a word search in BLB.ORG and discovered 66 separate entries under definitions. Some had a long list of explanations, some listed use and effects, topical references, and of course there was the inevitable mentioning of sin offering, what to do about sin.

I list here the first biblical use of the word sin. It is not the first encounter with sin, just the first mention of sin. In context God is speaking to Cain about Cain’s demeanor. Cain as yet has not committed any sin, but he was about to commit the first deadly sin, murder.

The unique issue here is lost on some of us, that Cain and Abel were the first two born in sin. Able made an acceptable sacrifice and Cain did not. These were not sin offerings, neither lad had yet sinned. Their issue was trying to please God, to be acceptable. God looked on Abel’s sacrifice with favor, not so with Cain’s.

Stop and think for a moment about all the souls that were born in sin long before the law was given. Generation after generation sought or did not seek God’s favor, to be looked upon with acceptance without the law.

Abraham, Issac and Jacob all had a relationship with God long before the Law was given to Moses. Did those men sin? If you compare their lives in view of the law, then yes, they sinned. But the law had not been given. Enoch walked with God and pleased God so much that God saved him from the flood that was coming. Noah and sons needed an Ark to save them, Enoch did not.

Abraham is called the father of faith but he died. How did Enoch escape death?

Enoch just like the rest of us was born in sin, but sin did not stop him from having a favorable relationship with God.

Returning once again to the first use of the word sin, let us look at sin’s position. It lies at the door. The door is ill defined. What door? What does the door represent? The door is a transitional place defining that which is within and what is without. Go out and sin will trip you.

So I will now redefine sin in a manner that does not relate to the law, as it did before Moses. If Enoch had a right standing with God and was accepted then let us view sin as anything that puts our right standing with God in danger.

Anything that soils our robes of righteousness is a sin.