Sin Is Disobeying God

Sin can be defined in two words: disobeying God. Included in the teaching of our children to confess their wrongdoing immediately following correction is the proper phrasing of the confession. “I’m sorry for standing on the table” is not necessarily a confession of sin. Those words may come out of the mouth, but the heart might be saying, “I know you don’t like for me to stand on the table, so I’m sorry that I did it … while you were watching … because I don’t like spankings.”
So I will often ask, “Is standing on the table a sin? Does the Bible say, ‘You shall not stand on tables’?”
The child says, “No,” even though he has never read the entire Bible, let alone, memorized it. But I think God has given my child enough grace to recognize the answer to my question.
“What was your sin then?” I ask.
“Disobeying my parents.”
“Is disobeying your parents a sin?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because God says, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord.’”
“That’s right. So when you disobey your parents, then you are also …”
“… disobeying God. – I’m sorry, Dad, for disobeying you by standing on the table.”
“Now, Son, you need to tell Someone else ….”
“I’m sorry, God, for disobeying you.”
* * * * *
Throughout the Scriptures, beginning with Cain and Abel, we see God accepting some sacrifices and rejecting others. He is the One Who required sacrifices with multiple parameters, but then later (in Isaiah 1) He asked, “Who has required all these sacrifices at your hand?”

As the Hebrews writer explains, Christ knew that doing God’s will – obedience – took priority over sacrifice; but then, in doing God’s will, Christ offered Himself as the sinless, atoning sacrifice. Hebrews 10:8-10 – “First He said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them’ (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do Your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”