Sin and Repentance
Last updated: 2026-04-10
Sin is defined in Scripture as any lack of conformity to, or active transgression of, the holy law of God. It is a fundamental turning away from our Creator that renders us, in our natural state, dead in trespasses and deserving of divine wrath, yet this reality makes the grace of the Gospel even more glorious.
📖 The Definition of Sin
At its heart, sin is defined by its relationship to the character and law of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 14 notes, it is any 'want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.' The Apostle John provides the biblical foundation for this, stating, 'Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness' (1 John 3:4). To sin is to reject the governing authority of God and to deviate from the standard of holiness He has established for His creation.
Sources: 1 John 3:4 · Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 14
⚖️ The Weight and Scope of Sin
The 1689 LBCF Ch.6 §1 clarifies that by this sin, our first parents fell from their original righteousness, and this corruption is now propagated to all their descendants. We are, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, universally affected: 'for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). While Reformed traditions acknowledge that all sins bring us under the curse, they also distinguish—as seen in Westminster Larger Catechism — Question 150—that some sins are more heinous than others due to the nature of the act or specific aggravations.
Sources: 1689 LBCF Ch.6 §1 · Romans 3:23 · Westminster Larger Catechism — Question 150
✝️ The Gospel Solution
While the weight of our sin is staggering, the Gospel is even greater. We are indeed more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, but we are also more accepted and loved in Christ than we ever dared hope. It is precisely because we could not keep the law that Christ fulfilled it on our behalf. As Paul writes, 'But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us' (Romans 5:8). Our hope is not in our own performance, but in the finished work of our Savior.
Sources: Romans 5:8
Genuine repentance is a saving grace, wrought by the Holy Spirit, wherein a sinner perceives the filthiness of sin, grieves over it, and turns from it to God with a sincere purpose to walk in new obedience. While Reformed and Baptist traditions agree on its necessity, they share the conviction that it is a lifelong fruit of faith, not a work performed to earn God's favor.
🌱 A Grace Wrought by the Spirit
Genuine repentance is not merely a human resolution but an 'evangelical grace' given by God. It begins when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see our sin not just as a danger to be avoided, but as an affront to the holy nature of God. As noted in the 1689 LBCF Ch.15 §3, the penitent person, through faith in Christ, feels a 'detestation' of sin and a 'self-abhorrency.' It is a gift of God, for as the Apostle Paul suggests in II Tim. 2:25, we must be instructed with patience, hoping that 'God may perhaps grant them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth.'
Sources: 1689 LBCF Ch.15 §3 · II Tim. 2:25
🔄 Turning from Sin to Christ
Repentance is a 'sincere turning to God' and an earnest turning away from evil. It involves confessing our sins directly to our Father, who is faithful to forgive us because of Christ's finished work. As stated in the Second Helvetic Confession Ch.XIV, we do not repent to 'satisfy' God or earn our salvation; rather, we repent because we have been reconciled by grace. When we confess, we rely on the promise of I John 1:9, that 'if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'
Sources: Second Helvetic Confession Ch.XIV · I John 1:9
🏃 A Lifelong Pursuit of New Obedience
Repentance is not a one-time event at conversion; it is a disposition we carry throughout our entire lives. Because we still wrestle with the 'body of death,' we must constantly repent of our particular sins as they are revealed to us. The 1689 LBCF Ch.15 §4 reminds us that it is every believer's duty to address specific known sins. This obedience is never the cause of our acceptance, but the natural, joyous fruit of being loved and accepted in Christ.
Sources: 1689 LBCF Ch.15 §4
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