What is sin?

Sin is lawlessness

It is written in 1 John that "SIN is LAWLESSNESS" (1 John 3:4).

The Greek word for "LAWLESSNESS" is a noun describing the opposite of the law. 

The Greek word for "LAWLESSNESS" [anomia 458 in Greek, noun] comes from the Greek word for "lawless" [anomos 459 in Greek, adjective], which comes from the opposite of the Greek word for "law" [nomos 3551 in Greek, noun]. 

Someone working "LAWLESSNESS" would be working the opposite of the law. 

Because "SIN is LAWLESSNESS" (1 John 3:4), working SIN would also be working the opposite of the law.

Someone is not without law within the new covenant

There is a law in the new covenant, so that someone does not have to be "LAWLESS" [anomos 459 in Greek], as Paul wrote that he was "NOT being WITHOUT(-THE)-LAW [anomos 459 in Greek] (of) God, but within(-the)-law (of) Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21) in the new covenant. 

For more information about the law of Christ:

Is there a law in the new covenant?: 

Click here

It is written in 1 John that "SIN is LAWLESSNESS" (1 John 3:4). The law (of Christ) is composed of commandments. Someone sinning lawlessness (against the law of Christ) would also not keep the commandments (of the law of Christ). 

This could be illustrated two verses after writing that "SIN is LAWLESSNESS" (1 John 3:4). It is written about Christ that "Everyone SINNING has not seen Him nor KNOWN Him" (1 John 3:6). One chapter earlier it is written about "Jesus Christ" (1 John 2:1) that "The (one) saying that “I-HAVE-KNOWN Him” and NOT KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS is (a) liar" (1 John 2:4).

Here someone "SINNING" (1 John 3:6) and someone "NOT KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS" (1 John 2:4) have both not known Christ.

Here someone "SINNING" (1 John 3:6) would also be someone "NOT KEEPING HIS [Christ's] COMMANDMENTS" (1 John 2:4) because "SIN is LAWLESSNESS" (1 John 3:4) (against the law of Christ and His commandments).

↺ Click here to return to the Table of Contents.