Q: Why do people sin?

Jan 9

Written By L.

The Bible Says:

Romans 2:8 tells us the root of sin (the reason behind it all) , it says:

8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Summary

People sin because in their minds (at the moment) they are focusing on themselves (self-seeking).

What does motivation that comes from being self-seeking look like?

To do something because (this not an exhaustive list) :

It makes you look good
It affects your popularity- it has a bearing on what others will think about you (if you do OR don’t do something)
It makes you feel good
It makes you powerful
It increases your income/wealth ( or to prevent a decrease in your income/wealth)
It saves you from something undesirable
It gives you status ( or prevents you from losing it)
It is fun
It makes you laugh
It earns you friends ( or prevents you from loosing the friends you have)
It allows you to win
It makes you appear to be superior
It gives you relief from something you feel (an urge, emotion, sensation, thought)
It makes you feel seen
It makes you feel appreciated
It allows you to belong (in some sort of family, community, gang, organization, etc)

When do people choose to sin?

Sin usually occurs when God’s commands get in the way of any of the things above and we choose satisfying ourselves over doing what God said. It is at this moment that we decide that we matter more than God’s will matters.
But sin can also occur when you simply do not know what God has commanded (you can’t do what you don’t know) — but this too can be an implementation of being self-seeking because God tells everyone to learn, remember, and teach His word, so not doing so could mean we have chosen to do other things over this command.

To put yourself in God’s shoes:

Think of it like a parent/sibling/teacher/supervisor. If you tell your child/sibling/student/colleague what to do (or what not to do ) and they don’t listen and do something else because they felt like it. This is the same thing we are doing to God when we sin. And just like it frustrates you when people don’t listen to what you tell them to do…God also feels frustrated. And just like you punish those you have authority over when they are disobedient (or rebel) God punished also.