When was the last time you caught yourself stargazing the Milky Way...during the daylight hours that is? Never. Really? Why not? The stars didn’t go anywhere. The problem isn't the Milky Way. The problem arises when the stars are set against the backdrop of the sun. That’s why we can’t see them during the daytime. It’s not until we contrast the stars against the extreme darkness of space that we can begin to fully capture the grandeur of their beauty. The Gospel is much the same. It’s only when the Gospel is laid up against the dark and filthy backdrop of our sin that it shines most brightly in all of its glory. To misunderstand sin is to be shielded from the beauty of the Gospel.

So, what is sin? At its core, what is it? Most Christians would define sin, or better yet, they would limit sin to a simple infraction of the law, to breaking one of the Ten Commandments, or doing something that God said not to do. But is that really the biblical scope of sin? Let me answer that by asking another question. What makes lying so wrong? Is it simply because God said, “Thou shalt not lie?” Could God have said, “Thou shalt lie?” Could He have made that one of the Ten Commandments? No, of course not. But why? Why is lying wrong?

Lying is wrong because God is the God of all Truth, which means that lying is considered sin because it goes against the very character of God. Sin is actually an affront, an assault, a cosmic crime against the Creator of the universe. If committing a crime against God Himself wasn’t bad enough, allow me to take it a step further.

In Romans 11:36, Paul wrote, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forevermore. Amen.”

Paul is saying that God alone is the source, sustainer, and ultimate goal of all that exists. To that end, He alone is to be glorified above all else and forevermore.