https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/rss/ Copyright https://www.christianity.com 2026, Christianity.com Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:04:38 -0400 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/why-do-catholics-confess-their-sins-to-a-priest.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/why-do-catholics-confess-their-sins-to-a-priest.html Mary Oelerich-Meyer https://www.christianity.com/author/mary-oelerich-meyer/ Let’s explore what Catholics believe about confessing sins, how their practice compares to Scripture, and what the Bible actually says about sin, confession, and forgiveness. Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:55:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/angels-and-demons/how-did-the-serpent-speak-to-eve.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/angels-and-demons/how-did-the-serpent-speak-to-eve.html Jenna Brooke Carlson https://www.christianity.com/author/jenna-brooke-carlson/ Did the serpent speak out loud to Eve, and was it truly Satan in animal form? Let’s take a deeper look at Genesis 3 and discover more about this life-altering moment for mankind. Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:55:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/3-reasons-to-resist-arrogance-and-pride.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/3-reasons-to-resist-arrogance-and-pride.html John Stange https://www.christianity.com/author/john-stange/ Last week, my wife and I attended a day-long Christian conference that featured about 15 different speakers. Many of the speakers shared helpful and encouraging details about their personal walk with Jesus. Several speakers also spoke about biblical leadership principles, while others ventured into topics like entrepreneurship and financial stewardship. It was a long day, but we were certainly glad to have the privilege of hearing several prominent voices in the Christian world share their thoughts. There were a few “stand-out” moments at the conference, but one that I think I’ll always remember involved a speaker who approached his topic with a very arrogant posture. I think he thought he was being entertaining, but I found him needlessly abrasive. He insulted the audience. He bragged about his success. He gave off the impression that he was better than those who were there to listen to him. Toward the end of his speech, a man stood up, walked toward the stage, and loudly confronted him. That man’s behavior was also out of line, but I wasn’t surprised to see something like that happen. The speaker’s arrogance was practically provoking it. After the awkward confrontation, I noticed the speaker’s demeanor soften a little. He finished what he had to say, then sheepishly walked off the stage and handed the microphone to the next speaker in the lineup.  Pride and arrogance are a common human struggle. We struggle with these heart attitudes in our generation, but we aren’t the first to wrestle with these things. Scripture tells us that Satan himself was found to have a proud heart when he presented himself before God. As a result, he was cast out of his place of prominence in heaven (see Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). The book of Hosea also demonstrates the struggle with pride and arrogance that was commonplace among the people of ancient Israel during their time as well. There are several important things we can learn about pride and arrogance when we read what the Lord spoke to the people of Israel through the prophet Hosea.Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Paul Bradbury Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:20:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/7-surprising-facts-about-the-apostle-john.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/7-surprising-facts-about-the-apostle-john.html Britt Mooney https://www.christianity.com/author/britt-mooney/ We have the amazing gift of the Bible because God inspired authors over hundreds of years to write down history, teaching, or songs for us to engage with and learn more about God and his redemptive plan. The four Gospels in the New Testament provide a unique genre in history. These tell the story of Jesus’ life, focused on him. Generally influenced by the Roman historians of the day, these four books had a specific purpose: to reveal how God came to earth to open the way for us to have a restored intimacy and purpose with the Father through the Son. With the acts of Jesus as the framework, they also contain his teachings and prophecy so that Christians could be discipled in Christ’s words. One of those writers was the apostle John, one of those closest to Jesus. He wrote five books of the New Testament in total: the Gospel of John, three letters to the church, and the apocalyptic Revelation. Looking at the authors of these inspired words helps us delve a little deeper into understanding the Bible and even how we can be called by God, as well.Here are 7 facts about the apostle John. Photo Credit: Chat GPT AI Fri, 23 May 2025 17:05:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/is-ignorance-a-sin-what-does-the-bible-say.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/is-ignorance-a-sin-what-does-the-bible-say.html Lori Stanley Roeleveld https://www.christianity.com/author/lori-stanley-roeleveld/ Late night television hosts routinely keep us in stitches sending out staffers to quiz passersby on topics ranging from the history of America to stories from the Bible. We chuckle as they struggle to name the first American president (George Washington) or even one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) but ignorance isn’t really funny. Ignorance of God is especially not entertaining. In fact, there are times when we could rightly ask, is ignorance a sin?Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/baramee2554 Wed, 21 May 2025 09:45:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/did-jesus-forgive-our-future-sins.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/did-jesus-forgive-our-future-sins.html Mary Oelerich-Meyer https://www.christianity.com/author/mary-oelerich-meyer/ Because Jesus is able to forgive our sins when we come to Him in faith today, He is also willing and able to forgive our future sins. Tue, 22 Apr 2025 16:10:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/videos/video-features/5-things-christians-label-as-sin-that-arent-actually-sinful.html https://www.christianity.com/videos/video-features/5-things-christians-label-as-sin-that-arent-actually-sinful.html Dale Chamberlain https://www.christianity.com/author/dale-chamberlain/  Sin separates us from a relationship with God, as well as each other. The power of Jesus’ resurrection is that sin no longer enslaves us. God has empowered us by his Spirit to fight back against it. Mon, 14 Apr 2025 10:55:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/is-it-a-sin-to-read-the-book-of-enoch.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/is-it-a-sin-to-read-the-book-of-enoch.html Britt Mooney https://www.christianity.com/author/britt-mooney/ While not a part of the Hebrew or Christian canons, the Book of Enoch greatly influenced early Jewish thought and New Testament writings. Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:50:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/9-surprising-facts-about-the-apostle-luke.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/9-surprising-facts-about-the-apostle-luke.html Michelle Treacy https://www.christianity.com/author/michelle-treacy/ Luke's Gospel is positioned as the third gospel in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is one of the most intricate gospels. Luke wrote the longest gospel account, including more of Jesus' life than the other gospels, announcing the birth of John the Baptist, including the census of Caesar Augustus, Jesus’ circumcision, the conversations with Simeon, and Jesus' trip to the temple, where he goes missing at age 12. The gospel also ends later as Luke covers the ascension to heaven, which is not found anywhere else. 1. The Gospel of Luke Is a Synoptic Gospel. Luke, Matthew, and Mark are three of the four gospels in the New Testament and are often referred to as the synoptic gospels. The word Synoptic is used to define them as they are all of similar structure, content, and wording. They could literally be set side by side and used to confirm the stories in each. Not all the gospels hold all of the same information but there are many stories which cross over. Scholars would suggest that around 50% of Mark's gospel is included in the gospel of Luke. Despite their apparent similarities, each author writes based on their own viewpoints, and so there are also many qualities unique to each gospel that teach us more about Jesus. Photo Credit: @Unsplash/Laura Nyhuis Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:30:00 -0400 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/what-is-systemic-sin.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/what-is-systemic-sin.html James Spencer https://www.christianity.com/author/james-spencer/ One of the ads that scrolls on the digital billboard for a strip club I pass while driving from my home in Illinois to Saint Louis reads: “Student Loans Got You Down? We’re Always Hiring.” The ad is more than just a tongue-in-cheek way of recruiting new dancers. It is an expression of the systemic sin that structures various misdirected desires into a given society. Similar to t-shirts featuring the silhouette of a woman swinging on a pole with the phrase “I support single moms,” the ad about student loans acknowledges the financial challenges women in certain situations face. However, that acknowledgement does not prompt compassion or a desire to work toward a common good—it presses toward a transactional relationship. If these women want money, strip clubs and the “gentlemen” who frequent them will be happy to provide it in return for a show. What is offered is not a pathway to human flourishing, but a transactional relationship in which there is no particular concern for the good of the other or for the common good of society as a whole. Satisfying one’s own desires overshadows any concern with glorifying God. Systemic sin need not be intentional. It has a numbing effect so that driving past a strip club becomes relatively commonplace in contrast to, for example, the horrors of sex trafficking. In both cases, we need to recognize the personal and structural aspects of society that allow for if not encourage evil. As Nancey Murphy suggests, “while structures of sin can come into being through evil choices, they come also through ignorant if well-intentioned choices…they become forces in the universe beyond the control of the individuals involved, often compelling their collusion.” I would only add that “structures of sin” (i.e., systemic sin) can also emerge from ignorance that is not well-intentioned. The uninformed, misdirected and unrestrained desires of humankind result in a world where the disadvantages and vulnerabilities of others can be leveraged for one’s own interest and enjoyment.Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Deberarr Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:20:00 -0500 2026-03-31T02:04:38-04:00