Sin is a violation of God’s will. We sin when we do things that God has instructed us not to do and when we don’t do things God has told us to do. The two great love commandments (love God with everything you are and everything you have, and love your neighbor as yourself) sum up God’s will for our lives. We sin when we do not love as we ought to, when we hate rather than love, or when we love something more or less than we are supposed to or in a way that is in violation of God’s design and desire.
Jordan Ballor, born in Los Angeles, is a scholar at the Acton Institute. His favorite movie is Elf, he has a dog named Juno, his favorite smell is coffee, his first job was at at a golf club as a caddy, and when not engaged in academic rigor he enjoys watching and playing sports.
