Two weeks ago I wrote to you about the adulterous affair of former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. He had to resign from office after his escapades with a hooker were exposed.

This week I was reading in USA Today about people's view of sin. The article was written with Easter celebrations in mind, but it addresses the issue of people's view of sin, what it is and how to view it in their lives. One of the surveys the article cited was that 87 percent of U.S. adults believe in the existence of sin (defined as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective").

The top sin in this survey was adultery (81 percent). That's encouraging. But in the same survey only 45 percent said that premarital sex was a sin. That is quite a disconnect. Sexual immorality, whether before marriage or in marriage is wrong. Both erode the bonds of trust, purity and holiness that are at the foundation of the marriage relationship.

Other facts in the survey show the confusion on the issue of sin and morality. People feel a sense of right and wrong on some issues, but there is not clear definition put before them by most preachers or theologians. One of America's most popular television preachers admits he does not use the word sin in his sermons since people already know they make mistakes. The message seems fuzzy.

A theologian says most today believe "being good is enough." He said, "People know what sin is; they just don't believe it anymore. We mix up happiness and holiness, and God is no longer the reference point."

I question whether many people really know what sin is from a biblical definition. Relativism—situation ethics—has confused people's minds and led to an erosion of values and morality over the last four decades and more. It is similar to the conditions Isaiah the prophet saw in his day. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).

Most people today, even those who attend a weekly church service, do not want to be told their personal behavior violates a higher spiritual law that is unbending in its expectations. It is simply too hard for people to bring their lives under the scrutiny of God's eternal law and admit there is a need to change their lives. To admit we are wrong and need to change is one of the hardest parts of life. No one wants to do this.

So they hear sermons that skirt the issue of sin and instead deal with achieving personal success or happiness. Few and far between are the sermons that deal with biblical doctrine and the hard subjects of sin and divine judgment. Isaiah's words again define our own age. "This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord; who say to the seers, 'Do not see,' and to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits'" (Isaiah 30:9-10).

Ask anyone for a biblical definition of sin and he would be hard pressed to come up with 1 John 3:4: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." Sin is the transgression of God's law, the Ten Commandments. These commandments define the way we understand God and man. They shape how we approach God and treat our fellow humans in specific, definable terms. The story of the Bible builds on each of these cardinal points like a finely crafted compass, serving to chart our daily actions and behavior.

Understanding and defining sin brings us face to face with the God we have not clearly seen nor understood. It can be a life-changing encounter and a refreshingly new start to life. We have a booklet that can introduce you to God's commandments and show you their relevance and application to your life today. It is called The Ten Commandments. Read it this week.

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