What is the opposite of sin but is not “not sin?”

Okay, first of all I love your question! It actually made me laugh out loud because I was picturing you saying, “Okay, I want to know what the opposite of being cool is and don’t say being uncool!”

But, this is a very awesome and interesting question. Let’s first look at what sin is, okay? If we look at the word sin as a verb (an action), it means to miss the mark, falling short or disobeying God’s laws. If we look at sin as a noun (a thing), it means the state of missing the mark, falling short or disobeying God’s laws.

So, in determining the opposite of sin, I believe the opposite of sin, the verb, is righteousness or holiness. This means that you are walking right with God and being holy, which means you are trying your best to set yourself apart from the ways of the world. We live in a world that says it’s okay to do certain things but God commands us to live His way.

But, here’s the catch: it is impossible to be without sin. Oh, we can try to live righteous lives but we always stumble. Don’t feel bad. EVERYONE does. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There was only ONE person who ever lived a perfect, sinless life and that was Jesus. So don’t be too hard on yourself when you sin.

And here’s why you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself: because the opposite of sin, the noun, is grace. And Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and this is not from ourselves but it is a gift from God --- not through works so that no man can boast.”

Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Because we are sinners we deserve to die and we don’t deserve eternal life in Heaven with God. But, God’s gift of grace, through faith in Him, overcomes the sin in our lives. He will forgive our sins because Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross for us. God also offers us mercy, which is not giving us what we do deserve! Isn’t God good? I know He is and He is good all the time!