A long time after I started following Jesus I couldn’t understand exactly what sin is. I knew it’s wrong and that I shouldn't commit it. However, there was no clear explanation of boundaries concerning the notion of sin.

I saw only exhausting lists of rules and regulations. Due to my ignorance sometimes everything seemed like sin, other times I wasn’t sure if a particular white lie is wrong or not.

Many times we lose the desire to do something when we know the end result of that certain action. It works the opposite way also. If we know the purpose of a created tool we know how to use it and the best use for it. On the other hand, if the purpose doesn’t seem to agree with our desire, it’s easy to refuse using something that contradicts the goal we want.

I’m not saying that sin is created by God, but that we lose the ability to be tempted if we know how costly and unnecessary sin is. Why is it bad for us? Are we supposed to avoid immorality only because God doesn't like it? If that’s the reason it’s not going to last long until we miss the mark again.

The breakthrough on this issue happened when I discovered the reason why we were created in the first place. God built us in a very specific way for a distinct goal.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, ESV, emphasis mine)

It’s clear that we are created to be the image of God, to represent Him to the creation. That’s the purpose of why we were created. Anything contradicting the end goal is wrong.

God has no sin and is not practising it, therefore we, being created in His image, weren’t created for trangression.

For better understanding let’s use an illustration with a simpler object like a book. A book is created to contain information. That’s the designed purpose of a particular book. Can it be used for something else? Certainly, it can! Its pages can be used to protect furniture from paint drops while the walls are being painted or to start a fire when there’s no straw around. That’s an example of how a book can be used against the purpose.

Our free will allows us an option to chose what to do with the possibilities we have without restricting us to a certain amount of choices.

When the book is not being used in accordance with the intention it was created, it’s being damaged and pulled away from the purpose. It can less or no longer fulfill the desire writer or designer had for it. Simply put, the book is damaged, made imperfect, and ruined.

Damage separates the object from its intended end. Broken buildings cannot be used for living in them, windows no longer can keep the elements away, a wrecked car cannot be used for transportation, etc.

I’ll take a bold step in saying that ripping pages of a book or dipping it into water is a sin against the book. Anything that’s not in the list of the goals of an invention is damaging it. It separated the object from being what it actually is.

Let’s come back to the man as the image of God. We all know that God is good, kind, full of truth, mercy, and love. People are made to resemble these qualities. Being angry, violent, and full of hatred is not representing God. These actions are separating a person from being an image of God.

Sin is an action that damages us because we don’t act the way are created. It’s like the mistreatment of a book instead of simply reading it. It’s like achieving an incredible speed with a car that wasn’t meant to be reached.

Purpose matches with the best use for.

People were created to be like God and to relate to the creation in the way He would do. Sinning for us is like the fire for the book. It’s not that God curses us but the sin itself breaks and damages us because we weren’t created for it.

God wants us to live in accordance with the design.

This doesn’t damage us but makes everything work like a well-oiled machine. After giving the Law to the Jewish people God emphasized the importance of living according to the created purpose.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:19–20, KJV)

No matter how tasty the poison would seem it’s not worth the result it brings. Sin causes destruction and that’s why we God doesn’t want us to commit it.

We are designed to love and not for sin.

Knowledge of this truth should lead to a desire to order our lives in agreement with who we truly are. It should put out any temptation because sin can never be a good investment.