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In this episode, we unpack Westminster Shorter Catechism Answer 14: “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” This devastatingly clear definition exposes sin not merely as behavioral mistakes but as an offense against God Himself. The answer establishes God’s law as the unchangeable standard for defining sin and identifies two distinct ways we violate this standard: through active transgression (sins of commission) and through a lack of conformity (sins of omission and the state of our hearts). This comprehensive view of sin reveals why the gospel is so necessary—we need not only forgiveness for our transgressions but the perfect righteousness of Christ to address our fundamental failure to conform to God’s holy standard.
Key Takeaways
- Sin is defined by God’s law, not by our feelings, societal consensus, or cultural terms.
- Sin includes both “transgression of” (crossing boundaries God has set) and “want of conformity unto” (failing to meet God’s standard).
- Transgression covers sins of commission—actively doing what God forbids.
- “Want of conformity” encompasses sins of omission—failing to do what God requires—but goes deeper to include our very nature and character.
- The definition reveals we sin not just because we commit acts of sin, but because we are sinners by nature.
- This understanding of sin demonstrates our need for Christ’s perfect righteousness, not merely forgiveness.
- Our inability to perfectly conform to God’s law points to our need for a Savior who fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf.
Key Concepts
The Standard of Sin: God’s Law
The Westminster Shorter Catechism grounds the definition of sin in “the law of God,” establishing an objective, unchangeable standard rather than subjective human opinion. This theological framing is significant because it shifts our understanding of sin from a personal or societal framework to a divine one. Sin isn’t primarily about harmful effects on ourselves or others—though these certainly follow—but about our relationship to our Creator. God’s law reflects His holy character; therefore, sin is anything that contradicts who God is. This perspective elevates the conversation beyond cultural terms like “mistakes” or “brokenness” to the Bible’s sharper, forensic language. Understanding sin through this lens helps us recognize it as an offense against the highest authority in the universe, not merely a violation of social norms or personal preferences.
The Dual Nature of Sin: Transgression and Want of Conformity
The genius of the catechism’s definition lies in its comprehensive scope. Sin encompasses both active rebellion (transgression) and passive failure (want of conformity). Most people readily understand transgression—crossing boundaries God has forbidden, like lying or stealing. However, the “want of conformity” aspect proves far more searching and devastating to human self-righteousness. This category includes not only failures to perform righteous acts (sins of omission) but extends to our very nature. Even if we could avoid external sins for a day, we cannot claim to have perfectly loved God with our entire being every moment, or to have exhibited perfect patience, humility, and holiness. This reveals sin as not merely what we do, but who we are—a state of being that falls short of God’s glory. This comprehensive understanding demonstrates why we need not just forgiveness but complete regeneration and imputed righteousness in Christ.
Memorable Quotes
“We are not just sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. We lack the conformity that God requires.”
“Sin is missing the mark—either by shooting past it in rebellion or falling short of it in our nature. And knowing this drives us to the only One who ever hit the mark perfectly.”
Full Transcript
On Tuesday, we asked the diagnostic question: “What is sin?” We challenged ourselves to audit our own thinking, to move away from soft cultural terms like “mistakes” or “brokenness” and to embrace the Bible’s sharp, forensic language. We recognized that before we can appreciate the cure of the gospel, we must understand the precise nature of the disease.
Today, we turn to the catechism’s devastatingly clear answer.
Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.
This answer gives us the standard of sin, and then it describes the two ways we violate that standard.
[00:00:57] The Standard of Sin: God’s Law
First, notice the standard: “the law of God.” Sin is not defined by our feelings. It is not defined by the consensus of society. It is defined by the objective, unchangeable law of the Creator. God is holy, and His law is the reflection of His character. Therefore, sin is anything that contradicts who God is. It is an offense against the highest authority in the universe. This immediately shifts the focus from how my actions affect me to how they relate to Him.
[00:01:27] Categories of Sin: Transgression and Want of Conformity
Second, the catechism breaks sin down into two categories: “transgression of” and “want of conformity unto.”
Transgression is what we typically think of when we hear the word “sin.” It means stepping across a line. God draws a boundary in His law—”You shall not”—and we step over it. We murder, we lie, we steal, we lust. These are sins of commission. They are active deeds of rebellion where we do exactly what God has forbidden.
But if the catechism stopped there, many of us might still feel relatively safe. We might think, “Well, I haven’t robbed a bank or killed anyone.” But the catechism doesn’t stop there.
[00:02:04] The Depth of Sin: Beyond Actions to Heart and Nature
It adds a second, far more searching category: “any want of conformity unto.”
This phrase is terrifying to the honest soul. “Want” here means “lack.” It means a failure to measure up. If transgression is doing what God forbids, want of conformity is failing to be what God requires. This covers sins of omission—failing to love our neighbor, failing to pray, failing to be thankful.
But it goes deeper than actions. “Conformity” speaks to our nature, our character, and the state of our hearts. God’s law demands not just that we do right things, but that we be holy people. It demands a heart that loves God with absolutely every fiber of its being, every single second of every single day. If there is even one moment where your heart is not perfectly aligned with the heart of God, if there is one millisecond where you are not loving Him with all your strength, that is a “want of conformity.” That is sin.
This definition shatters self-righteousness. You might be able to go a whole day without committing an outward transgression. You might avoid snapping at your kids or lying to your boss. But have you been perfectly conformed to the law of God? Has your heart been a blazing furnace of pure love for Christ? Have you been perfectly humble, perfectly patient, perfectly holy?
The answer, for every one of us, is no. We are not just sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. We lack the conformity that God requires.
[00:03:36] The Necessity of the Gospel
This is why the gospel is so necessary. If sin were just transgression, we might just need forgiveness. But because sin is also a “want of conformity,” we need more than a clean slate; we need a new record. We need a Savior who not only died to pay for our transgressions but who lived a life of perfect conformity to the law of God in our place. We need Jesus, who was everything we failed to be, so that His righteousness could be credited to us.
Sin is missing the mark—either by shooting past it in rebellion or falling short of it in our nature. And knowing this drives us to the only One who ever hit the mark perfectly.