tres – pass
(verb)1. To commit an offense or a sin; transgress or err.2. To commit an unlawful injury to the person, property,or rights of another, with actual or implied force orviolence, especially to enter onto another’s land wrongfully.3. To infringe on the privacy, time, or attention of another.(noun)1. Transgression of a moral or social law, code, or duty.2. The act of trespassing.3. A suit brought for trespassing.4. An intrusion or infringement on another.
We’ve all seen the signs –
NO TRESPASSING – VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT
Most people would heed the sign and stay off of the property. I always think of The Lords Prayer, when I hear the word trespass. I learned the prayer with the word “trespass” instead of “debts” or “sins” –
“…And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
What does trespass really mean in our discussion of the nature of sin? Just like the signs that people post to keep others outside of their property boundaries, God has set up certain moral boundaries for us that we know as laws. When a person trespasses, or crosses over these boundary lines, he sins – he ignores God’s law. Lawlessness is sin and we know the consequences of sin. But, unlike the NO TRESPASSING sign above, God’s sign says something like:
NO TRESPASSING – VIOLATORS CAN BE SAVED!
God knows that we will sin. He sent His son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our trespass. All we need to do is repent of our sin and accept His gift of salvation.