There is a difference between sin singular, living life apart from God, and sins plural, doing wrong things. Living apart from God is the basis of sin; the wrong deeds that we often call sin are only the result of our sinful condition.

Sometimes we get it backward. We think that doing wrong things is what separates us from God. But the truth is that separation from God is what leads us to do wrong things. Sin singular leads to sins plural.

Let’s look at Solomon. Evidently he started out his reign with his heart perfect toward God. But as the years passed, a change came.

“For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” - Kings 11:4.

What happened to Solomon? Did he begin doing wrong things, and persist in doing wrong things, until his heart was no longer perfect? No, it was the other way around. You find this description of his downfall in the Ellen G. White Comments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, volume 2, page 1031:

“All the sins and excesses of Solomon can be traced to his great mistake in ceasing to rely upon God for wisdom, and to walk in humility before Him.”

The same was true of Eve. Some have thought she fell because she ate the apple-when the truth is that she ate the apple because she fell. At some point before she reached and took the fruit, she had come around to distrusting God and relying instead on herself. The act that followed was only the result.

It may take time for someone who is living apart from God to come to the place of open sinning. It took time for Solomon. It may also take time for someone who is seeking God and a relationship with Him to experience unbroken victory. It is possible to be seeking God and still to be growing in terms of behavior. But in the end, the condition of the heart toward God is the deciding factor for the outward life as well as for the inner.

“If sin (living life apart from God) is the cause of sins (doing wrong things), then where do the sins come from when we are seeking a relationship with God day by day?”

The Desire of Ages, page 668, answers that question in one sentence:

“When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience.”

Even when we are seeking to know Him day by day, we may not yet know Him as it is our privilege to know Him. Thus there may be times when we take our eyes off Him for the moment.

There may be times when we cease to depend upon Him and depend upon ourselves once again. And when we do, we will fail. But as we continue to seek to know Him, He will lead us to the point of trusting Him all of the time, so that our behavior will be right as well.