[Faith-talk] sin!

Tue Aug 9 17:39:15 UTC 2011

I have some thoughts on what Joshua said about shortcomings versus sin.

When I mess up, and I do sometimes, I consider it sin. I consider it sin
because I have acted outside of the will of God. I have acted in
disobedience to God's word. I have allowed my flesh to overcome my spirit
man.

It is not a shortcoming, it is sin.

However, it is not willful or habitual. I do not, at any time, wish to live
in willful or habitual sin.

I don't like dirty jokes, strong language, fowl movies and the like. Some
people may say that I'm a fanatic for taking that approach and that's fine,
Jesus was called a fanatic so I think I'm in good company.

I simply know that if I bring garbage into my heart, garbage will come out
of my mouth and eventually garbage would take over my life. The fact that I
am saved prevents me from ever wanting that to happen.

Here are two excerpts regarding sin.

The first is from a book called "the Gospel to be Preached," written by Dave
Andrus. The second is from David Guzik's commentary on I John.

>From "the Gospel to be Preached"

When we think of sin it is often associated with an act of disobedience.
Although true, this is incomplete.  Sin is more than mere conduct or deeds
contrary to a rule, command or law.  Sin is an attitude or disposition
toward God.  It is from this attitude or disposition, against God, that
specific words or deeds originate.  Deeds or acts in and of themselves are
not necessarily wrong.  If this were not so, Jesus would not have condemned
the Pharisees. (Matthew 23)  

     The Pharisees were very devout law abiding people who believed that if
you did not do a thing wrong, God would accept you into heaven.  In Matthew,
chapters 5 through 7, Jesus taught that a person's motivation, disposition,
and attitudes were also sinful.  As a general rule, behavior does not
control a person, but a person controls their behavior.  This corresponds to
sin in that we are not sinful because we did something wrong.  Instead we do
wrong things because we are already sinful, inclined to do wrong, right from
the start. Traditionally we call this original sin.   

     Why is this important?  It is so for several reasons.  First, anyone
who has this attitude or motivation to sin, does not have a good, happy or
right relationship with God.  The Bible describes us as enemies of God.
(Romans 5:7) 

1 John 3:6 (KJV)Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath
not seen him, neither known him.

1 John 1:7-9 (KJV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.

>From David Guzik's commentary on 1 John.

1. (4-5) The nature of sin and Jesus' work in removing our sin.

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And
you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is
no sin.

a. Sin is lawlessness: John defines sin at its most basic root. It is a
disregard for the law of God, which is inherently a disregard for the law
Maker, God Himself.

i. We often fail in the battle against sin because we won't call it for what
it is: lawlessness, an offense against the Great Law Maker, God. Instead, we
say things like "If I've done anything wrong . . ." or "Mistakes were made .
. ." and so forth. Call it for what it is: sin and lawlessness. "The first
step towards holy living is to recognize the true nature and wickedness of
sin." (Stott)

2. (6) Abiding in sin or abiding in God.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor
known Him.

a. Whoever abides in Him does not sin: Since sin is lawlessness, a disregard
for God (1 John 3:4), and since Jesus came to take away our sins (1 John
3:5), and since in Jesus there is no sin (1 John 3:5), then to abide in Him
means to not sin.

i. It is very important to understand what the Bible means - and when it
does not mean - when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense John
uses, does not sin means does not live a life style of habitual sin. John
has already told us in 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates
John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 3:6
indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin.
John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection.

ii. "The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity, unbroken
sequence" (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these verbs
with phrases such as keeps on sinning, continues to sin, and he cannot go on
sinning.

b. Whoever abides in Him does not sin: John's message is plain and
consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style of
habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A true
Christian can only be temporarily in a life style of sin.

i. Paul's teaching in Romans 6 is a great example of this principle. He
shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when their sins are forgiven and
God's grace is extended to them, they are radically changed - the old man is
dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new
creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can only
be temporary for the Christian.

ii. In some ways, the question is not "do you sin or not?" We each sin. The
question is, "How do you react when you sin? Do you give into the pattern of
sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your sin,
and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?"

iii. This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for their
sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely, it
will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle -
perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless.

iv. What is important is that we never sign a "peace treaty" with sin. We
never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, "Everybody has their own
sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands." This completely goes
against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life.

c. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him: To live a lifestyle of
habitual sin is to demonstrate that you have not seen Him (in a present
sense of the ultimate "seeing Him mentioned in 1 John 3:2), and that you
have not known Him. There are some people so great and so wonderful that
seeing them or knowing them will change your life forever. Jesus is that
kind of person.