i always thought of sin as knowing a given action is wrong, then doing it anyway criminal or not
Posted on 10/31/2009 6:32:16 AM PDT by kindred
Today there are many different views and thoughts about just what the term “Sin” means. Just the word alone gives people the Hee-bee-Gee-bees. People do not like to think of themselves as “Sinners.” They say or think, “Well, I’m not that bad. I’ve never killed anyone. If you only knew the good I do...(and so on and so forth).” These statements and sentiments are expressed in attempting to justify themselves in light of the realities of their "sinful"condition. (John 3:19-21, Hebrews 6:1; 9:14).
Sin, as defined in God’s Word, the Bible, is the transgression and violation of the righteousness and perfection of Almighty God. Sin is also the transgression and violation of the Eternal/ Spiritual and Temporal (Time-bound)/ Natural laws and absolutes of Almighty God the Creator, which are established from the foundation of the world and eternity past (Acts 15:18; 1 John 3:4).
In Adam’s fall we sinneth all! (Romans 5:12, 19) We all are imperfect, we all have sinned! That is the bottom line. God’s Holy (perfect) Word states:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). (The word glory refers to the supreme stature of God, His surpassing “weight, worth and wealth,” and His righteous perfection and holy character.)
As it is written, There is none righteous (perfect), no, not one (Rom 3:10).
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one (Job 14:4).
What is man, that he should be clean (pure), and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? (Job 15:14)
David said, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin (imperfection) did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5).
My friend, it isn’t hard to see. No one in his right mind would ever make such a declaration that he is absolutely perfect and righteous in and by themselves to stand before Almighty God on the Day of Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). Almighty God’s Word states:
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).
We Are a Broken Egg
My friend, we are like a broken egg. When an egg is smashed and broken, who can put it perfectly back together again? In the beginning God created us perfect (like a whole, unbroken egg) in Adam, but the transgression of Adam against the eternal spiritual laws (absolutes) and temporal natural laws of Almighty God caused him to die – both spiritually and physically. Thus, because of Adam’s transgression all who were born in Adam (i.e., the entire human race) were made “broken” sinners (Gen. 3; 2:16-17; Rom. 5:12-19).
It is utterly impossible to perfectly and totally obey the spiritual absolutes and natural laws ordained by Almighty God in our fallen, “broken egg” nature (Rom. 7:15-24; 8:5-8). The best a man (person) can do is to contain the vices and passions of his own heart (conservatism). That in itself certainly does not make one righteous enough to fulfill (satisfy) God’s laws.
What Hope Is There For a Broken Egg?
God did not forsake His lost creation. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem man and to deliver them from their bondage and judgment of sin (their broken eggness/ trespasses).
The Bible states: For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosever (anyone and every one) believeth in him should not perish (will not die) but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17).
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (a broken egg), and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Rom 8:3).
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners (broken eggs), Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences (broken actions), and was raised again for our justification (Rom. 5:25).
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
There is great hope to all who look to Almighty God and His Son for deliverance!
God’s great desire is to redeem men and deliver us from the devastating consequences of sin. For all who put their trust in Him through Christ, He will exchange these “broken egg” natures and bodies of ours for new ones that will be completely perfect (1 John 3:1-2). These new, eternal bodies will be capable of enjoying Almighty God as He is in perfect holiness and righteousness! (1 Cor. 15:42-57)
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption (broken egg-ness) into the glorious liberty (a perfectly complete egg) of the children of God (Romans 8:21).
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption (broken egg-ness); it is raised in incorruption(a perfectly complete egg) (1 Cor. 15:42).
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away (Rev. 21:1).
God has given to all of Adam’s fallen race a wonderful future and deliverance from our “broken egg” humanity. We must choose by our own free will to receive Almighty God’s pardon and gift of eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9). Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? He alone can change your “broken egg” life to a perfect one. Trust Him today! You will never be the same!
And he (Jesus) said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27).
The Kingdom of heaven is at hand!
A negative self-image isn’t a prerequisite for Christian faith.
Quite the opposite, really.
Satan tells us in Genesis 3:5 that we too can be like gods. Sadly too many people are fooled into believing that this is true, especially when you have people going around bragging (false pride) that they are “sinless.”
[A negative self-image isn’t]
Realizing that all have sinned by being born of the line of Adam,(human), is required according to the God of Creation, the God of Israel; our only hope is in Christ Jesus alone who did no sin.
We should remember this before wishing damnation on others (or predicting it, which is just as bad); even on the worst of those others.
“A negative self-image isn’t a prerequisite for Christian faith.”
Certainly a positive one isn’t. If you can get to the foot of the Cross feeling great about yourself and your contribution to His suffering, good for you. Didn’t work for me. A very positive self-image kept me from the Lord for years.
A good portion of Christianity has, imho, descended into feel-good, self-esteem, improve your life stuff that has little or no basis in scripture. “The peace of God, which passes all understanding . . . “ seems to me the only guaranteed feel-good stuff. But that has little to do with self-esteem and persists despite everthing around you falling apart.
God said it, that settles it, the saved sinners of Jesus Christ believe it. He who did no sin was crucified for our sins and rose again the third day for our justification.
The rest are damned at birth as the Scriptures teach and are unforgiven.
And so it is. We only preach the salvation of sinful men by Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God whom God accepted as a sin sacrifice in our place by shedding His sinless blood at Calvary.
i always thought of sin as knowing a given action is wrong, then doing it anyway criminal or not
...with Christ, there is hope.
The only ones who should be shuffling around in a slough of sin-stained despondency are those who have failed to accept redemption via Christ.
Sin is a deception caused by the fall of Adam and not realizing what the God of Israel says is true and all else is a lie. No lie is of the truth.
All mankind is born in sin and are liars from the womb as the Word of God teaches.
As long as I felt I was in control of my life, I was, even though I was wrong.
Only, when I surrendered myself into God’s will, did he take the pain and worry from me.
Our pastor once said “You cannot save a drowning man until he quits struggling. Otherwise, he will take you down with him.”
The words used for sin in both Koine and Hebrew mean “ to miss the mark”.
Also God (YHWH) has assured us of his everlasting love.
The Greek word is hamartia — sin you don’t even realize is sin.
Yes, if you believe those things.
You are correct. Matthew, Chapter 7, covers this. I learned it as a young man as : “Judge not, lest you be judged.”
Acknowledging the truth of Christ as Savior is the best thing you can do.
But let’s make sure Christian doctrine is accurately described. The only way to redemption through Christ is to acknowledge our sinful nature and to repent. And we must be willing to turn away from sin.
It’s a mistake to think Christ’s forgiveness makes us perfect, because it’s just a step away from blasphemy. And it opens the door to a life of active sin—fooling ourselves that we’ll be okay even though we sin, because Christ forgives us.
Active sin prevents fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You just can’t do it if you’re actively sinning. So you must seek to actively avoid sin.
To accept Christ into your heart, admit your sinful nature, repent and know the Grace of God is as far from despondency as you can possibly be in this world.
Why, in the theology to which you subscribe, are all people condemned to a “sinful nature” due to the wrongs attested to one couple?
Are you a slaveowner if your great-great-great-grandfather was?
No, because sins aren’t inherited. Nor is “sinful nature”.
People have the freewill to determine exactly what their character is; they are not preordained to be any less than they can be.
Neither you nor I authored Christian doctrine, and neither can rewrite it in our own image. (If you understand this, there’s no need to read the next few lines.)
The sin nature of man is not a label, or an opinion to be held one minute and discarded the next like pet theories tossed around university classrooms.
It’s something real, same as the left ventricle of your heart, your large intestine or your personality.
If you believe that, you should be able to defend it, namely by giving an answer to my previous post.
My post answers it. But I’ll state it more plainly if that’s what you need.
You’re asking me to explain God’s purpose. You should know that I, a man who knows no more than any other man, cannot know such a thing. To ask it is beyond silly.
Original sin cannot be compared to the topic of slaveowners. It’s part of God’s plan, and to think of it as some sort of literary plot invented by man is to think in error.
It’s simply cheating to fail to defend that in which your believe and claim “mysterious plans” as an excuse.
The fact is, the premise of inherited sin is irrational and harmful.
God is absolute, and comes before reason. Do you not understand this?
What you’re doing is like trying to take two steps before taking one. Try it, you’ll see it can’t be done.
Defending my beliefs is not failing to defend them. I will tell you again, you can’t write the Bible. It’s already been written.
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