2. The Nature of Sin

A. Sin is not eternal.

Manichaeism teaches that two dual eternal and impersonal principles exist side by side in this universe. On is good and the other is evil. This is false as we will see. Willmington p.719

B. Sin is not merely the absence of Good.

Some teach that as darkness is merely the absence of light, then sin. is only an absence of goodness. This is unscriptural , for sin is as real and positive to.the soul of man as cancer and leprosy are to his physical body

A leper's hands

A poor leper

C. Sin is not just a weakness or frailty of the human flesh.

This false view would see sin as a mere frailty of human flesh as hunger, thirst or weariness

Thirsty

D. Sin has no standard of its own.

Sin must derive its measure from that which is positive and good. One may assume.good apart from evil(which was true historically), but evil cannot exist from good. For evil by its very nature opposes and perverts something that is opposite. Every sin, in reality, is a perversion of some good principle.

Elymas the Magicien opposed the Message of the Gospel.

Act 13:6  When they had gone through the whole length of the island [Cyprus] as far as Paphos, they there met with a Jewish magician and false prophet, Bar-Jesus by name,

Act 13:7  who was a friend of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus. The Proconsul was a man of keen intelligence. He sent for Barnabas and Saul, and asked to be told God's Message.

Act 13:8  But Elymas (or 'the Magician,' for such is the meaning of the name) opposed them, and tried to prevent the Proconsul from accepting the faith.

Act 13:9  Then Saul, who is also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, fixing his eyes on Elymas,

Act 13:10  said, "You who are full of every kind of craftiness and unscrupulous cunning--you son of the Devil and foe to all that is right--will you never cease to misrepresent the straight paths of the Lord?

Act 13:11  The Lord's hand is now upon you, and you will be blind for a time and unable to see the light of day." Instantly there fell upon him a mist and a darkness, and, as he walked about, he begged people to lead him by the hand.

E. Sin and evil cannot manifest themselves as such, but must, to some extent, be disguised as good.

Illustrations : A rebel feels free to rape and burn in order to “awaken the conscience’ of a careless society about the plight of his  particular minority.

- Hitler’s stated reason for his systematic slaughter of untold numbers of Jews and Eastern europeans was for the “protection and good” of his people, the Germans.

Hitler's Disguises

- A highjacker threatens and terrorises a whole plane load of passengers to “correct” the wrongs of a certain government which may be holding some “innocent” political prisoner.

Hijackers still alive. FBI

Thus even in a sin cursed world, sin does not dare to expose itself in the open, as the vicious and vile wolf that it really is, but is forced to assume in some form the garb of a sheep.

F. Sin not only disguises itself as the good, but must also actually connect itself to the good.

Sin is like a virus. It has no unifying power of itself. It attaches itself to the good like a virus to a healthy cell.

Phage Viruses Russell Kightley

G. A feature of evil not usually considered is that it must often strive against itself.

Examples:

1. A miser is at variance with a spendthrift.

2. A proud stoic will view with contempt a glutton.

3. A promiscuous hetersexual is sickened at the sexual perversions of a homosexual.

But this is not so with the good, where all its elements and attributes complement and do not contradict each other. Love, Grace,truth, wisdom, righteousness, and justice are all closest friends.

Thus, good has only one enemy, the evil, but any given evil has two enemies, the good and the other conflicting evil.

A classic example was seen in World War II when two of the most wicked men on earth hated each other with a passion seldom seen. These two bitter enemies were Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

H. Even though we have used sin and evil interchangeably thus far, the terms are sometimes to be distinguished from each other.

For example, sin is not always the same as evil. We may refer to cyclones, floods and earthquakes as evil, and well they may be. But, we cannot call them sinful.

This fact should be understood,when we are troubled by Isaiah 45:6-7

Isa 45:6  that they may know from the rising of the sun, and to the sunset, that there is none besides Me. I am Jehovah, and there is none else;

Isa 45:7  forming the light and creating darkness; making peace and creating evil. I Jehovah do all these things.

Here the Hebrew word ra is used which can also be translated “ calamity” Thus, while we read of  God creating evil, the Scriptures assure us that He does not create sin.

2Co 5:21  For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Tit 1:1  Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ (according to the faith of God's elect, in the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godliness

Tit 1:2  on hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the eternal times,

Heb 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 6:18  so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us,

Jas 1:13  Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from God. For God is not tempted by evils, and He tempts no one.

1Pe 2:22  He who did no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth,

1Jn 3:5  And you know that He was revealed that He might take away our sins, and in Him is no sin.

The Courtroom of God

GOD'S COURTROOM

Law and Guilt  V. Righteousness and Redemption

   Rom 3:10  Thus it stands written, "THERE IS NOT ONE RIGHTEOUS MAN.
Rom 3:11  THERE IS NOT ONE WHO IS REALLY WISE, NOR ONE WHO IS A DILIGENT SEEKER AFTER GOD.
Rom 3:12  ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE FROM THE RIGHT PATH; THEY HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM BECOME CORRUPT. THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT--NO, NOT SO MUCH AS ONE."

Rom 3:19  But it cannot be denied that all that the Law says is addressed to those who are living under the Law, in order that every mouth may be stopped, and that the whole world may await sentence from God. [MAY BE GUILTY BEFORE GOD]
Rom 3:20  For on the ground of obedience to Law no man living will be declared righteous before Him. Law simply brings a sure knowledge of sin. 
Rom 3:21  But now a righteousness coming from God has been brought to light apart from any Law, both Law and Prophets bearing witness to it--
Rom 3:22  a righteousness coming from God, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ and extends to all who believe. No distinction is made;
Rom 3:23  for all alike have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God,
Rom 3:24  gaining acquittal from guilt by His free unpurchased grace through the deliverance which is found in Christ Jesus. 
Rom 3:25  He it is whom God put forward as a SACRIFICE OF APPEASEMENT, rendered efficacious through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness-- because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the sins previously committed--
Rom 3:26  with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus.

HAVE YOU BEEN BEFORE A COURT JUDGE?

If you have then you know that the law is no respecter of persons. It is impartial.

There is a Judge, a Jury, Defense Lawyers and Prosecutors all there to make sure you get Justice.

God is a God of Justice. Before His Judgment Bench you will get JUSTICE. What His Law demands.

The Law of God.

It is the published expression of His will for Mankind. His Published Ordinances.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

.1. God is the Law-giver. A God of Order, Law and Method. Look at the Universe.

2. We are His subjects and His laws terminate on us.

3. He has the power to enforce His Laws. The Death Angel is waiting?

4. We have a duty and obligation to obey.

The Garden of Eden

1. God gave the first Law. Eat the fruit of any tree in the Garden except that one - the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Gen 2:15-17 If there was No law  it would have been licence. 

2. So Satan tempted Eve and deceived her. Then gave to her husband. Thus sin entered mankind through Adam as He was responsible for the disobedience.

3. Sin always has CONSEQUENCES.

- They were banished from the Garden and God's constance provision and Love.

-They were now under the Judgement of Death.

Rom. 5:12  What follows? This comparison. Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and so death passed to all mankind in turn, in that all sinned. 

-The Curse came upon the Ground. It produced thorns and thistles. Man worked with the sweat of His brow to get enough bread to eat.

- The woman was to bear children in intense pain.

- the serpent was cursed. and the enmity, hatred and hostility, was to be between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan.  Gen 3:15

The Purpose of the Law of God

- To bring a sure Knowledge of Sin

- To be a Paidagogos [a trusted slave] to bring us to Christ.

- To show us the clear will of God.

[law - keeping will never make us righteous before God because we have a carnal sinful nature]

We are all under Sin : under its domination, Bondage and enslavement. ALL of us, everyone............

The Sentence: Guilty - Condemned

We are Guilty i.e.  Under judgement - Condemned for we have broken God's law : Liars, thieves adulterers etc.

Sentenced to eternal death as law-breakers - to be eternally separated from God.

Rom 3:19  Now we know that as many things as the law says, it speaks to those under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God

SIN IS LAWLESSNESS

1Jn 3:4  Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. 

See how many break the law in speeding, rebelling against the law. That is why we have LAW ENFORCEMENT

How can a person become RIGHTEOUS? How can he stand before a Holy and just God?

Rom 3:21  But now a righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; 
Rom 3:22  even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, toward all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, 

Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, 

This Righteousness is apart from the Law. Law-keeping will never make us righteous for we are children of Adam..

This Righteousness comes from God. It originates with Him and not from us or our goodness.

It comes through FAITH in JESUS CHRIST alone. It is given to believers.
This righteousness is imputed to us not when we make ourselves good enough.
Rom 3:24  being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 

Being Justified : Being justified (dikaioumenoi). Present passive participle of dikaioō, to set right, repeated action in each case, each being set right.RWP 

G1344 δικαιόω Gk. dikaioō Thayer Definition:
1) to render righteous or such he ought to be
2) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered
3) to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be

Being justified - Being treated as if righteous; that is, being regarded and treated as if they had kept the Law. The apostle has shown that they could not be so regarded and treated by any merit of their own, or by personal obedience to the Law. He now affirms that if they were so treated, it must be by mere favour, and as a matter not of right, but of gift. Barnes Notes.

Freely: without charge, as a gift. We did not pay the fine or work to merit this righeousness.

By His Grace: It was by an unmerited favour and kindness of God that we received this. gift.
Through His Redemption by Blood  of the Passover Lamb

The Children of Israel Rescued at the RED SEA


I am Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb,
I I am Redeemed and I know I am.
I am redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb
Saved from Sin and I know I am.
All My sins are taken away.
Praise the Lord.

Jesus demands one thing Faith in His Finished Work on Calvary's Cross.
WILL YOU BELIEVE on HIM today?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Through God's REDEMPTION

Redemption G629
ἀπολύτρωσις apolutrōsis
Thayer Definition:
1) a releasing effected by payment of ransom
1a) redemption, deliverance
1b) liberation procured by the payment of a ransom

The Origin of Sin - The Fall of Adam

Willmington’s Guide to the Bible; and H.C.Theissen’s Lectures in Systematic Theology.

Background.

There are two things to consider before we look at the Fall of Man.

1. The Law of God and 2. The Nature of sin.

We need to know about the Law of God in  order to understand the transgression of it which was sin, and we need to know the nature of sin in order to understand its origin as regards Adam and Eve.

1. The Law of God

Speaking generally, law is an expression of will enforced by power; it implies a lawgiver, a subject, an expression of will, and power to enforce that will. Strong p.533 in Theissen p. 238

The terms “ laws of nature”, “laws of the mind”, etc., are contradictions when used to denote the mode of action or an order of sequence behind which there is conceived to be no ordering will or enforcing power and authority.”Physics derives the term “law” from jurisprudence, instead of jurisprudence deriving it from Physics.” Strongs ibid…. This is taking the position of agnosticism if we drop the terms law and lawgiver. This leads to anarchy.  Laws always presuppose a Lawgiver.

(1) The Law of God:  means the expression of His will enforced by His Power..

a) All Physical laws are elemental and these govern the physical universe.

But in every rational being, is inwrought the moral law. It implies a Lawgiver, God; subjects upon which it terminates, a positive command; duty or obligation to obey and sanctions for disobedience.

This is an expression of God’s Moral nature and intimates that complete conformity to that nature is the normal condition of man,

THE LAW OF GOD IS NOT ARBITARY : since it springs from His very nature.

It is not TEMPOARY, devised to meet some exigency;

It is not merely NEGATIVE, but also positive, dmanding positive conformity to God and His nature;

It is not PARTIAL, addressed to just onepart of man’s being, but to both Body and Soul alike;

It is not limited  to our consciousness of it but exists whether we recognise it or not;

It is not confined to any locality or class of people, it includes all moral creatures.

Strongs Pps. 539-542

b) God’s positive enactment of His Laws means He has published His Ordinances.

These are His definitely Moral precepts.

• The decalogue (the Ten Commandments) Ex 20:1-17
• The Sermon of the Mount Matthew Chps 5 - 7
• In the New Testament all but the Fourth Commandment are repeated and sanctioned.
• Ceremonial Legislation such as the laws of the Offerings Lev 1-7; the laws of the priesthood Lev 8-10 are only temporary.

Some laws are rooted in god’s nature and are eternal; others are founded on the relationship of men to each other. Theissen p. 239-241

(2) The Purpose of the Law of God.

It was not given for :

• a means whereby we can be saved. Gal 3:21
• It could not make us alive to God” it was weak through the flesh” Romans 8:3
• Man is hopelessly enslaved to self and the sin nature that he cannot keep God’s law. therefore neither life nor righteousness are possible by the law.

It was given to intensify MAN’S KNOWLEDGE OF SIN, reveal the HOLINESS OF GOD, and the LEAD A SINNER TO CHRIST.

Man knows that he is a sinner by the testimony of his own conscience.

Rom 3:19  Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Rom 3:20  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

cp Rom 7:7 What follows? Is the Law itself a sinful thing? No, indeed; on the contrary, unless I had been taught by the Law, I should have known nothing of sin as sin. For instance, I should not have known what covetousness is, if the Law had not repeatedly said, "THOU SHALT NOT COVET."

 

b.  The Law reveals the Holiness of God.

Rom 7:12  So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

John Gill comments “The commandment is holy,” because of its author, the holy God, from whom nothing can come but what is holy; and because of the matter of it, it is a transcript of the holy nature of God, a declaration of His holy will; it requires holiness both of heart and life; it forbids whatever is unholy, and commands nothing but what is holy; it teaches men to live holy, sober, righteous, and godly lives. It may be truly called

just, or righteous, as it demands perfect obedience to all its precepts, or it will not admit of it as a righteousness; as it pronounces guilty, curses and condemns for every disobedience of it; as it deals impartially with persons the transgressors of it; and as it acquits believers upon the foot of the righteousness of Christ, the fulfilling end of it. It is rightly called

good, from the author of it, God, from whom every good thing comes, and nothing else; from the matter of it, and from the use of it both to saints and sinners.

c. The Law leads a sinner to Christ.

Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Christ is the end of the law - Where the law ends, Christ begins. The law ends with representative sacrifices; Christ begins with the real offering. The law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ; it cannot save, but it leaves us at his door, where alone salvation is to be found. Christ as an atoning sacrifice for sin, was the grand object of the whole sacrificial code of Moses; his passion and death were the fulfillment of its great object and design. Separate this sacrificial death of Christ from the law, and the law has no meaning, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins: wherefore the Messiah is represented as saying, Sacrifice and observing thou didst not desire; burnt-offering and sin-offering thou hast not required; then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will; a body hast thou prepared me, Psa_40:6, Psa_40:7; Heb_10:4-10; which proves that God never designed that the sacrifices of the law should be considered the atonement for sin, but a type or representative of that atonement; and that the atonement was the sacrifice offered by Christ. Thus he was the End of the Law.

Gal 3:21  Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

Gal 3:22  But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Gal 3:23  Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

Gal 3:24  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

Gal 3:25  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Gal 3:26  for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The Law, the Guardian or Paidagogos.

G3807 παιδαγωγός paidagōgos

Thayer Definition:

1) a tutor, i.e. a guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.

So the law prepared those under the law for the Reception of Christ.

Thus the law did not teach us the living, saving knowledge; but, by its rites and ceremonies, and especially by its sacrifices, it directed us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. This is a beautiful metaphor, and highly illustrative of the apostle’s doctrine. See the note on Rom_10:4, where this figure is farther explained. Rom 10:4  For as a means of righteousness Christ is the termination of Law to every believer.

First in the sentence as the emphatic point of thought. Expositors differ as to the sense. 1. The aim. Either that the intent of the law was to make men righteous, which was accomplished in Christ, or that the law led to Him as a pedagogue (Gal_3:24). 2. The fulfillment, as Mat_5:17. 3. The termination. To believers in Christ the law has no longer legislative authority to say, “Do this and live; do this or die” (Morison). The last is preferable. Paul is discussing two materially exclusive systems, the one based on doing, the other on believing. The system of faith, represented by Christ, brings to an end and excludes the system of law; and the Jews, in holding by the system of law, fail of the righteousness which is by faith. Compare Gal_2:16; Gal_3:2-14.

VWS.

Watch http://www.wayofthemaster.com/audiolessons.shtml

Declare God's Law and show the seriousness of sinning against God.
"Preach 90% law and 50% grace " John Wesley

The Doctrine of Sin : The Definition and Meaning of SIN.

Dr. James Merritt said recently in his sermon, “ Sin is not just a mistake or trip up. Sin is Sin before a Holy God.”

There are two Greek words which perhaps most closely define sin.:

A. Harmartema : “to miss the mark”. Here sin may be pictured as any attitude or act of man which does not hit the bulls eye of God’s glory target. This meaning is strongly brought out by Paul in Romans 3:23. “FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.”

sinned ἁμαρτάνω hamartanō Thayer Definition:

1) to be without a share in

2) to miss the mark

3) to err, be mistaken

4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong

5) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin

Part of Speech: verb

The secular use of the verbal form is illustrated in Judges 20:16 where the Scriptures stated that the tribe of benjamin had a corps of left-handed warriors who could “sling a stone at a hair-breadth and not miss”.

Could sling stones at a hair - and not miss - ולא יחטא  velo yachati, and not sin: και ουκ εξαμαρτανοντες; Sept. Here we have the true import of the term sin; it signifies simply to miss the mark, and is well translated in the New Testament by ἁμαρτανω, from α, negative, and μαρπτω, to hit the mark. Men miss the mark of true happiness in aiming at sensual gratifications; which happiness is to be found only in the possession and enjoyment of the favor of God, from whom their passions continually lead them. He alone hits the mark, and ceases from sin, who attains to God through Christ Jesus.

It is worthy of remark that the Persian khuta kerden, which literally signifies to sin or mistake, is used by the Mohammedans to express to miss the mark.

The sling was a very ancient warlike instrument, and, in the hands of those who were skilled in the use of it, it produced astonishing effects. The inhabitants of the isles called Baleares, now Majorca and Minorca, were the most celebrated slingers of antiquity. They did not permit their children to break their fast till they had struck down the bread they were to eat from the top of a pole, or some distant eminence. They had their name Baleares from the Greek word βαλλειν to dart, cast, or throw.A. Clark

B. Parabasis : “to overstep a forbidden line.” According to this definition, sin occurs when man deliberately (or accidently) steps over the line of the law of God. The following passages bring this out:

1Jn 3:4  Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law.

Wikipedia says “Divine law is any law that comes directly from the will of God, in contrast to man-made law. Like natural law (which may be seen as a manifestation of divine law) it is independent of the will of man, who cannot change it. However it may be revealed or not, so it may change in human perception in time through new revelation. Divine law is commonly equated with eternal law, meaning that if God is infinite, then his law must also be infinite and eternal.

Sudanese Woman Sentenced to Death for Converting to a Christian: a Violation of Right to Religion

Dictionary.com: to Violate :vi·o·late   [vahy-uh-leyt]  Show IPA

verb (used with object), vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing.

1. to break, infringe, or transgress (a law, rule, agreement, promise, instructions, etc.).

2. to break in upon or disturb rudely; interfere thoughtlessly with: to violate his privacy.

3. to break through or pass by force or without right: to violate a frontier.

4. to treat irreverently or disrespectfully; desecrate; profane: violate a human right.

5. to molest sexually, especially to rape.

lawlessness  ἀνομία anomia

Thayer Definition:

1) the condition of without law

1a) because ignorant of it

1b) because of violating it

2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

Act 1:25  to occupy the place in this ministry and Apostleship from which Judas through transgression fell, in order to go to his own place." WNT

ABP+ ( fromG1537 of whichG3739 Judas violatedG3845 G* to goG4198 untoG1519 G3588 [2placeG5117 G3588 1 his own].G2398 ) Apostolic Bible polyglot.

Violated παραβαίνω parabainō par-ab-ah'ee-no Strong’s G3845

From G3844 and the base of G939; to go contrary to, that is, to violate a command: - (by) transgress (-ion).

From which Judas by transgression fell - Literally, went aside -  παρέβη  parebē - “as opposed to the idea of adhering faithfully to the character and service which his apostleship required of him” (Prof. Hackett). The transgression referred to was his treason and suicide. Barnes Notes

The bottom line is that Judas Iscariot was a real person who betrayed the real Jesus, and then committed suicide because he couldn't live with himself any longer.

Jas 2:11  For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor (violator) of the law.

Various Theological definitions of SIN

1.  A. H. Strong’s : Sin is lack of conformity to the Moral Law of god, either in act, disposition, or state.

2. C. Hodge: Sin is a transgression of and want of conformity the The Divine Law.”

3. James Oliver Buswell Jnr.: “ Sin may be defined ultimately as anything in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the holy Character of the Creator.”

4. L.S. Chafer : “ Sin is a restless unwillingness on the part of the creature to abide in the sphere and limitation in which the Creator, guided by infinite wisdom, had placed him.”

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