WHAT IS SIN?
In Genesis 3:3 God said to Adam and Eve, "but of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, `You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Did Adam and Eve die after they eat the fruit of the tree that God told them not to eat? No, they did not. They did not die right away. But they eventually died. They could have lived forever, but God took eternal life away from them for challenging and disobeying God’s orders. If they have not committed a sin, they could have been still alive today. So, what is sin?
Sin is disobeying God’s commandments. Sin is refusing to do what God has told us to do. Sin is refusing to obey His laws and commandments. Sin is ignoring the Law. That is the simple definition of sin. Sin is a violation of the law.
Jesus
Jesus said in John 14:15:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
This law or commandments from Jesus exists or otherwise He would not ask us to keep His commandments. Why would Jesus ask us to keep His commandments if there are no laws or commandments that Jesus gave us in the Bible? No, He would not! But we said that we are not under the law; we are under “grace”. Did Jesus say that? NO, He did not say that. Then why do we believe in something that He did not say, but we don’t believe in something that He did say thousands of years ago, why? Why are we always trying to circumvent the Law? Many of today’s Christians believe that they have no sin. They say that sin is a violation of God’s laws, and since they do not believe in the laws of God, they have violated nothing. They have no sin, so they say. But Jesus had said in John 14:15 that we should keep His commandments. In order for us to have no sin, we must not believe in Jesus but believe in somebody or something else other than Jesus. I am sure that the fishermen and carpenters during Jesus’ time do not think like many of today's educated Christians. Why do we go to college and get Masters and PhD. degrees in Bible studies? So we can learn the skills to circumvent His laws? Don't we know that learning the skills to circumvent His commandments is a SIN?
God handed a death sentence to Adam and Eve for an offense that is less serious than a misdemeanor, such as eating a fruit or tailgating which in law is called an infraction. Have you heard of a judge who handed a death sentence to someone for parking overtime?
Why did God hand a death sentence to Adam and Eve for what we see as a minor offense, an infarction? Do you want to know why?
Because He sees disobedience to His laws as a serious crime that warrants a death sentence. Have we ever thought of it that way? Disobeying His orders is like committing a first-degree murder that must be punished with death.
The Bible is full of Laws, God’s Laws. Are we obedient to His Laws? No, we ignore His Laws. We believe that we are not under the Law. We believe that we are under “grace”. Who says that we are not under the Law? Did Jesus say that? No, He did not! And if we say that we are under “grace”, whose “grace” are we under?
The problem with many, if not most Christians of today is that we assume too much and believe in something that is not there. Why? Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, [because] they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn [their] ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” We believe in anything that tickles our ears and eyes. Preachers in the church should talk more about this:
"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29
"And if your right-hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:30
Most preachers of today don’t want to talk about Matthew 5:29-30. Why? Because they don’t tickle anyone’s ears. Preachers should talk more about sin. They should talk more about the pain of sin. We should discourage our brethren from living in sin under "grace". That is absolutely morally wrong!
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