Judging by the comments, these last few blogs have clearly raised a few eyebrows (and blood pressure). I have tons of questions in my head of a similar genre. Maybe I should state that these questions aren't intended to invoke a typical response. I'm not looking to hear what you've heard from someone else on the matter and I'm not trying to lead you astray. I simply would like to discuss things from a different point of view. Answering without your theology or your text book answers will not make you a heretic. I'm interested in your thoughts and your heart. That being said...
There were a lot of assumptions made through replies in my last blog. The word "Sin" kept surfacing over and over and I started asking myself. "If the 10 commandments are the old law/covenant and they don't apply to us anymore (Jesus and Paul's words-not mine), then WHAT IS SIN"? I started searching the bible, commentaries and dictionary's for definition. I can't say that I got a clear answer. The bible gives no formal definition. Nor does it give us a complete account of the origin of Sin. Below is the best definition I could find:
Sin-Actions by which humans rebel against God, miss his purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of evil rather than to God.
We Christians sure throw around the word a lot for not having a clear understanding of exactly what sin is. So...In your own words What is Sin and How do you get your definition?
If you are a Christian you've chosen that path because you come into agreement with what YOU understand to be the truth. Any Christian is going to use the Bible as a point of reference when it comes to moral views. And any person, Christian or not could debate scripture. If you choose to go down the path of not using scripture, well then, it's just your opinion, which means nothing to the next opinion. So I struggle with your question because I want to reply with scripture without sounding like I KNOW everything or I know God better than you. That being said, this is my opinion based on scripture. It is what I choose to believe it correct. Should I or other Christians who come into agreement with me judge others by it? No, absolutely not. We are called to love not judge.
ReplyDeleteThe Bible says that the wages of sin is death. So I guess what I take from that is, anything you do knowingly or unknowingly that leads to eternal death is sin. When you accept Jesus you receive the ability to hear from the holy spirit. Once you have the holy spirit and you sin, it's God's goodness that reveals what we are doing is wrong. He has a loving way of tweaking us here and there on a regular basis. When I have a question about a "grey" issue, I go to Jesus and ask him what he thinks about it. And he always gives me a clear outlook on the issue. Most of the time he uses scripture to back up what I've heard or feel in my spirit.
Now this line of thinking is going to cause problems because one person may say "well the holy spirit is telling me this" and another, "well the holy spirit is telling me that". So who's right. You are only responsible for you. And if you feel that God has showed you the truth, I don't believe he's going to judge you based on a false truth.
@Lindsay-Sorry, I never meant to imply that you couldn't use the bible. Guess I fail at communication once again :) and don't worry, everyone knows that you don't know scripture better than me :) LOL!
ReplyDeleteI said "If the 10 commandments are the old law/covenant and they don't apply to us anymore (Jesus and Paul's words-not mine), then WHAT IS SIN"? In my question i disregarded the law because of Jesus and Pauls statements. But as i was reading 1 cor. I read ch. 9:10 & 10:11 i realized that there was a contradiction. In these verses Paul is stating that the scriptures were for past and future generations. Basically, there is no respect of time in the scriptures, making his statement in Rom. 3 a contradiction. So now my thought process is all screwed up. Any help would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteJesus fulfilled the law; He didn't make a moot point. The law (and sacrifice) was set up in the old covenant so that people could live a life reconciled unto God. Unfortunately no one could abide by it. The penalty for not abiding by the law (aka 'sinning') is death and separation from God.
ReplyDeleteEven in the old covenant it wasn't how well the people obeyed the law that kept Israel in right standing with God - it was the righteousness of the high priest entering into the holy of holies and the spilling of innocent blood that appeased the wrath of God against the law breakers. Both of these actions were deeply prophetic acts of what was to come through Jesus.
So this is why it can be said under the New covenant that 'Law is Death'. Living to please God, to abide with Him, to gain His favor, etc by way of living up to the old, un-keepable code (moral or priestly or otherwise) is pointless - Jesus already did that so that we wouldn't have to continue striving under all the rules.
Valuing the law (especially for prophetic meaning) is not the problem. But using it to gain righteousness, salvation and blessing from God (which was its original intent and also what the Jews were preaching at that time) is a major problem that can only lead to condemnation and judgment from God and towards other people - the very things that Jesus delivered us from when He fulfilled it.
Ok...here goes...
ReplyDeleteThe concept of sin within the confines of the New Covenant has always been something that I've struggled to figure out. What is sin really if we are free from the law? Acts 24:14 says:"But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets" (ESV) so here it would sound as though we must still cling to the law. However, clearly it is no longer necessary to keep Kosher (Acts 10) There are multiple times when JESUS defies levitical law (working on the sabbath, allowing his disciples to eat with unwashed hands, associating with those who are unclean, etc. etc.) but still lived a sinless life. How can this be? It seems a total contradiction, but it's not.
For me it all boils down to this: "Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."Mark 7:14-16 (ESV) Jesus makes it clear throughout his ministry that it's about the condition of the heart. I'm not saying that good intentions absolve sin (only Jesus absolves sin); What I'm saying is that Jesus is more concerned with whether or not you are knowingly, willfully, rebelling against his will. If you eat pork are you doing it to rebel against God? No, you're eating it because you like pork! If you cheat on your spouse, chances are you know you're rebelling against God, chances are you have that filling in your gut that you are sinning big time. That is sin.
I could be wrong, and this may sound blasphemous, frankly I'm ok with that. I have a tattoo; I legitimately don't think that's a sin, I didn;t get my tattoo because I desired to rebel, I got it because it was a permanent reminder to me of something the Lord has done. When I doubt the Lord's goodness all I have to do is look at it and I remember how good he is. When I lie, or am angry to the point of hatred on the other hand I get that feeling, that "Gina, you're so out of line right now that you REALLy need to repent" feeling and I know that I'm sinning. I also know that Jesus covered me!
OK, I think I said everything I wanted to say. Sorry it I rambled, I tend to do that!
@ Gina-Great thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon this verse today while reading the bible (yes, I still read my bible-contrary to popular belief). 1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
ReplyDeleteIs John saying the opposite of Paul(in Rom. 3)? What "Law" is John referring to?