A Bible Study About Sin by Kraig J. Rice

Welcome To The
Battle Bow
Bible Teaching Series
by
Kraig Josiah Rice

A Bible Study About Sin (Hamartiology)
a Bible study for everyone about sin
(doctrine of mainline Christianity)

by
Kraig Josiah Rice
TABLE OF CONTENTS

01. Introduction
02. The Testimony of Kraig Josiah Rice
03. L. Thomas Holdcroft- The Doctrine of Sin
          Satan- The origin of sin
04. J. Vernon McGee- Discources About Sin
05. Matthew Henry Commentary About Sin
06. Assemblies of God Views on Forgiveness, Grace, and Confession of Sins
07. Sin in the life of a Christian by Sid Litke
08. Jesus Christ was unclean but not sinful by Daniel Rendelman:
09. God Is Not Responsible for Creating Sin by Rev. Paul
10. Four Ways That You Sin by John F. MacArthur, Jr.
11. Abstaining From Wilful Sin Is For Winners by Key-Way Publishing
12. How To Overcome Sin by John Meakin
13. Sin Is Not Showing Love To God
14. Three Categories Of Sin by Chafer Theological Seminary
15. Sin: God's Remedy For It by Lewis Sperry Chafer
16. The Doctrine of Sin by Lehman Strauss
17. Twelve Basic Words To Describe Sin by Dr. Charles Ryrie
18. Introduction To Hamartiology by Rev. Stanley L. Derickson
19. Taking Sin Seriously by Bob Deffinbaugh
20. The Stupidity of Sin by Bob Deffinbaugh
21. Guard Your Mind Against Sinful Thoughts
22. How Sin Is Impacting the American Society by John F. MacArthur, Jr
23. Attitudes Toward Sin by CARM
24. The Need To Know What Sin Is
25. Excuses Some People Make for Their Sin by Dave Davidson
26. Doesn't Legalism Keep One From Sinning? from LURM
27. Sin Is The Way That Seemeth Right
28. Bible Basic Series
29. We Remain Victorious Over Sin
30. Conclusion

Introduction
          If I asked you what sin is, how would you reply? Do you think that the church invented this concept of sin to get your membership and money? Do you think that sin does not exist or that you are not a sinner? Do you think that this whole thing is just a religious hoax? Well, I once was an evolutionist and thought the same thing. But I had some experiences along the way in my life that caused me to change my thoughts. In this writing I plan on sharing my experiences with you and plan on teaching you the truth about sin from God's holy word, the Bible.
          A simple definition for sin might be: For anyone to act in any way contrary to how Jesus Christ acted (as recorded in the Holy Bible).
          One of the first discipleship lessons you should have learned is that God is a good God, but Satan is an evil devil.
          Satan and sin are in the same camp. Jesus Christ and righteousness are in the same camp. Why don't Christians sin wilfully? A true or real Christian does not have the nature to continually commit wilful sin. Sin is horrible and vile. Righteous folk should avoid wilful sin lest they be considered by other folks not to be righteous. You don't want to become a stumbling block to someone else.
          Your thoughts can be Satan's playground. Continually study the Word of God so you can think God's thoughts after Him. But there are a lot of voices out there (in the world) to tempt you if you are not careful. Guard your mind. Most folks think about committing a sin before they do it. Don't fall into the trap of stinkin' thinkin'.
          Sin causes one to not look at the consequences of their actions. Since sin is linked to Satan then you can expect there to be some deception involved if you are tempted to sin against God. This kind of sin is also tied in with one's lack of integrity.
          The letter I is the middle letter in the word SIN. The big I, little you, type of thinking. My way, my plan, my gain, my pleasure- and I don't care who I have to hurt along the pathway to my goal.
          Gradual compromises can be dangerous to you. If you do this watch for changes in your character such as drinking, lying, deception, and other sins. You do this by looking for any changes, actions, or behaviour in your life that are contrary to how Christ lived. Sometimes you may not even be aware of sins, at first, that are starting to take hold in your life. You might reason that since you got away with it once or twice then it must be ok. Not so- there may be no consequences at first. Just don't do it again. Hold the line- don't cross the sin line of unholiness in your life.
          Sin is tied in with a very evil person. Sin had it's start and promotion with the person of Lucifer, who later became Satan. Satan is sin personified. In earthly terms Lucifer is a perpetrator with God being the innocent party. Lucifer's sin not only lead to him starting rebellion against God but also starting war, betrayal, hostility, revenge, hatred, and a whole lot more problems.
          The destruction from this being is considerable. And he is still active on this earth and your enemy. Why should Satan and sin be studied? Because sin has infected every human being on earth. It is important to know where sin came from, how God thinks about it, how to deal with sin in our lives, and what is God's cure for sin. Also because if we don't learn from our past sins then we may be repeat them which is not good. And the Bible says, "...we are not ignorant of his (Satan's) devices (tricks)"
(2 Corinthians 2:10 & 11) because Satan is always trying to get each of to sin against God to break fellowship with Him.
It was Satan's plan to drag humanity into the middle of his war against God. How did he do this? He had to enlist the parents of the human race to get on his side against God. This happened in the Garden of Eden and it got God very angry at humanity for making this bad choice. As a result God changed a lot of things from the way that they originally were. To make a long story short, each human being inherits a nature that is essentially against God. God did this because no one is going to be in Heaven who doesn't want to be there. God wants each of us to choose Him over Satan. Salvation is not a downhill coast but an uphill swim. There has to be a lot of effort on our part put into righteous living to be like Jesus Christ. We don't want to just obtain Heaven, but to to also win others to Christ along the way. We should also want to help others live godly lives and teach others the Word of God.
          It's good to study about sin because God hates it so much. And He has gone to such great efforts to rid it from Heaven and to rid it from humanity.
          Sin is not a matter to be taken lightly. It's a matter of life and death. To prove this Jesus Christ, God's Son, came to earth as a sinless sacrifice to take upon Himself the sins of every human being (including yours and mine). He suffered horribly and died in your place and my place on the cross (called the Passion of Christ). He did this because of His great love for you and me and because He wants us on His side. Jesus had to die because of sin. God hates sin so much that He had to look away (but just for a moment) from Jesus on the cross when all the sins of all humanity were placed on Him there. The sinless Jesus became sin as He became God's slain Sacrificial Lamb. My sins and your sins were placed on Him there. He paid for my sins and your sins there with His atoning blood.
          Christ's death was a horrible thing in one respect but necessary for the salvation of those who believe on Him. Because He paid the penalty for my sins and your sins, that means that you and I do not have to pay for our sins if we accept Him. Those folks who don't accept Him still have to pay for their own sins with the damnation of their eternal souls in the devil's hell with him. That's the price they pay for their sins.
          And what did we gain from His death and resurrection? We gained many things but one thing was the power not to indulge in wilful sin lest we want to because our nature was changed by Him when we invited Him into our hearts.
          To fully know what sin is and how to properly deal with it we must go to God's Word, the Holy Bible to get all the answers. Why? Because we must look at sin the way that God looks at sin and the only way we can do this is by studying God's Word. Sin is like an octopus that has many legs. You can look at sin from many different perspectives. In this work I plan on sharing many perspectives about sin with you from the teachings of some great men of the Christian faith.

The Testimony of Kraig Josiah Rice
(the author of this document)

          I was in the U.S. Navy on an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. One night, in answer to a brief prayer of mine out of desperation, I came face to face with Someone who I had never met before. Here is a quote from my testimony:
          "That night while I was asleep a most unusual occurrence happened. Directly in front of my conscious mind the face of Jesus Christ appeared to me. He looked at me face to face and without a doubt in my mind I knew it was Him. His face was partially blemished by large black splotches I knew to be my sins that separated us. Then He spoke these exact words to me, "You are going to be a cook." Then He left but I never forgot the encounter. What He said to me came true.
          This is how Jesus Christ took away my sins:
"I liked the Bible study group. These guys were not a bunch of anti-logical, religious nuts like I had supposed they could be. My preconceived notions were wrong. Instead, each individual there seemed very logical, calm, pleasant to be around, and had love flowing as a river from his heart. These folks presented quite a novelty to me because they had something that I thought unattainable.
          Consequently, I came back the next night and studied the third chapter in Matthew with them. The third night proved to be different. Directly after eating the evening meal on the night of February 12, 1967, Abraham Lincoln's birthday, as I was laying on my bed resting, my mind suddenly cleared of all its thoughts as if someone had taken an eraser and erased them. Then a voice spoke to my mind. The voice was clear and distinct and said, "Think of some way to get out of it." I had been looking at my pocket watch getting ready to get up in order to go to the Bible Study that night when the thought was sent to me. Later, I realized it was the voice of Satan. But his speaking to me was useless because I had my mind made up I was going and I went.
          ...I was very sincere when I prayed. We all stood forming a small circle and each person put his arm on the shoulder of each person standing on either side of him. I had the strangest feeling that someone invisible was trying to throw me out of the room. I could sense turbulence about me in the immediate atmosphere, but I did not understand it.
          "What do I do now?", I asked when the circle was completed. I had not prayed this way before. "Just pray," one of the reservists suggested. They all started praying outloud at the same time. I felt a little self conscious but prayed anyway. I did not know what to say a first, not having ever prayed very much. I prayed outloud,
          "Jesus, please forgive me of my sins and trespasses against You and others. I believe You are the Son of God." I stopped after that, not knowing what else to say. One of the reservists verbally prodded me by saying, "Keep praying." I wondered how he knew I had stopped praying unless he was listening!
          I continued praying and as I did so I felt something evil slide off my heart leaving my body under my right arm. I believe this was Satan. Then a large black burden moved in a split second from my heart upwards through my head and kept going. I believe this was the literal burden of my sins being taken away by Christ. At the same time Christ took up residence in my heart.
          All the praying was finished by this time as it had only lasted a couple of minutes. I stood there dizzy, sensing something different in my heart. There was joy and peace there for the first time. I knew something had happened to me because I could feel the change..."

THE DOCTRINE OF SIN (Hamartiology)
by L. Thomas Holdcroft

One of the best studies on this subject was written by
L. Thomas Holdcroft in his looseleaf large booklet titled
The Moral Universe (pages 16-25)
I now quote his writing from this booklet:
          "The doctrine of sin is known by the technical name "Hamartiology" which is based on the Greek hamartia, one of the words which means sin. It is important for Christians to give attention to the Saviour and not to rob God of due honor. The experience of mankind makes evident that sin is a fact to be reckoned with and squarely faced. It is a reality and not an illusion. In a multitude of experiences in the life of the human, and in fact in the life of all moral intelligences, sin is an ugly fact that asserts itself.
          It is said that each of the sixty-six books of the Bible either clearly states or specifically implies the existence of sin. Genesis begins with a description of the admission of sin to the being of man, and Revelation closes with a description of the ultimate destiny of the sinner and the triumph of the Holy God. One by one the Old Testament prophets testified of the reality of sin. Jesus Christ spoke of the evil heart of man
(Luke 6:45). Saint Paul in emphatic terms set forth this tragic truth, and even Saint John pointedly wrote, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"
(I John 1:10).
I. The Nature of Sin
          1. Scriptural Definitions
                    a) Failure to conform to the divine standard. The Hebrew chata and the Greek hamartia may each be translated literally "missing the mark." These words found in the original in the respective Testaments are the common words for sin; they are also translated trespass, offense, and fault. Sin, in this sense of failure to achieve the divine standard, is mentioned typically in a verse such as: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23). Seen thus, to sin is to miss the divine aim of God and thereby to arrive at a state of delusion and deception. It is a case of failing to accomplish that quality of life that God's divine law demands and thereby failing to conform to the measure of God's standard.
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 16)
                    b) The transgression of the law. The word avar in Hebrew and parabasis in the Greek implies sin in the sense of proceeding beyond prescribed limits. Sin in this sense is a stepping or passing beyond that which God has decreed either in His law or in human conscience: "Whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is a transgression of the law"
(I John 3:4). Sin in this sense is a deviation of a divine requirement and a bending of that which is right. "David spake...Lo, I have sinned, and have done wickedly"
(2 Samuel 24:17). In passing over the boundary of the right and entering the forbidden world, this type of sin may be seen as rebellion against the law of God. "...Children...have rebelled against me"
(Isaiah 1:2). It was this rebellious transgression of which Judas Iscariot was guilty in falling from his apostleship and betraying the Lord: "...Judas by transgression fell"
(Acts 1:25).
                    c) The denial of the law. In the Hebrew word pasha and the Greek anomia sin is depicted as lawlessness. It is not mere transgression, but a total lack of conformity and the outright disregard of the law of God. It is not mere disobedience to that which God's Law prescribes, but an open defiance typified by the set jaw and clenched fist with the deliberate intention of acting in a contrary manner. The deeds of the Sodomites are described on this order, and thus Lot: "vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds"
(2 Peter 2:8). It was the wicked or unlawful hands of the enemies of Christ who were responsible for His death. "Him...ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain"
(Acts 2:23). Sin in this sense is a life of afront and insult to God and the consequent rebellion is pointedly flagrant and deliberate.
                    d) Sin is ungodliness. In the Greek word asobeia, sin is depicted as that character of life which results in the separation of the (soul) individual's spirit from God. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness..."
(Romans 1:18). Sin in this sense characterizes the individual who is totally diverse from the person and will of God. It represents him who is irreverent, impious, and ungodly: "...the law is...made...for the ungodly and for sinners..."
(I Timothy 1:9). "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear"
(I Peter 4:18). It is evident that to sin in the sense of practicing ungodliness is to live a life without God.
                    e) Sin is a falling aside. The Greek word paraptoma depicts sin in the sense of an act that is a slipping or a falling from the pathway prescribed by God. It constitutes sin as a trespass, offense, or fault. It involves a failure to achieve a divine purpose and a departure from duty and right to the over-all tragic damage of the guilty individual. "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins"
(Ephesians 2:1). "In whom we have...the forgiveness of sins"
(Ephesians 1:7). Sin is spiritual death in the individual in the sense that it remains a liability until discharged by regeneration.
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 17)
                    f) Sin is debt. The Greek word opheilema depicts sin as that which is owed, or that to which the sinner is under obligation. It is sin in the sense of that which one is indebted for or behoved upon to do, or that which is one's duty or that which one is bound or pledged to do. "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren"
(Hebrews 2:17). "Forgive us our debts"
(Matthew 6:12. Also see Luke 17:3 & 4 and I John 1:9). Sin is death in the sense that it remains a liability until discharged. It calls for a satisfactory payment and it can be resolved only by prescribed expiation.
          2. Theological Views Concerning the Nature of Sin
                    a)Statements of Orthodoxy
          In general, theological statements concerning the nature of sin are likely to begin with the formula of the Westminster Catechism. "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of the law of God." Frequently it is noted that this discrepancy may be either in thought, or word, or deed. The role of the Law of God in identifying sin is considered to be important. " I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
(Romans 7:7). Sin is primarily the assertion of man's will against God's will and this will of God is revealed in His Law. "The carnal mind is enmity against God"
(Romans 8:7).
          The Bible teaches that the root (but not the essence) of sin is selfishness. To fail to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind"
(Matthew 22:37) is to substitute self for God. Jesus Christ was holy because He made God's will His own purpose. "I seek not my own will, but the will of Him that sent me"
(John 5:30). The basis of sin is the will of man; a man, by opposing his will to the perfect will of God, becomes a deliberate sinner. Adam originally accepted sin into the human genetic stream, "Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression"
(I Timothy 2:14). Sin is an undesirable characteristic of the human family in spite of man's efforts to deny it's existence. Cambron notes: "Society calls it indiscretion, scholars label it ignorance, evolutionists say it is the trait of the beast, Christian Scientists teach it as the absence from Good, the fleshly man excuses it as amiable weakness, the new theologians declare it is merely selfishness."
{Mark G. Cambron, Bible Doctrines, Grand Rapids,
Zondervan Publishing House, 1954, page 178.}
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 18)
          A Bible-based theology is likely to see sin as representing a rebellion against God. Man became a sinner because he was more than a mechanism- he was a person, and God respected that personality. Man sins because he uses his personal freedom to act in a wilful manner. Acts are wilful inasmuch as man has light on the nature of behavior, and he understands that he ought to do otherwise than he does. The fact that God has revealed Himself through the Bible, conscience, and history, proves that men know God's will, and therefore conspicuously sin in a wilful manner. Sin is a process of rejecting moral and spiritual light, and it may be described as deliberate moral suicide. The life of sin is centered in itself, and it provides the assertion of human will as the law of life.
                    b) Historical Statements Concerning Sin
          Augustine (354-430 A.D.) held that sin was based upon human will and that man possessed a determination which enabled him to revolt or defect from God. Sin was not an entity in itself but simply the expression of the human will in a manner that constituted the absence of the good. He wrote, "Let no one look for an efficient cause of evil, for it is not efficient but deficient, as evil is a defect." Augustine saw man as substituting the love of self for the love of God. The critics of Augustine argued that evil is more than mere privation, it is also the positive enemy of the good. Although Augustine's view was correct, it does not tell the whole truth. Sin must also be seen as a positive force set up against God.
          Sin was defined by Schleiermacher as "a prevention of the determining power of the spirit caused by the independence of the sensous functions." He held that the physical dominated the spiritual in man and thereby sin occured. In effect, Schleiermacher charged God, because of the manner in which He had created man, with the responsibility for man's sin. His theory would imply that by weakening the sensous nature we would weaken the power of sin. It might be concluded that some kind of ascetic behaviour would overcome sin's sensousness. Thus justification was achieved by human works.
          According to F. R. Tennant, sin is simply our inheritance from the brutes. It is an overhang from man's animal ancestry. The conquest of sin consists of moving upwards by working out the beast and letting the "ape and tiger die." Tennant makes sin inevitable in every man and his opponents would declare thereby he denies sin in any real moral sense. Theologian John A. Mackay once said: "Sin does not belong to man's lowest nature but to his highest. It takes the form of deliberate decision to substitute man and the human will for God and the Divine will."
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 19)
          Certain secular thinkers have considered that sin is simply an aspect of imperfect human development. Sin is the blundering of inexperience that is to lead us to the level of experiencing and appreciating the good. Thus, if man suffered a fall it was a fall upward and not down. The objection to this view is that it confounds intellectual knowledge with goodness. To define sin as finiteness is to deliver man from responsibility for their moral conduct.
II. The Origin of Sin
          1. The Scriptural Account
          The Bible reveals that sin began in the heart of Lucifer, a divinely created celestial being. It would appear that the sin of Satan and of the angels who followed him was a free act that was an expression of their dissatisfaction with the role to which God had assigned them. For Satan and his angels, there was no external influence or temptation from without, but only the relationship of the intelligences among themselves that could account for their commitment to sin. Evidently the existence of a moral intelligence possessing freedom of will necessarily involved the possibility of being able to commit sin by the misuse of that will.
          Sin is not to be traced to God, but to the self-determination of the creature. God did not create sinful beings, nor did He decree that His moral creatures should sin. The sin of Lucifer was self originated. The Bible account makes evident that it was wilful pride in the heart of Lucifer that resulted in his fall into sin. The story of the fall of Lucifer is set forth in Scripture in Ezekiel Chapter 26 and Isaiah Chapter 14. (A further discussion of the fall of Satan is found in the section on Satanology). It is considered that inasmuch as Lucifer's sin originated in himself, he was forever disqualified from any manner of salvation.
          The opening chapters of Genesis describe the introduction of sin into the human race. Sin entered the human family because man was deceived, and because he deliberately chose wilfully to disobey. Man identified with Satan and became the victim of his seduction which came as a temptation from without. At the same time he expressed his will in deliberate opposition to the will of God. Man can anticipate salvation because he is free to identify with the Saviour, just as originally he was free to identify with Lucifer, the embodiment of sin. Sin, which originated in the perverse will of Satan, was introduced into the human family, not because of the state in which man was created, but because of an evil act which he performed.
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 20, page 21 omitted)
III. The Manifestation of Sin
          1. A Matter of Attitude
                    a) Sin involves depravity. In being a sinner, man is described as depraved. His life is a distortion and a perversion, and in the things that he does, he displaces the Lord from His rightful center. Jesus described the heart of man "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies"
(Matthew 15:19). The state of depravity entails within the human heart a motivation to ungodly behaviour. "But sin... wrought in me all manner of concupiscence..."
(Romans 7:8). The twin characteristics of the human heart as the outcome of depravity are unresrained ungodliness and iniquity. Daniel rightly confessed of his people "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity"
(Daniel 9:5). Depraved humans suffer self separation from God. They bend the right to a wrong purpose and through their unfaithfulness they break those covenants with God that might assure their salvation.
                    b) Sin involves hostility. Sin is not only manifested in the external actions of life, but in an over-all hostility to the will of God. The sinner embarks upon his life choosing to manifest a positive personal affront to God. He is a rebel in the moral realm. The sinner lives his life in unbelief, in indebtedness, and in disobedience. "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar"
(I John 5:10). "...the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience"
(Ephesians 2:2). Any attitude of unrighteousness constitutes sin. "All unrighteousness is sin"
(I John 5:17). And all attitudes of disbelief toward God also are sin. "...whatsoever is not of faith is sin"
(Romans 14:23). The attitude of sin in the sinner's heart is an offence against God, and toward Him and His cause it represents a distinct loss.
          2. A Matter of Behaviour
                    a) Human infirmity leads to sin. Saint Paul recorded his struggles with his carnal self with it's sinful impulses. "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do"
(Romans 7:19). Natural man has the discernment to recognize sin, but not the accompanying motivation to reject the practice of sin. Saint James explained that sin is the outcome of this characteristic human infirmity. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin"
(James 4:17). In general, sins of infirmity constitute a yielding to that which is wrong and they may be described as sins of commission. Whether or not sin is deliberately exercised, or if it be the inadvertant expression of a weak nature, it nonetheless stands as actual sin.
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 22)
                    b) Human ignorance leads to sin. In contrast to the sins of commission which are the outcome of infirmity, there are also the sins of omission which are the outcome of ignorance. The Old Testament speaks of such sins as asham. This word implies the figure of sauntering as a camel without regard to the pattern of his steps. Since sin is a departure from the absolute divine standard, whether or not one knowingly is thus guilty, he, nevertheless, will not be excused. Actually, inasmuch as God so completely has revealed Himself to man, Scripture teaches that the sinner is never really totally ignorant and thus without excuse for his wrong doings. The provision of God to make known His will to mankind is adequately available that, either with the law or even without it, God's provision assured "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God"
(Romans 3:19).
          Scripture clearly teaches that human ignorance may serve as a qualifying factor in the estimate of sin even though it does not constitute a total excuse. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ taught that the destiny of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who sinned largely in ignorance, was to be less severe than that of the Galilean cities
(Matthew 10:15). In addressing Pilate, Jesus declared that the ignorance of His judge made this man less guilty than those who had placed Him in Pilate's hands. "He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin"
(John 19:11). However, man cannot claim absolute ignorance of the will of God- he claims only a relative ignorance, which modifies but does not cancel His judgement. "For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without law, and as many as have sinned within the law shall be judged by the law"
(Romans 2:12).
                    c) Sins of Presumption. The Psalmist prayed "keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins..."
(Psalm 19:13). All sins that are a deliberate defiance of the known will of God are presumptuous. They are consciously and intentionally committed, and they necessitate repentance that is just as conscious and intentional. Sins that are presumptuous and wilful are an imposing threat to the believer. "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins"
(Hebrews 10:26). Sins of presumption are in the direct pattern of behaviour to achieve the hardness of heart and deadness of spirit that is described in Scripture as the unpardoned sin. Since the Holy Spirit is the active agency of the godhead who conveys regeneration and divine light, to reject Him in the over-all rejection of God is to reject the only possible means of divine life, forgiveness, and the hope of the life to come.
          Protestants do not consider that the Roman Catholic distinction of venal and mortal sins as Biblical. All sins which are repented of are venal. All that are unrepented of are mortal. However, no sins can be truly venal in the Roman sense that are negligible and without specific divine accounting.
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 23)
IV. The Outcome of Sin
          1. The Outcome in Daily Living
          Bancroft summarizes the outcome of sin, particularly as it relates to this life:
          "Sin has dulled the ears of man's attention
          (Acts 28:27),
          darkened the eyes of man's understanding
          (Ephesians 4:18),
          depraved the heart of man's affection
          (Matthew 13:15),
          diverted the feet of man's walk
          (Isaiah 53:6),
          carnalized the thought of man's mind
          (Romans 8:7),
          warped the capacity of man's intellect
          (I Corinthians 2:14),
          wronged the soul of man's nature
          (Proverbs 8:36),
          poisioned the tongue of man's speech
          (Romans 3:13 & 14),
          contracted the hands of man's labor
          (Proverbs 21:25),
          deathized the spirit of man's being
          (Romans 5:12),
          deprived man of the comfort of God's home
          (Luke 15:32),
          and sin has placed him in the devil's grip of power
          (Ephesians 2:2)."
Quoted from Emery H. Bancroft, Christian Theology, Grand Rapids,
Zondervan Publishing House, 1949, page 172.
          In this life as well as in the life to come, sin robs man of many of the privileges and joys that ought to be his. Sin is a pollution that inevitably leads to penalty and condemnation. That alienation and separation from God produced by sin ultimately involves a giving up by God of the sinner. Sin's destiny is to lead to moral blindness, degeneration, and degradation. Sin is linked to suffering; much of the misfortune of mankind finds it's roots in the exercise of sin. The only remedy for the effects of sin is the impartation of divine life which is made available to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
          2. The Ultimate Outcome Of Sin
          In the case of the original prohibition placed before mankind, God admonished "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die"
(Genesis 2:16). In disobeying God and committing sin, man incurred the penalty of death- spiritual, physical, and eternal. Scripture teaches that death is the inevitable and certain penalty for sin. "The wages of sin is death"
(Romans 6:23). At the moment that he sinned, Adam became a dying man in spite of the fact that he lived to be over nine hundred years of age. At that instant the seeds of death were implanted within him. The death forces did not overcome the body of Adam for many centuries but, thereafter, mortality and corruption were his inevitable lot.
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of page 24)
          Death for sin is not merely a biological matter but a matter of relationship to God. In speaking of death as a penalty for sin, Scripture means death as a totality. The final and complete outcome of sin is eternal (or the second) death
(Revelation 21:8). The second death constitutes the exile or banishment of the sinner in his eternal body and soul from the presence of God forever. The penalty of sin not only brings man to his grave but it proceeds beyond the grave. On an eternal basis, sin leads to the loss of happiness, separates from the source of life, exclusion from blessing, exposure to misery, suffering, wretchedness, and woe.
          Seen from one standpoint, eternal death is simply the perpetuation of spiritual death in this life. The destiny of the sinner in the life to come is the same in kind as his destiny here. Since sin is located in the will of personal beings, it is not an entity or substance, but the quality or character of a person. Sin is thereby not a material substance but it is in the human mind and soul (spirit). Those aspects of man which are immortal and which survive beyond the grave are the very aspects that are corrupted by sin and that man takes into eternity with him. Thus, the state of death in this life and the state of death in the life to come are clearly interrelated."
(L. Thomas Holdcroft- end of this section on page 25)

J. Vernon McGee- Discources About Sin
by J. Vernon McGee

Another good writer on this subject was
The late radio minister, J. Vernon McGee
His radio sermons were published in book form in a 6 volume set:
J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee,
Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, 1982 Note: if you want to purchase this set please go to the Thru the Bible website. You can find their website address on my links page- just click on the red button on my home page to go there.
I now quote several passages of his writing from these books:
"God revealed Himself to the nation Israel:
"And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation"
(Exod. 34:6-7). Somebody asks, "Doesn't it go any further than that?" It sure does. It will keep going, but that is as far down as any man will be able to see� the third and fourth generations. A man may see his sin carried down that far.
But I want you to notice here two things that are conflicting and contradictory. God says He forgives iniquity and He shows mercy. Then He turns right around and says, "that will by no means clear the guilty." There is a paradox.
Listen to David again:
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
Hyssop was a little plant that grew on rocks in damp places. An interesting sidelight is a statement from a scientific journal that penicillin was found growing on hyssop. However, hyssop had to do with something penicillin can't cure: sin. Back in the Old Testament hyssop was used for three purposes.
First, when God took the children of Israel out of Egypt, He said, "There is one thing you must do at the Passover. You are to take a lamb, slay it and take its blood in a basin out to the front door and, with bunches of hyssop, apply the blood to the doorposts and to the lintel, then go back inside."
Second, when God was giving instructions for cleansing a leper, He told about taking two birds. One was to be slain; the live bird was taken with hyssop, dipped in the blood of the slain bird, and then let fly away. This portrays the death and resurrection of Christ. But the application of it was by hyssop.
Third, when the people of Israel were on the wilderness march and one of them sinned, they couldn't stop and put up the tabernacle and offer a sacrifice. So provision was made for purification of sin by killing a red heifer, burning it (with hyssop added), gathering the ashes and taking them along on the wilderness march. When a man sinned, the ashes were put in water, then hyssop was used to sprinkle them on him. There was the application of a sacrifice that brought forgiveness.
You have to go to the cross to find the interpretation. On the cross the Son of God said, "...My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
(Matt. 27:46). Why did He say that? I'll tell you why. Because God cannot by any means clear the guilty. He can't. He never will. And when the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross, was made sin for us, He who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him� when He was delivered for our offenses� God had to treat Him as He must treat sin. God spared Abraham's son; but God did not spare His own Son when He had my sin and your sin upon Him. He had to slay Him, because God cannot pardon the guilty. Let's be clear on that. He does not operate like our Supreme Court. God hates sin. God will punish sin. By no means will He clear the guilty. And His Son died.
On the cross Jesus also said, ". . . Father, forgive them ..."
(Luke 23:34). Forgive them! How can He forgive them? How can He extend mercy to thousands? How can He forgive iniquity? How can He forgive David? And how can He forgive you and me? "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"
(Ephesians 1:7). And every time you find forgiveness in the New Testament, the blood of Christ is close by. God never forgives sin apart from the death of Christ. Never. Never. God is not forgiving sin because He is big-hearted. He forgives because His Son paid the penalty. And now with open arms He can say to you, "I can extend mercy to you because my Son died for you." Oh, David knew the way into the heart of God. David says, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." It is the application of the death of Christ to the life".
(J. Vernon McGee, volume 2, pages 764-765)

CRY OF CONSCIENCE AND CONVICTION OF SIN
Let us now listen to David's confession:
"Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me"
[Ps. 51:1-3].
"Sin is always complicated. It never is simple. And there are several words that David uses to describe his sin. In the Scriptures God uses many more words than this to describe sin, by the way. Sin is that which is complicated; it is goodness that is simple. Let me give you an illustration. Suppose I were holding behind me a stick and I told you it was a crooked stick. How do you think it would look? No two people would think it looked like it really does. No two would agree because it could be crooked in a million different ways. But suppose I say that I hold a ruler behind me that is perfectly straight. Everyone would think of it in just one way. It can't be straight in more than one way. It is sin that is complicated; it is goodness that is simple.
David, first of all, called his sins transgressions. To transgress is to step over the boundaries of God. God has put up certain boundaries in this life. He has certain physical laws. He has certain moral laws. He has certain spiritual laws. Any time man attempts to step over any of them, he'll have to suffer the consequences. To do this is always called transgression.
Also David called his sin iniquity. And iniquity means that which is altogether wrong. You can't excuse it; you can't offer some sort of an apology for it; you can't in any way condone it. That's iniquity. Then there are two words translated with the English word sin. In verses 2 and 3 it is the Hebrew word chattath, meaning "sin offering." In verse 4 it is chata, translated in the Septuagint by the Greek word hamartia, meaning "to miss the mark." That's all� just miss the mark. We don't come up to God's standard, and it is in that sense that all of us today are sinners. None of us come up to the standard of God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"
(Rom. 3:23).
Then the word evil that is used here by David means that which is actually wrong. In our day we even have ministers who are trying to condone all kinds of immorality, but let it be understood that the Bible is still very clear on what is right and what is wrong. There are questionable areas on which the Bible is silent, I grant you, but there is also clear-cut black and clear-cut white. God is unmistakably certain on these things. Evil is that which is actually wrong. David uses this word to speak of the fact that he was wrong. He admitted it."
(J. Vernon McGee, volume 2, pages 762)

Rev. McGee mentions this info about sin as he discources about the prodigal son:
(Luke 15:17)
"Sin does an awful thing for us. It makes us see the world incorrectly. It makes us see ourselves in the wrong light. It makes us see the pleasures of this world in the wrong perspective, and we just don't see clearly when we're in sin. This boy when he was at home, looked out yonder at the far country, and it all looked so good� the grass was so green and the fun was so keen; but now he came to himself. And the first thing he did was a little reasoning. He began to use his intelligence. He said, "You know, I'm a son of my father, and here I am in a far country. I'm down here in a pigpen with pigs, and back in my father's home the servants are better off than I am, and I'm his son." When he began to think like that, he began to make sense. And this young man now acts like he's intelligent..."
(J. Vernon McGee, volume 4, page 315)

Rev. McGee mentions this info about sin as he discources about leprosy in the Bible Book of Leviticus:
Leviticus CHAPTER 13
THEME: Diagnosis of leprosy; disposal of lepers' garments
"This is concerned with the exceeding sinfulness of sin. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man"
(Matt. 15:19-20).
We come now to another unusual section of this book, the section on leprosy. Someone may ask whether this is practical for today. May I say that all of this book is practical. We are in the section of the book (Leviticus) which we have entitled "Holiness in Daily Life." God is concerned with the conduct of His children. We saw that He is concerned with their food; now in chapters 13, 14, and 15 we find He is concerned with leprosy and the cleansing of running issues.
Leprosy and running issues of the flesh are accurate symbols of the manifestation of sin in the heart of man. It shows the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the effect of sin in action. The emphasis of Leviticus is on sin.
In the heart of this book on worship of a holy God is this extended section on leprosy and issues in the flesh. The filthiness and repulsiveness of sin are represented in leprosy. The hoplessness and deadliness of sin are accurately portrayed. The leper who trudged down a hot, dusty, oriental road crying out, "Unclean! Unclean!" was a reminder to the Israelite that he, too, was a moral leper who needed supernatural cleansing.
Perhaps you are one of those who thinks that you will be saved by your works and that you don't need Christ as your Savior. May I say that if you could go to heaven just like you are, without Christ, you would go through heaven crying out, "Unclean! Unclean!" No angel would touch you with a twenty foot pole. You couldn't come anywhere near the presence of God.
You see, man has the idea that he has some kind of claim on God, but we have no claim upon Him whatsoever. He owes us nothing. He could blot out of existence this little earth that we live on, and it would not even make a dent in this universe. But thank God, He loves us. I'm so glad He loves us! That is the only thing that could bind Him to us.
God is driving a point home to us, and it is the same point He was driving home to Israel: Sin is exceeding sinful. This comparison between leprosy and sin is a recurring theme in the Scripture.
"There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.... My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.... For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. . . . For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin"
(Ps. 38:3, 5, 7, 18). That is the way we look to God.
(J. Vernon McGee, volume one, end of page 377)
Isaiah also had leprosy in his thinking as he described the sins of his people:
"From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment"
(Isa. 1:6).
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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"
(Isa. 53:4-5). Now, some folk say he is talking about leprosy here and that he is referring to a physical disease. No, my friend, Isaiah is talking about sin being laid on the Lord Jesus Christ. Can we be sure of that? Listen to the apostle Peter:
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed"
(1 Pet. 2:24).
We were dead in sin and He bare our sins in His own body on the tree. By His stripes we are healed. Now it is true that physical disease is a manifestation of sin and that behind disease germs there lies sin. If there were no sin, there would be neither death nor sickness.
There are two important considerations we should take into account as we get into this chapter.
1. The Bible does not agree with the generally accepted view that leprosy was incurable in that day. Cleansing is mentioned in
Leviticus 14:2. There were supernatural cures such as Naaman's in
2 Kings 5. Some expositors think that Job had leprosy. Since there was no scientific diagnosis of the disease in those days, there has been discussion on what the leprosy was. They had medicines in that day which they used for the cure of leprosy.
This chapter and the following do not contain a cure for leprosy. This should be carefully noted. It gives instructions to the priest on how a case of leprosy is to be determined, and the measures to be taken to prevent it spreading in the camp. After it had been cleansed, there was a ritual to be followed. It is not a cure that is presented here. In chapter 14 it deals with the ceremonial cleansing of the leper after his cure and not the cure itself. The main objective was to teach great spiritual truths in connection with the cleansing of leprosy as a type of sin.
2. This is not a scientific treatise on the detection, prevention, and cure of leprosy. There is no attempt to give a medical diagnosis of the disease. The diagnosis was a practical one which was adjusted to the knowledge of that day. It has direct and definite spiritual lessons for this day. The ritual was ceremonial rather than curative.
There has been some discussion on the part of some Christian physicians as to whether leprosy as we know it is the disease that the Mosaic system is considering. There has been much written in the past, both pro and con. It would seem that the descriptions in these chapters describe leprosy as we understand this loathsome and death-dealing disease but includes also elephantiasis, skin diseases, running issues, cancer, tumors, and social diseases. This is illustrated in chapter 15, and we will amplify this aspect when we come to that chapter. After all, only the first stages of leprosy are described here. By the time the person was declared to be a leper, he was ejected from society.
This chapter deals with the cleansing of leprosy, not the cure of leprosy. The leper was cleansed after he had been cured.
DIAGNOSIS OF A NEW CASE OF LEPROSY
"And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests"
(Lev. 13:1-21.)
Compared to modern techniques of diagnosis, the methods of Leviticus seem very crude. The procedure was adapted to the knowledge of that day. The diagnosis was not done in order to prescribe a treatment, but rather, it was a religious ritual. This needs to be stated emphatically.
Now friends, since I have a cancer, I know how my doctor treated me. He looked at it and just by looking he came to the conclusion that it was a cancer. It was not until a biopsy had been taken in a scientific way that they decided that they should operate. So in that day, they could have known a great deal more than we realize. The priests handled literally thousands of cases, I think, and so they would know what to look for. Perhaps this isn't as crude as we today think that it was. It may have actually been a pretty good diagnostic system. Still, the emphasis here is upon the spiritual ceremony rather than the physical catharsis.
(J. Vernon McGee, volume one, end of page 378)
Three symptoms are identified here: a rising or boil, a scab or small tumor, a bright spot. These are symptoms of leprosy, but the person having such a symptom need not necessarily be a leper. The first step was to bring the patient with a symptom to Aaron or one of the priests.
Just so, any mamfestation of sin, either small or great, should be brought immediately to our Great High Priest, who is also the Great Physician. We are to pray about everything. That includes every manifestation of sin. That is the place to go when we are physically sick, too. I received a caustic letter not so long ago telling me not to be so proud and go to a certain healer. They said I would be healed if my pride would be overcome. Friends, I took my case to the Great Physician, the Lord Jesus. I go there when I sin, and I go there when I am sick. That is the place to go first. That doesn't mean I didn't go to a doctor when I got sick. But I went to the Lord Jesus first!
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need....Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them"
(Heb. 4:16; 7:25).
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
(1 John 1:9).
"And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean."
(Leviticus 13:3).
There was no rash judgment made. The man or woman was carefully watched over a period of time. If a lesion on the skin began to disappear, the person was dismissed. If the hair turned white, it was becoming dead and showed that the disease was beneath the skin. Then the priest would pronounce the person unclean.
The Great Physician has made a thorough inspection of us and has made a diagnosis.
"Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways"
(Rom. 3:13-16). God says, "All have sinned." We are unclean. You see, just like any doctor, the Great Physician asks us to open our mouth and He looks down our throat. Then He asks us to stick out our tongue and there He finds deceit and lying. We are all spiritual lepers. God cannot have lepers in heaven. He must cure them before they get there."
(J. Vernon McGee, volume one, end of page 379)

Jesus Christ
God the Son
King of Kings
Lord of Lords
The Bible Book of Numbers
CHAPTERS 28 AND 29
THEME: Law of the offerings
"Now that Israel is prepared to enter the Promised Land by a new census which mustered the able-bodied men for warfare, and by the appointment of Joshua as commander, its spiritual life is dealt with. The offerings have already been instituted, but here, for the sake of completeness, all the national sacrifices which were to be offered during the whole year are reviewed.
Because in Leviticus we looked at these offerings in detail, we will only touch on certain points here that are particularly interesting and meaningful.
Why did God spend so much time with the details of these offerings? Very candidly, it is rather tedious. This is especially true in our day when we do not offer bloody sacrifices. And it must have been tedious for them also. I marvel at how meticulous things had to be for the offering unto God. Why is there such detail? The reason is so wonderful that I wouldn't want you to miss it for anything in the world. It is actually the preciousness of Christ that is brought to our attention here� in fact, the abiding preciousness of Christ.
LAW OF THE OFFERINGS
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season"
[Num. 28:1-2]. Notice the emphasis� "My offering. . .My bread . . . my sacrifice . . . unto me." You recall from the Book of Leviticus that there were two kinds of offerings. Of the five offerings, three of them were sweet savor offerings; two of them were non-sweet savor offerings. The sweet savor offerings represent the person of Christ; the non-sweet offerings speak of the work of Christ in redemption for you and me. Now here God is talking about sweet savor offerings, and He calls them My offerings. These offerings represent not what Christ has done for us, or our thoughts of Him, but they speak of what God thinks of Him.
Now what does this mean to you and me? We hear a lot today about worship and worship services. But how much is true worship in our services? How much is just aimless activity? Real worship is when we think God's thoughts after Him. This sweet savor offering which God speaks of as My offering, My bread, My sacrifice, represents what God thinks of Christ. God is satisfied with what Christ did for you and me on the cross. What about you? Are you satisfied with what Christ did for you on the cross? Are you resting in that today? His invitation is "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
(Matt. 11:28). Have you brought your burden of sin to Him and received Him as your Savior? Are you satisfied with who He is? If He is not the Son of God, then what He did is absolutely meaningless. True worship is a recognition of who He is and an adoration of His Person. In other words it is thinking God's thoughts after Him.
"And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD: two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering"
[Num. 28:3].
That burnt offering, speaking of the Person of Christ, all went up in smoke; it all ascended to God. And this is the aspect of this sacrifice that is all important.
When we come to chapter 29, we find it is a continuation of the laws of the offerings.
God wanted His people to come to Him with joy on these wonderful, high, holy days, the feast days. The exception was the Day of Atonement.
"And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein"
[Num. 29:7]. This was a repetition of the law as given in Leviticus. "Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD"
(Lev. 23:27).
The chapter concludes with the law of offerings for the Feast of Tabernacles. Offerings for their sins and trespasses are mentioned, but always this is given in addition to the burnt offerings."
(J. Vernon McGee, volume one, end of page 521)
The Bible Book of NUMBERS Chapter 29
"There are marvelous lessons for us in these two chapters. Friend, you and I are sinners. Even if you didn't know it, you are a sinner. If you and I pay close attention to the Word of God, we will find that we are sinners and need a Savior. We need Christ! We need a Savior who died for us and paid the penalty for our sins.
Sin is what has brought sorrow into this world. Sin has brought the tears and the broken heart. God hates sin. I'm glad He hates sin. God is moving forward today� undeviatingly, unhesitatingly, uncompromisingly� against sin. He intends to drive it out of His universe. God will not compromise with it at all. He will not accept the white flag of truce. He intends to eliminate it, and I'm thankful for that.
Because it is sin that has robbed you and me of our fellowship with Him, sin is an occasion for mourning. When was the last time you wept over your sins? Have you been before God, my friend, and wept over your sin, over the failure of your life, over your coldness and indifference? My, how we need to confess that to Him today. It is not because God is high and we are low, or because He is great and we are small, nor because He is infinite and we are finite that we are separated from Him. He says it is our sins that have separated us from Him. That is the occasion for weeping.
Let me be very frank with you. I was ordained into the ministry in 1933, and was an active pastor for thirty-seven years. I have had successful pastorates, as man judges those things. There has always been an increase in attendance, and a new interest in Bible study, thriving and growing young people's work, and people being saved. You may ask, "Isn't that a cause for rejoicing?" I confess to you that I don't rejoice. I look back and I see my failure, and I see it in a very glaring way. Don't misunderstand� I'm not guilty of shooting anybody or of committing adultery, but I failed my Savior in so many ways, so many times, and I confess that to Him. I let things come in to separate me in times when I needed His fellowship and wanted His fellowship. But I'd let these things come in the way. That is occasion for mourning, even for weeping to this day.
But God did not want His people to spend a life of mourning. There was only one day of mourning. All the others were feasts of joy. There were the sin offerings and the trespass offerings. Christ has atoned for our sins on the cross. How we needed that! But the emphasis is on the burnt offerings, the burnt offering continually every day and the burnt offerings of the feast days. God is delighted in His Son,
All of the details speak of our Savior and how wonderful He is. He is a sweet savor offering; that is who He is. He is the non-sweet savor offering; that is what He did. He was made sin for us, He who knew no sin. I am the sinner, but He died in my stead so that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He took my place down here and He has given me His place up there. If you are saved today, you have as much right in heaven as Christ has. Did you know that? You have His right to be there, and if you don't have His right, then you have no business there� in fact, you won't be there. We are accepted in the Beloved. That is the basis on which God receives us. If you are in Him, you just can't improve on that at all. How wonderful this is."
(J. Vernon McGee, volume one, page 522)

"The abuse of a harmless thing is the essence of sin" - A.W. Tozer

Matthew Henry Commentary About Sin
Matthew Henry in England wrote a devotional commentary many centuries ago. It is titled the Matthew Henry Commentary. I now quote a few passages regarding sin from it:
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away"
(Isaiah 64:6). We have all by sin become not only obnoxious to God's justice, but odious to his holiness; for sin is that abominable thing which the Lord hates, and cannot endure to look upon. Sinners are blasted, and then carried away, by the malignant and violent wind of their own iniquity; it withers them and then ruins them.
"Your iniquities have kept good things from you"
(Isaiah 59:2).
See what mischief sin does:
"It hinders God's mercies from coming down upon us; it is a partition wall that separates between us and God. Notwithstanding the infinite distance that is between God and man by nature, there was a correspondence settled between them, till sin set them at variance, justly provoked God against man and unjustly alienated man from God; thus it separates between them and God.
"He is your God, yours in profession, and therefore there is so much the more malignity and mischievousness in sin, which separates between you and him." Sin hides his face from us which denotes great displeasure
(Deuteronomy 31:17). It provokes him in anger to withdraw his gracious presence, to suspend the tokens of his favour and the instances of his help; he hides his face, as refusing to be seen or spoken with. See here sin in its colours, sin exceedingly sinful, withdrawing the creature from his allegiance to his Creator; and see sin in its consequences, sin exceedingly hurtful, separating us from God, and so separating us not only from all good, but to all evil
(Deuteronomy 29:21), which is the very quintessence of the curse."

In reference to Romans 6:23 Matthew Henry has this to say:
"To persuade us from sin to holiness here are blessing and cursing, good and evil, life and death, set before us; and we are put to our choice.
          (1.) The end of sin is death (verse 21): The end of those things is death. Though the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet the end is dismal: at the last it bites; it will be bitterness in the latter end. The wages of sin is death, verse 23. Death is as due to a sinner when he hath sinned as wages are to a servant when he hath done his work. This is true of every sin. There is no sin in its own nature venial. Death is the wages of the least sin. Sin is here either as the work for which the wages are given, or as the master by whom the wages are given; all that are sin's servants and do sin's work must expect to be thus paid.
          (2.) If the fruit be unto holiness, if there be an active principle of true and growing grace, the end will be everlasting life- a very happy end!- Though the way be up-hill, though it be narrow, and thorny, and beset, yet everlasting life at the end of it is sure. So, verse 23, The gift of God is life. Heaven is life, consisting in the vision and fruition of God; and it is eternal life, no infirmities attending it, no death to put a period to it. This is the gift of God. The death is the wages of sin, it comes by desert; but the life is a gift, it comes by favour. Sinners merit hell, but saints do not merit heaven. There is no proportion between the glory of heaven and our obedience; we must thank God, and not ourselves, if ever we get to heaven. And this gift is through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is Christ that purchased it, prepared it, prepares us for it, preserves us to it; he is the Alpha and Omega, All in all in our salvation."

The Assemblies of God Views on Forgiveness, Grace, and Confession of Sins
Forgiveness and Grace:
"Though it is difficult for the human mind to comprehend, no sin is beyond God's ability and willingness to forgive. This confident belief is based on the inspired Word of God, which we believe and trust implicitly. According to
Ephesians 4:32, God for Christ's sake has graciously forgiven us. He has also promised, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more"
(Hebrews 10:17). The gracious Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a perfect example of forgiveness extended even after one has been shunned and exploited
(Luke 15:11-32).
There is only one sin for which one is not promised forgiveness: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. "I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin"
(Mark 3:28,29). Much has been speculated and written on the meaning of this blasphemy, but it seems certain to be some deliberate persistence in evil and a conscious rejection of God's provision of salvation after one knows the reality of redemption. God forgives any sin for which a person desires to be forgiven. He will not forgive sin for which one has no desire to be forgiven.
The words of a revered gospel song read, "Such love, such wondrous love . . . that God should love a sinner such as I, How wonderful is love like this." God's loving forgiveness grows out of His remarkable grace. "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more"
(Romans 5:20). Faithful believers are chosen by God's grace; "and if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace"
(Romans 11:5,6). The basic meaning of grace is that God is for us. Grace is summed up in the person of Jesus Christ, God�s free gift for mankind's salvation. There is no limit to God's love and grace; it reaches beyond the scope of our comprehension."
http://ag.org/top/beliefs/christian_doctrines/gendoct_01_forgiveness.cfm
Confession of Sins:
"The word confess means "acknowledge." Confession of sins is an acknowledgment or admission of sins, with the intent of seeking forgiveness. The Scriptures promise, "If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins"
(1 John 1:9). Today when we come to Jesus with our sins our prayer ought to be that of the repentant tax collector, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner"
(Luke 18:13).
In the days when Christ physically lived on earth, some of His critics were right when they challenged Him, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" In their rhetorical question they were correctly stating an important truth, that only God has the authority to forgive sins. But what they failed to recognize was Jesus as God, the one who has authority. Therefore, they were wrong when they suggested He had no authority to forgive sins
(Mark 2:6-10).
When we share the gospel with sinners, God uses us to challenge them to repent and receive His forgiveness. In leading people to Christ, the confession of sins is to be directed to God through Jesus Christ. Nowhere does God�s Word tell us to confess our sins to a clergyman or human mediator in order to receive God�s forgiveness. Instead this is to be done from the repentant heart of the sinner directly to the Savior� Jesus Christ."
http://ag.org/top/beliefs/christian_doctrines/gendoct_19_confession_sins.cfm

Sin in the life of a Christian by Sid Litke, Th.M.
          1. The reality of sin in the believer. Christians still have the sin nature
(Romans 7:14-25; especially 7:17,20,21,23). Believers have both the sin nature and the new nature
(Romans 8:10; Ephesians 4:22-24). The old nature is not "eradicated" (destroyed) in this life. That is why we continue to commit personal sin
(1 John 1:8).
          2. The consequences of sin in the life of a believer. Sin in our life will interrupt the joy of our relationship with God. Persisting in sin may bring God�s discipline
(Hebrew 12:5-11), even sickness and death
(1 Corinthians 11:30; James 5:19,20; 1 John 5:16). Excommunication from the local church is necessary for some sin
(Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5).
          3. The remedy when believers sin. The remedy when we sin as a believer is to simply confess our sin
(1 John 1:9). "Confess" literally means to "agree with" God about that sin. If we still defend the sinful thought or act in any way, we have not confessed.
          True confession produces a desire to change. But even if we sin the same way again, the solution is again confession.
          Confessing sin is a major truth of the Christian�s life. Confession brings the cleansing Christ provided
(1 John 1:7).
          Positionally, all sin is already forgiven, but we claim and experience that forgiveness by confession. The joy of fellowship with God is then restored
(Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22,23; Romans 8:13)."
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=398

Jesus Christ Was Unclean But Not Sinful by Daniel Rendelman:
1 John 3:5, "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin." If no sin was in Yahshua then no lawlessness was in Yahshua. Yes, he was made unclean by touching the leper, the woman with the issue of blood, and dead people but being unclean is not a sin. Being unclean during the time of Yahshua would not permit you to enter the temple for 24 hours. That's it!"
http://www.hebroots.org/hebrootsarchive/0107/0107j.html

God Is Not Responsible for Creating Sin by Rev. Paul
"Critics say that since God created everything He is responsible for creating sin. But when God created the world everything He created was good
(Genesis 1:31). God did not create sin. He created us with free will so that men would have the option to either follow Him or reject Him
(Joshua 24:15). Sin came as a result of Creation rebelling against their Creator
(Genesis 3).
To hold God accountable for our sin would be like holding a parent accountable for a crime his child committed. The parent created the child, but the child is responsible for his or her own actions because the child has free will. In the same way God created us, but we are responsible for our actions because we have free will."
http://biblestudyplanet.com/q31.htm

Four Ways That You Sin by John F. MacArthur, Jr.
"When God completed his perfect creation, it was "very good" because: There was no disorder. There was no chaos. There was no conflict. There was no struggle. There was no pain. There was no discord. There was no disease. There was no decline. There was no death. Now we all live our whole lives with all of that. Life is defined by disorder, chaos, conflict, struggle, pain, discord, disease, decline and death.
Let me give you a definition of sin at this point. Sin is any personal lack of conformity to the moral character of God, or the law of God. Then sin is a disposition of the heart. It is a bent. It thinks evil; it speaks evil; it acts evil and it omits good. Let me give you those four, because those are the four ways in which you sin. You sin by thinking evil, speaking evil, acting evil or omitting good. You sin when you do, when you say, when you think, or when you don't do, say, think what God demands you to. So it is commission, as you've often heard, or omission."
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/90-233.htm

Sins Of Commission
Doing what I know
is wrong.
Sins Of Omission
Failing to do what
I know is right.

Abstaining From Wilful Sin Is For Winners by Key-Way Publishing
"Humans can be wrong, but God is never wrong. Like a parent telling a young child not to touch something that's hot, God does not give us His laws to be mean and overbearing, but to keep us from burning ourselves. God knows what works because He made it all work- He designed and created all that exists (see The Seven Days Of Creation).
The Lord outlaws sin because sinful behavior always, sooner or later, results in misery, grief and death. Put another way, sin can be defined as behavior that will always fail. Sin is for losers."
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/whatsin.htm

"The wages of sin is ________________ (awful separation from God), but the gift of God is _________________    _________ (a wonderful relationship with God forever) through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Romans 6:23).

How To Overcome Sin by John Meakin
"During Jesus' ministry a rich young man came to Him and asked what he should do to achieve eternal life. Christ told him, ". . . If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments"
(Matthew 19:17). When the man asked which commandments Jesus was talking about, Christ referred to five of the Ten Commandments, along with the command to "love your neighbor as yourself." But He omitted mention of the Tenth Commandment, which forbids coveting. Covetousness was the man's problem and one of the reasons this account is in the Bible. The young man was just too attached to his riches to give them up, so he "went away sorrowful"
(verse 21-22).
Christ noted how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God because of the human tendency to covet and rely on physical possessions rather than God. The disciples, amazed, asked, "Who then can be saved?" Christ's answer provides the key to overcoming sin: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible"
(verse 26).
None of us can overcome our deficiencies, our sins, our shortcomings, without God's help. Even if we could by our own will alter our actions, only God can change our hearts. This is why Paul appealed to members of the church in Rome not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by God's Spirit and "by the renewing of your mind"
(Romans 12:1-2).
http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn09/overcomesin.htm

Men may
spurn our appeals,
reject our message,
oppose our arguments,
despise our persons,
BUT
they are helpless against our prayers
[J. Sidlow Baxter]

Sin Is Not Showing Love To God By An Unknown Author
"All of Scripture's commands and other laws are based on the principles contained in the Ten Commandments� and the Ten Commandments are based on the two great areas of love that reflect God's character
(Matthew 22:37-40; compare 1 John 4:8, 16; Romans 13:9-10).
Sin is behaving in a manner that does not show love to God or to our neighbor. It harms others as well as ourselves. It is especially destructive to our relationships with each other and God."
http://www.ucg.org/bsc/08/whatssin.htm

"Of all forms of deception self-deception is the most deadly, and of all deceived persons the self-deceived are the least likely to discover the fraud"
- A.W. Tozer

Three Categories Of Sin by Chafer Theological Seminary
"In Regards to HAMARTIOLOGY (The Study of Sin) We believe the Scripture reveals three categories of sin:
Imputed Sin, Inherent Sin, and Personal Sin.
Imputed Sin. At conception God credits to every member of the human race the responsibility and penalty for Adam�s sin
(Romans 5:12; 5:18�19; 1 Corinthians 15:22).
Inherent Sin (Sin Nature). Every person inherits a sinful capacity that causes and leads him to commit personal acts of sin
(Romans 6:6; 7:17�18; Ephesians 4:22).
Personal Sin. Any lack of conformity to the will of God in word, thought, or deed is an act of personal sin against the Lord
(Mark 7:20�23; Romans 6:12�13; 2 Corinthians 10:5; James 3:5�6)."
http://www.chafer.edu/about/Doctr_statement.html

MAJOR BIBLE THEMES written by Lewis Sperry Chafer
I. SIN: GOD'S REMEDY FOR IT
"While in the Biblical doctrine of sin there are certain distinctions, two universal facts should first be noted:
          1. Sin is always equally sinful whether it be committed by the heathen or the civilized, the unregenerate or the regenerate. The question of many stripes or few is one of the judgments to be imposed upon the sinner; but any sin in itself is unvaryingly sinful because it outrages the holiness of God.
          2. Sin can be cured only on the ground of the shed blood of the Son of God. This was as true of those who anticipated the death of Christ by animal sacrifices as it is now of those who look back to that death by faith. Divine forgiveness has never been a mere act of leniency in remitting the penalty of sin. If the penalty is remitted, it is because Another as a substitute has met the holy demands against the sinner. In the old order it was only after the priest had offered the atoning blood-sacrifice, which anticipated the death of Christ, that the sinner was forgiven
(Lev 6:7; 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 19:22;
Num 15:25, 26, 28). Likewise, after Christ has died the same truth obtains. We read: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins"
(Col 1:14; Eph 1:7).
The substitutionary work of Christ upon the cross is infinitely perfect in its sufficiency, therefore the sinner who trusts in Christ not only is forgiven, but he is even justified forever
(Rom 3:24). God has never treated sin lightly. Forgiveness may impose no burden on the sinner, but he is forgiven and justified only because the undiminished divine penalty has been borne by Christ
(1Peter 2:24; 3:18).
II. SIN BEFORE AND AFTER THE CROSS
          1. The divine method of dealing with sin before the cross is said to have been by atonement, which word, in its Biblical use, means simply to cover. The blood of bulls and goats could not, and did not, take away sin
(Hebrews 10:4). The offering of sacrificial blood indicated on the part of the sinner the acknowledgment of the just penalty of death
(Leviticus 1:4), and, on the part of God, the sacrifice anticipated the efficacious blood of Christ. By symbolizing the shed blood of Christ, the atoning blood of the sacrifices served to cover sin, as it were, in covenant promise until that day when Christ would deal in finality with the sin of the world.
Two New Testament passages throw light upon the meaning of the Old Testament word atonement or covering:
                    (1) In Rom 3:25 the word "remission" has the meaning of "passing over" and in this connection it is stated that when Christ died He proved God to have been righteous in having passed over the sins which were committed before the cross and for which the atoning blood of the sacrifices had been shed. God had promised a sufficient Lamb, and had forgiven sin on the strength of that promise. Therefore, by the death of Christ, God was proven to have been righteous in all that He had promised.
                    (2) In Acts 17:30 it is stated that, before the cross, God "winked at" sin. This word should be translated "overlooked."
          2. The divine method of dealing with sin since the cross is stated in
Romans 3:26. Christ has died. No longer is the value of His sacrifice a matter of expectation to be taken in covenant and symbolized by the blood of animals; the blood of Christ has been shed, and now all that can be asked of any person, regardless of his degree of guilt, is that he believe in the thing which, in infinite grace, has been accomplished for him. This passage declares that Christ upon the cross so answered the divine judgment against every sinner that God can remain just, or uncompromised in His holiness, when at the same time and apart from all penalties, He justifies the sinner who does no more than believe in Jesus.
As before stated, the word atonement, which occurs only in the Old Testament, indicated the "passing over", "overlooking", and "covering" of sin; but Christ in dealing with sin on the cross did not pass it over or cover it. Of His sufficient sacrifice it is said: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"
(John 1:29; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 10:4; 1 John 3:5). "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree"
(1Peter 2:24). There was no temporizing or partial dealing with sin at the cross. This great issue between God and man was there dealt with in a manner which is satisfying even to the infinite holiness of God, and the only question that remains is whether man is satisfied with the thing which satisfies God. To accept the work of Christ for us is to believe upon the Saviour to the saving of the soul.
III. SIN OF THE UNSAVED AND THE SAVED
          1. The forgiveness of sin is accomplished for the sinner when he believes upon Christ and is a part of his salvation. Many things which constitute salvation are wrought of God at the moment one believes; but forgiveness is never received by the unsaved apart from the whole work of saving grace, and on the ground of believing on Christ as Saviour.
          2. In the divine dealing with the sins of the Christian, it is the sin question alone that is in view, and the Christian's sin is forgiven, not on the ground of believing unto salvation, but on the ground of confessing the sin
(1 John 1:9).
The effect of the Christian's sin, among other things, is the loss of fellowship with the Father and the Son, and the grieving of the indwelling Spirit. The child of God who has sinned will be restored to fellowship, joy, blessing, and power, when he confesses his sin.
While the effect of sin upon the believer is the loss of blessing, which blessing may be renewed by confession, the effect of the believer's sin upon God is a far more serious matter. But for the value of the shed blood of Christ and the present advocacy of Christ in Heaven
(1 John 3:1, 2; Romans 8:34; Hebrewa 9:24), sin would separate Christians from God forever. However, we are assured that the blood is efficacious
(1 John 2:2) and the Advocate's cause is righteous
(1 John 2:1). The sinning saint is not lost because of his sin, since, even while sinning, he has an Advocate with the Father. This truth which alone forms the basis on which any Christian has ever been kept saved for a moment, so far from encouraging Christians to sin, is presented in the Scriptures to the end that the Christian "sin not", or "be not sinning"
(1 John 2:1). Beholding the Saviour advocating for us in Heaven must cause us to hesitate before every solicitation to sin."
http://churchofhopeontheweb.org/hamartiology/godsrem.htm

The Doctrine of Sin by Lehman Strauss, Litt.D., F.R.G.S.
"The Expiation For Sin-
Expiation is the act of making satisfaction or atonement for a crime or fault. God, because of His nature, not only demands that sin be punished but He also has provided for the sinner�s restoration to fellowship with Himself. It is at this point where the death of Christ enters the scene. God could not be satisfied until sin had been fully atoned for. The Bible teaches that by the sufferings and death of Christ, the acceptable Substitute was provided for the sin of man, thereby making His sufferings and death to be vicarious, that is, in the room and stead of the sinner.
There could be no expiation for sin apart from the sacrifice of blood, the reason being that God so declared it. "Without the shedding of blood is no remission"
(Hebrews 9:22). "It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul"
(Leviticus 17:11). Christ was the sinner�s bleeding sacrifice. "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us"
(Hebrews 9:12). ". . . now once in the end of the world (age) hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"
(Hebrews 9:26). Caiaphas said, "It is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not"
(John 11:50). Paul wrote, "One died for all"
(II Corinthians 5:14). "For He hath made Him to be sin for us . . ."
(II Corinthians 5:21). Peter added, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit"
(I Peter 3:18). These are but a few of the many passages which show us how the death of Christ was God�s way of providing an expiation for our sins.
Expiation means that our sins were laid upon Christ. "The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all"
(Isaiah 53:6). This is what the nation Israel will acknowledge when Christ comes to earth, but it is true of the whole human race. Man substituted his own will for God�s will when he sinned; God substituted His own Son to atone for man�s sin. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many"
(Hebrews 9:28). "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree . . ."
(I Peter 2:24).
The chief purpose of the Incarnation of Christ was to offer Himself a ransom for sinners. "Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many"
(Matthew 20:28). "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost"
(Luke 19:10). This too is the fundamental theme of the Christian Gospel, "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures"
(I Corinthians 15:14), and is therefore essential to Christianity and man�s salvation. Our Lord repeatedly said that He must suffer, be killed, and be raised from death the third day
(Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; John 12:32-34). Even in Heaven Christ�s expiation for sin is the grand theme, for there the redeemed will sing a new song, ". . . Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation"
(Revelation 5:9). His death was neither an accident nor a mere incident, but rather it was a divinely planned death in the sinner�s stead.
Christ�s death satisfies the holiness of God. By the holiness of God we mean that perfection of God whereby He is absolutely separate from all moral evil. It is the attribute of holiness by which God was especially known in Old Testament times. He said to His people, "Be holy, for I am holy"
(Leviticus 11:44, 45). Because of His holiness, there is a great gulf between God and the sinner. The prophet wrote, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear"
(Isaiah 59:2). Before sin entered, God and man enjoyed fellowship, but when sin entered, the fellowship was broken and there was an estrangement between God and the sinner. The sinner cannot come near to God because he lacks the sinlessness that is required in order to appear before His Holiness. Though Adam did not die a physical death for 930 years after he disobeyed God, he died spiritually the instant he sinned, and he felt himself estranged from God Who was holy.
Fortunately for us sinners, God met the demands of His own holiness by providing Himself an atonement, a satisfaction, an expiation. Christ�s death on the cross was not a compromise but a holy Substitute, a satisfaction. God is love, but true love is conditioned by holiness so that it can be said that the most fundamental attribute of God is not love, but holiness. Because of the very nature of God He must maintain His own moral excellence. God could not forgive sin without an atonement. Human sin could not go unpunished because of Who and What God is. The tendency among modern liberal theologians is to assume that a God of love can pardon sin without an atonement. But that kind of easy-going optimism cannot possibly understand either the holiness of God or the heinousness of sin. The love of God was never more fully demonstrated than in His self-giving, self-sacrificing passion at Calvary when "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
(John 3:16). Nothing less than the atonement of Christ could rescue the sinner from the guilt and penalty of his sins and at the same time satisfy the infinitely holy and just God."
http://www.bible.org

Twelve Basic Words To Describe Sin by Dr. Charles Ryrie
"The New Testament uses twelve basic words to describe sin. They are:
Kakos, bad (Romans 13:3);
poneros, evil (Matthew5:45);
asebes, godless (Romans 1:18);
enochos, guilt (Matthew 5:21);
hamartia, sin (I Corinthians 6:18);
adikia, unrighteousness (I Corinthians 6:9);
anomos, lawlessness (I Timothy 2:9);
parabates, transgression (Romans 5:14);
agnoein, to be ignorant (Romans 1:13);
planan, to go astray (I Corinthians 6:9);
paraptomai, to fall away (Galatians 6:1);
and
hupocrites, hypocrite (I Timothy 4:2).
From the uses of these words several conclusions may also be drawn.
          (1) There is always a clear standard against which sin is committed.
          (2) Ultimately all sin is a positive rebellion against God and a transgression of His standards.
          (3) Evil may assume a variety of forms.
          (4) Man�s responsibility is definite and clearly understood."

The GLORY OF GOD

All That God is:
God is holy.
God is righteous.
God is loving.
God is good.
God is truthful.
God is kind.

Am I as holy as He is? _____
Am I as righteous as He is?_____
Am I as loving as He is?_____
Am I as good as He is?______
Am I as truthful as He is?_____
Am I as kind as He is?____

DO I MEASURE UP TO THE GLORY OF GOD, OR DO I FALL SHORT? __________

INTRODUCTION TO HAMARTIOLOGY by Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
"There are two approaches to the study of sin:
1. EXEGETICAL: This is the study of the Scripture and setting down a conclusion of what sin is.
2. SPECULATIVE: This is the study of man, philosophy and experience and setting down a conclusion of what sin is based on the observations.
Within the speculative area of study we have some systems of thought of which you should be aware.
HUMANISM: Nothing is sin unless it is wrong for you. No sin- if it's okay for me, I will do it, but if it's wrong for you, don't do it. The idea current in our society, "If it feels good, do it" is a result of this philosophy.
ASCETICISM: This teaching believes that everything enjoyable is sin. If it feels good then experience tells us it will become a habit, thus sin, and thus enjoyable things are sinful. This led to the self abuse and self denial of some of the Roman Catholic groups in the pre-reformation days.
Chafer mentions that when we minimize the doctrine of sin we impoverish redemption. This is quite true and can be seen in some of the "ologies" of the liberal camp. The Theology of Hope makes redemption and the gospel, the topic of mere "hoping" that something will come to pass to help man's state. The thought of sin is down played by many of the theologies of our day.
Many of the things that God clearly displays as wrong in the Word are held by liberal people to be only different life styles, as in the field of homosexuality, or women's rights, or in the field of abortion.
I believe that as your view of sin lowers so lowers your view of salvation, of Christ's work in salvation, and of God's love in sending Christ.
I like how one of my students once related to this thought. "If we lower our view low enough we will have no need of redemption. This translates to no need of God." One is left to wonder if this is what happened in Sweden. They entered the area of free love, etc. many years ago. They as a society allowed most anything that the individual wanted to do. Today they have no god. Many do not even know if god exists.
God and all that He is, remains HOLY no matter what man might say. He is pure, and true holiness. Evil on the other hand is unholiness- pure and simple! Evil is centered in the god of this world, the Devil. All moral values derive themselves from God and His Word. Immoral values derive themselves from evil, unholiness, and Satan.
We dare not suggest that God created, nor caused sin. This would not be consistent with His character or nature. We can say that God in his foreknowledge allowed, and still allows many things to happen. He allows the lost to sin, He allows the lost to condemn themselves to hell, and He allows Christians to sin. None of these items are A SURPRISE PARTY FOR GOD! He knew full well what would happen and laid plans from the foundation of the world to bring mankind to the end that He desires. Within that plan is a lot of room for man's free will to mess up his own life!
Sin is viewed in relation to God's standard. If God's standard is rejected then what becomes the standard? Let us consider this question for a few moments. There are systems of right and wrong that have and do exist. Let us consider them.
          1. The customs of the culture. If the natives kill and eat human flesh and have common wives then it is okay.
          2. What you can get away with must be okay. If it was wrong then God would stop me from doing it. This is the attitude of most criminals in the 90's. They can get away with it so it must be okay. Even if they are caught, the punishment is so light, if indeed there is one, that crime can't be very wrong.
          3. What the judicial system allows must be okay. If some people get away with murder then it must be okay.
          4. Ultimately Satan's standard will take over- complete evil. We have a couple of examples in recent history. Hitler, the Manson killings and the Jim Jones cult suicide."
http://www.open.org/mrdsnts/d04400.htm
                            A BRIEF LOOK AT SIN:
          GOD                                     SATAN           HOLINESS                                EVILNESS           PERFECT HOLINESS                        COMPLETE EVIL           PERFECT LOVE SENT CHRIST                COMPLETE HATE OPPOSES CHRIST           ULTIMATE TOTAL VICTORY                  ULTIMATE TOTAL DEFEAT

Taking Sin Seriously by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.
(Luke 17:1-4) "Ways we can cause others to stumble:
          (1) Competition:
(Matthew 18:1 also Mark 9) When we seek to get ahead of our brethren, we will not seek to build them up, but rather to tear them down; we construct ways in which to see to it that our brethren fall. (Note that the disciples� arguing over who was the greatest brought about our Lord�s words about stumbling blocks in both Matthew and Mark).
          (2) False teaching:
(Malachi 2:8; Romans 16:17; James 3; Revelation 2:14).
          (3) Flattery:
(Proverbs 7:21-22; 26:28; 29:5).
          (4) Ungodly rebuke & counsel:
Job�s friends; also Peter & Jesus (Matthew 16:23).
          (5) Use of liberties which are detrimental to weaker brethren:
(Romans 14:20; 1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:32; 2 Corinthians 6:2).
          (6) Passing judgment on others:
(Romans 14:13).
          (7) By abusing our position or power; also setting a bad example:
(James 3). Sexual, physical, psychological abuse of children.
          (8) By not living in the light, but continuing in the deeds of darkness:
(1 John 2:10. 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13).
          (9) By "judging", I take it, imposing standards above the Scriptures:
(Romans 14:13; James 4:11-12).
          Finally, if we take sin in the life of a brother seriously, we will do everything possible to turn that brother from his sin when he falls. The Pharisees prided themselves for taking sin seriously. They, however, looked for sin in others, and then withdrew from those whose sins they found personally offensive. The Lord, who came to seek and to save sinners, calls upon His disciples to do likewise. Thus, we show that we take sin seriously when we seek out our sinning brother and do all we can to turn him from that sin to God, by repenting."
http://www.bible.org

The Stupidity of Sin by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.
(Romans 6:12-23)
"Romans 6 teaches us a great deal about sanctification� the lifelong process of spiritual growth which takes place in the life of the Christian, resulting in the glorification of God. By inference, our text teaches us that sanctification is surely not automatic. Once we have been saved, we are not predisposed to always do God�s will. Growth does not occur by accident. The Christian is faced with decisions and choices. While there is boasting and great confidence, there is also agony and struggle. The struggles and tribulations are a part of the process.
Sanctification is not immediate, and it is not easy, but it is remarkably simple. Paul�s words in
Romans 5-8 are not that scholarly nor are his points difficult to grasp. We do not struggle with sanctification because it is so hard to understand, but because it is so hard to do. The reason for this struggle will be explained in
Romans 7. The means for living righteously are yet to be expounded in
Romans 8.
Sanctification is rooted in the cross of Jesus Christ. We were saved from sin and unto righteousness. Our sanctification is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died not only for sin, but to sin. Since we have been baptized into Christ, we must not live in sin; we must die to sin. Our lifestyle must radically change as a result of our union with Him and His work at Calvary. Our sanctification is necessitated by the cross, and it is provided for by the cross. The cross of Christ is the key to our salvation and our sanctification.
Turning back to sin is stupid, because in so doing we return to that slavery to sin from which we were liberated in Christ. If salvation liberated men from their bondage and enslavement to sin, the practice of sin is a return to that very bondage. Returning to sin, rather than resisting sin, is like "A DOG [THAT] RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT" or a pig that returns to "wallowing in the mire"
(2 Peter 2:22; Proverbs 26:11) bible.org

Guard Your Mind Against Sinful Thoughts by an unknown author
"A sin does not occur when a bad thought comes into our head (mind, heart, spirit)......
It becomes sinful when we take a liking to the evil thought or don't rebuke the evil thought....
or act unrighteously upon the evil thought in a manner of actions, or words that proceed from our lips....
This is a very important thing to understand,..... how it is that we "sin".
A thought becomes sinful when; we act unrighteously upon the evil thought in the manner of actions, or words that proceed from our lips....
Proverbs 30:32: "If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth".
A thought becomes sinful when we allow the evil thought to persuade our mind and do not rebuke the wicked thought....
Matthew 5:28: "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart".
I tell you the truth Brethren, we ought to learn how to pray at every thought that comes into our mind, to KNOW from YHWH what we ought to do!.....
1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing".
Luke 11:9: "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you".
Luke 11:10: "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened".
2 Corinthians 10:4: "...for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses".
2Corinthians 10:5: "Destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of YAHWEH, taking every thought captive to the obedience of the Messiah, Bringing into "captivity"
EVERY THOUGHT!
Proverbs 24:9: "The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. This is referring to dwelling upon an unrighteous act... such as lewdness or a heinous "plan"....
We are to stop the "temptation" before it gets to that point.... This is like the "LINE IN THE SAND".
Proverbs 23:17: "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of YAHWEH all the day long".
Proverbs 23:18: "For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off".
http://www.waytruthlife.com

How Sin Is Impacting the American Society by John F. MacArthur, Jr.
(From an article titled What is Sin?)
(Genesis 3:1-7)
"When God completed his perfect creation, it was "very good" because: There was no disorder. There was no chaos. There was no conflict. There was no struggle. There was no pain. There was no discord. There was no disease. There was no decline. There was no death. Now we all live our whole lives with all of that. Life is defined by disorder, chaos, conflict, struggle, pain, discord, disease, decline and death. We look at the physical world around us, and we see it decaying and tending toward disorder and chaos, disintegration and death. That's the law of entropy, the second law of thermodynamics; that matter continually tends to break down toward disorder. The physical world is breaking down. This is frightening to people when they take a look at, for example, the interplanetary world or the celestial world, the world of heavenly bodies, and they begin to fear that as big chunks keep breaking off various heavenly bodies and hurtling through space, they have a likelihood that they will at some point collide with this planet in a collision that will literally blast us into non-existence. And we watch in the national world just the history of civilization, and we see the cycle of rise and fall, and rise and fall, and rise and fall. We look in the animal world and there is this incessant process of struggle and death. We look in the human world, and every human relationship is a struggle.
Human life is a struggle. As soon as life is conceived in the womb, it begins to live and die at the same time. It begins to grow and to decay at the same time. And in the spiritual and moral world, everyone finds it easier to do wrong. Have you noticed? It's much easier to do wrong. In fact, it's really impossible to do righteous things. Even when you do right humanly, you generally do it to feel better about yourself, which is an ill-conceived motive. It's much easier to do evil than good. It's much easier to float down on the moral sewage than it is to buck the tide, stay above it. Hatred and crime and war, perversion, wickedness, those things just come with life.
Evolutionists really amuse me. They are clueless about this, because they are living under the self-deception that man is getting better; that he's improving. The idea of evolution is that man starts from simplicity and mutates upward into complexity; that he starts from a very low and minimalistic level of intelligence and mutates upward to a greater intelligence; that he starts at a base level morally and he moves up to a higher and higher level morally. But the fact of just life itself, the truth about man, is a refutation of evolution. Because the fact of the matter is man isn't getting better. He's getting worse. He's accumulating iniquities at a rapid rate. And with technological advances, he is accumulating wretchedness faster than ever. Man did not begin at the bottom of the moral ladder and slowly, by psychological evolution, rise higher. That's just not true. In fact, if you study human history, basically there hasn't really been any change. Men are morally no better than they were in the past and, I suppose, in some ways no worse than they were in the past. You can trace the patterns of wretchedness through all of human history. But the advancements that have come technologically and by science through the centuries have only enabled man to escalate and exacerbate his corruption.
By the way, you might be interested to know the word "sin" doesn't appear in the third Chapter. But this is where it entered into our world. This was it. When Adam and Eve, tempted by the serpent in the garden, disobeyed God, everything went from being "very good" to being very bad. In
Romans Chapter 5 is a statement that we'll go back to in weeks to come as we study this issue. In
Romans Chapter 5 and Verse 12, listen to what the Bible says: "Therefore, just as through one man"- that's Adam- ".. sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." There is the New Testament commentary on the event that I just read you. Through one man, Adam, ".. sin entered into the world, and death through sin", the ultimate measure of decay. And so: "Death spread to all men, because all sinned". When Adam sinned, we were all there. We were in his loins; we were his We've all come from Adam and Eve. And so we inherited what theologians call original sin. When Adam sinned, we all went down, because we've all come from Adam.
So we have a problem in our society today, folks. We don't believe that man is innately a sinner. We think he's basically good and something happens to him environmentally. But if we do believe that- if we do acknowledge that he does evil, how do we define that evil? What is our standard for what is evil? What is it? Well, once our standard for evil in America, our standard for morality in America, was established by the Bible. Right? By the Bible. I mean that's what the nation was founded on; that's what basically our laws were written on. Our view of morality, our view of crime, our view of justice, all came out of the Bible. And once, there were certain behaviors that were considered to be against the law. That's changing. That's changing very rapidly. It's changing in the sexual realm. It's changing in the homosexual world. It's of course, in the world of abortion, euthanasia. Boy, watch. Watch what happens with the genetic engineering that's going to come in the very near future, as they now can determine the ability to handle the genes and decide who gets born and who doesn't, and et cetera, et cetera. As we continue to move down deeper and deeper into the morass of sin and dislodge ourselves from any standard, being the word of God, we have no way to define morality anymore except to take a survey. Right? To take a survey. That's what you do. The politicians do it. They give back what they think the constituencies would vote for. They want to get elected. So they basically say I believe this, because they polled the constituents, and that's what they say. And that's how we develop our morality.
I think we have no other choice but to hold the Bible up as the standard, and to say to the sinner: It is the standard, because it is the word of God.
But I don't think we have anywhere else to go, I mean, because this is the standard. We're just not going to have a society anymore propped up by biblical standards. And you watch the continual escalation that goes on as we redefine morality in terms of popular referendum, popular vote and survey. That redefining of morality without a standard leaves our society in a death dive, because sin is breaking God's law. Sin is violating God's moral character. And there's nowhere to know that, except on the pages of scripture. And if you don't believe the scripture establishes morality, righteousness and unrighteousness, then you have no standard and you have no definition of sin. That's the real issue in our society today.
How do we tell our society about a Savior who will save them from sin when their definition of sin is basically non-existent? What is sin to them? You tell them it's a violation of the law of God. Well, where's that? Well, it's in the Bible. I don't believe that. But you know it's still the word of God that the Holy Spirit uses, right? So I don't equivocate. I just keep preaching the Bible, and let the spirit of God take it and use it to convict the hearts. So what is sin? Sin is a violation of the law of God. It's a violation of the moral character of God and His laws, as revealed on the pages of scripture. That is sin. That's all we need to say about it. So you study the Bible, and you're going to find out what God commands us to do and not to do. You're going to find out the essential elements of God's nature. And whenever we violate those, we sin."

Attitudes Toward Sin by the CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS AND RESEARCH MINISTRY
"I am not a sinner.
Are you saying you are perfect? If you are, then you're the first perfect person I've ever met. Are you saying you've never broken the Law of God? Have you ever lied, cheated, or stolen? If you have, then you are a sinner whether you think so or not. The laws of God have punishments (a law without a punishment is only a slogan). As a sinner, you are separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). However, God loves you enough not to want you to be separated from Him. He sent Jesus (1 John 4:10) to pay for sins on the cross. So, the only way to have your sins forgiven is to put your trust in Jesus and the sacrifice He made. The Bible says that everyone has sinned
(Rom. 5:12). That means you, too.
I am too big a sinner.
Nobody is too big a sinner. The love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus is capable of cleansing the worst of all sin. Even Hitler could have been saved if he would have turned to Christ. You have sinned the same as anyone else. It is just that your sins are yours. They aren't too big for God to wipe away. Sin has no power over God, only over you. Let me ask you something. Do you think murder and adultery are serious sins? Yes? Well, David, a man in the Bible who was called by God a man after His own heart
(Acts 13:22), was a murderer and an adulterer. He even tried to hide his sin from everyone. But God knew his sins and exposed them. David repented and threw himself on the mercy of the Lord. God forgave him and loved him. God loves you and He will forgive you if you put your trust in Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of your sins
(Rom. 10:9-10).
I am already good enough.
How good do you have to be to get to heaven? God is holy and requires holiness. Holiness is purity. Even though you may think you are good enough, even one sin disqualifies you from being in the presence of God. You could never be good enough. That is why you need Jesus. The Bible says that there is none good enough. "There is none who does good, there is not even one..."
(Rom. 3:12). Goodness is measured by God's standard not yours. To say that you are good enough means that Christ did not have to die. But He did die to save sinners. The Bible says if righteousness can come by good deeds then Christ didn't need to die
(Gal. 2:21), but He did, so being good isn't enough.
What do I do to get saved?
Salvation is a free gift of God
(Rom. 6:23). Jesus bore sin in His body
(1 Pet. 2:24) and paid the penalty for breaking the Law of God, which is spiritual death (eternal separation from God). If you want salvation, you need to admit that you are a sinner and that you want Jesus to forgive you of your sins. You must acknowledge that there is nothing you can do to earn forgiveness. Pray and ask Him to forgive you. You need to trust in Jesus. Seek Him; He will save you.
Repentance is part of salvation. Once saved, you should stop doing those things that are displeasing to God. He will live in you and give you the ability and desire to resist sin
(1 Cor. 10:13). When you are saved, expect to change- for the better."
www.carm.org

Sin Is Failing To Do What Is Good

James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows {the} right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.

The Need To Know What Sin Is by an unknown author
"This question is of vital importance because of the fearful judgment against those who commit sin. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," thunders the Old Testament
(Ezekiel 18:20). In like tones, the New Testament declares: "The wages of sin is death"
(Romans 6:23). The one who lives in sin throughout his earthly life and faces God without having obtained divine forgiveness will be sentenced to eternal perdition.
Sin sprang full grown among men. Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God. The first boy born on this earth grew to manhood and murdered the second- his own brother! And sin has existed in every generation since.
In our time, however, there is one difference: many no longer know what sin actually is. Things evil are sometimes designated as good; things good, as evil. Isaiah condemned such a practice, declaring, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil"
(Isaiah 5:20).
Since this confusion exists, and since a person will not seek forgiveness for sin until he knows what sin is, a clear-cut definition, both negative and positive, is urgently needed."
from eBibleStudies.com

Excuses Some People Make for Their Sin by Dave Davidson
"When we sin, we almost never immediately want to come clean. Instead, we tend to do one or more of the following when we are confronted with our actions:
We try to cover it up. Someone has said, "A sin is two sins when it is defended." Adam and Eve did this after their first sin in the Garden of Eden. They immediately tried to "hide" themselves from the presence of the Lord
(Genesis 3:8). Yet, Scripture warns us, "He who covers his sins will not prosper"
(Proverbs 28:13).
We attempt to justify ourselves. We convince ourselves that we have a valid reason for what we did, or we place the blame on someone else. This type of response goes clear back to the Garden of Eden again, when Adam tried to place the blame for his sin upon God and Eve: "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate"
(Genesis 3:12).
We are oblivious to our own sin. Sometimes we sin in ignorance or presumption. That is why David prayed, "Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back your servant from presumptuous sins"
(Psalm 19:12-13). While some sins (such as murder, adultery and stealing) are rather obvious, other sins (such as pride, selfishness and gossip) are not. But according to Jesus, sins of the heart can separate us from God just as easily as sins of the body.
Until we recognize our own responsibility in sin, we will never find forgiveness.
Confession is a requirement for forgiveness. The blood of Jesus has never cleansed an excuse.
You can't accept God's remedy for your sin if you don't first accept His diagnosis. This Scripture passage (and others) makes it clear that there is indeed a way to God, but it is impossible to achieve or merit it on our own. We can only receive it by accepting God's gift of salvation through the death of His Son, Jesus. Once we do that, three things take place:
          1. We Are Justified (v. 24)
This means "declare the rightness of something," not symbolically or potentially, but actually just as if it never happened. God says, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more"
(Hebrews 10: 17).
          2. We Receive Redemption (v. 24)
This word carries the idea of "delivering" something, especially by means of paying a price. The term was commonly used when paying a ransom to free a prisoner from his captors, or paying a price to free a slave from his master. God did far more than that when He offered Himself in our place, taking the wrath we should have taken upon Himself.
          3. We Are Saved through Christ's Propitiation (v. 25).
The word "propitiation" signifies appeasement or satisfaction. God is satisfied with what Jesus did at Calvary. The righteous requirements of the law were met."
http://www.thinkwow.com/surgeup/what_is_sin.htm

Sin Is Missing The Mark- Failing To Meet the Perfect Divine Standard

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Doesn't Legalism Keep One From Sinning? from Let Us Reason Ministries
"James gives the definition of how sin is birthed.
James 1:14-15 "but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
The source of sin doesn't come from the outside but from within. we are drawn away from our own desires (The Greek means to be lured into a trap) It is not a single act but a process that begins in our heart. You can say the real source is heart disease, our fallen human nature. The Law cannot change the heart- all it does is point to the problem; it is diagnostic but it is not the cure. It cannot change the heart of man because the law has no power in this area. It points and convicts makes one guilty, it has no other ability.
1 Cor.15:56: "the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law." This is saying the more one keeps the law the more the sin nature becomes alive. This in turn brings death. In other words the sin nature operates by the law. It gives more power to it.
The law killed someone it never brought life
(Romans 8:2-4): "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh."
(Romans 7:6) But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
Moses the very one who was the most humble man on earth, who received the laws from God, broke one that was not included (misrepresenting God to the people) and was barred from the Promised Land. The whole nation except two died out. The law will not deliver God�s people to paradise.
(Deuteronomy 31). The whole generation did not enter the promise land except for two who God said had a different Spirit in them- they had faith. This proves you cannot enter the promised land by keeping the law. Moses represented the law but it was Joshua who entered the land. This is why Moses couldn�t enter the promise land- its typology showed you can�t enter in by your own efforts, which is how the law functioned. Moses broke the command of God by misrepresenting him and was forbidden to enter. He presented God as angry when God wanted to have grace for the people.
The people of the law were cut off in the book of Acts when God turned to the Gentiles. What legalists claim is "not keeping the law is damnable", but it is really is the opposite. Because Paul says you can�t mix the two in the book of Galatians, like Israel who was to have only one type of material to wear and not mix fabric one with another.
Israel was cut off because of unbelief, having no faith.
Romans 11 tells us they were trying to be justified by the law. Paul said not to circumcise which no Jew in history ever said. Why? Because it's now the circumcision of the heart and not the flesh- its in Christ and not the law. Biblically the flesh is a synonym of the law while the Spirit is a synonym of grace. The New Testament portrays sin as being resurrected by one trying to live under the law but is only an overcomer by the grace of God through the New covenant."
letusreason.org

Sin Is Doing What Is Unjust- Not Right

1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not {leading} to death.

Sin Is The Way That Seemeth Right
"Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." It seems right for some people to join a church, but church joining will never lead to life eternal. It will only lead to death. The moral man's life also seems right to him. He says, "I live good. I do not have any bad habits. Why should I have to be born again?" Nicodemus, in the third chapter of John, was this kind of man. He was both religious and a good moral man, but Jesus said to him, "Ye must be born again." Many religious ways may seem right to some people, but they need to keep checking them by the word of God.
John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life." The Bible is our road map, and if we study it with an open heart, God will show us the way.
Acts 3:19 says, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Why not repent today and let Christ blot out your sins?"
(by the Church of God in Muncie, Indiana)

Bible Basic Series
"Sin is our most serious human problem. It is more serious than war. It is more serious than crime. It is more serious than drugs. It is more serious than all our diseases. Sin affects every person whether or not we are religious. It controls how people live and how we treat one another. Sin affects both the innocent and the guilty.
While sin will never be completely eradicated from the earth, it can be defeated in an individual's life who allows God to help. You and I individually can defeat sin in our private life. That is the promise of God's word...a promise that has been realized by people throughout history.
God wants us to understand what sin is and how it affects our lives. He wants to help us overcome sin so that our individual lives can become better and our problems fewer. The world would be a wonderful place to live if every person would overcome sin but that will not happen. It can happen, however, to each person individually who follows God's instructions in the Bible.
Each of us can be happy.
Sin causes a lot of problems for our human family. There is nothing good that can be said about sin. Satan is the origin of sin. He tempts us by appealing to the "lusts of our flesh".
God has good news for every person on earth.
God's good news is that we can overcome this terrible power of sin. His good news is that we can live good lives and be happy. His good news is that we can live with Him forever.
Sin and the devil are powerful enemies but God is greater than the devil and more powerful than any sin. You and I can overcome sin to live happy, successful and stable lives. This kind of life is an individual choice and God is waiting to help us the moment we decide to return to His fellowship.
There would never be another bad thing happen on earth if every human being sincerely decided to overcome sin in their life and live for God.
God's Available Power To Overcome Sin
God has provided the only way for us to overcome sin. Jesus is the way. Jesus died for our sins...being punished for the sins you and I committed. That's why Jesus came to earth. He came to be punished for your sins so that you would not have to be punished yourself.
God loved you and me that much that He made a way for every sinner to overcome their sin and defeat the devil.
A sincere person who wants to live a good life without sin can pray and ask God to forgive them of their sins. God will hear that prayer and forgive the sin when He knows that we no longer want to be a sinner.
God will also remove the power of sin that makes us do evil things... replacing sin's power with His Spirit so that we can overcome evil in our life. God frees us from the slavery of sin's power.
God, the Holy Spirit, also helps us overcome the devil who keeps tempting us to commit more sins. God is greater than the devil or sin. We can overcome all evil with God's help. The Bible says, "But if we confess our sins to him (God), we can be depended on Him to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.)"
1 John 1:9
http://www.siscom.net/~direct/sin/

Sin Is Lawlessness - Going Beyond God's Law

1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

We Remain Victorious Over Sin
We remain victorious over sin by "abiding" in Christ.
"Now that we have received forgiveness and have been converted to a new life, we are living in the will of God.
But we still have an enemy who wants to win us back to his evils. Satan will tempt and test us but we are certain not to backslide as we commit our lives to the power and leadership of God's Holy Spirit. Jesus, our Lord, is now master of our life and He is always with us to protect and preserve us to His cause. To maintain our salvation we will need to "abide" in Christ. That means we will continually seek His leadership and will for our life and rely upon His spiritual power to keep us from evil. We cannot live the Christian life alone, we need the power of God to help us.
Jesus said, "If you love me, obey me and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you."
"No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm- I will come to you."
(John 14:15-18).
Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
(John 15:4-10).

CONCLUSION

Well, if you have studied all of the above you know that there is a lot to the study of sin. There are a lot of different ways to look at sin- but only one cure- the blood of Christ. I appreciate all of the above donors who donated their information for this web page.
To wrap this up I now quote again from Matthew Henry:
Isaiah 55:7
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Here is a gracious offer made of pardon, and peace, and all happiness, to poor sinners, upon gospel terms.
Seek for him, and enquire after him, as your portion and happiness; seek to be reconciled to him and acquainted with him, and to be happy in his favour. Be sorry that you have lost him; be solicitous to find him; take the appointed method of finding him, making use of Christ as your way, the Spirit as your guide, and the word as your rule.
Call upon him. Pray to him, to be reconciled, and, being reconciled, pray to him for every thing else you have need of."

Additional BOW links to articles concerning sin

3 articles in a Pentecostal Evangel Magazine on sin

A Father's Love article (A little story about how bad sin really is)

Christ the Reconciler and Divider article (Article concerning sin and its cure)

Nothing Is Hid article

The Sin Monster cartoons

Don't Allow Sin to Flourish (article) by David Buttram

This document presented to you by the Bread On The Waters Ministry
of Kraig Josiah Rice
www.breadonthewaters.com

The Battle Bow Bible Teaching Series
If you want to study the Holy Bible online then this is the place to go to.

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Proof for the Existence of God	The Bible Is Special
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by Kraig Josiah Rice

Sin Is Failing To Do What Is Good

Sin Is Missing The Mark- Failing To Meet the Perfect Divine Standard

Sin Is Doing What Is Unjust- Not Right

by
Kraig Josiah Rice