UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF SIN

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF SIN

WHAT IS SIN

Sin is synonymous with iniquity, immorality, wickedness, transgression, falling into the trap and being ensnared by the devil when we walk contrary to God’s set up principle of holiness and right standing with God. Sin must not have dominion over us for then our innocence before God is eroded away. When the human creature, knowing God and His law, deliberately refuses to obey, evil and sin results. Sin is nothing else than bad act. Evil implies a deficiency in perfection, hence it cannot exist in God who is essentially and by nature is good.

Sin is addictive, once tasted continues to lure, entice and bait one to do evil and live in immoralities until it bring forth spiritual death. It has a mind to manipulate, control, bewitch, schemes, ploy, bring ignorant devises, traps with controlling devises [like debauchee and drunkenness] with its strong magnetic evil forces. It enslaves, imprisons, corrupts, ensnares, stagnates and prevent the doing of good in and through you.

If you do what God has forbidden, then you have sinned. In addition, if you do not do what God has commanded, you sin [James 4:17]. Either way, the result is eternal separation from God [Isaiah 59:2]. Sin is lawlessness [1 John 1:3] and unrighteousness [1 John 5:17]. Sin leads to bondage [Rom. 6:14-20] and death [Rom. 6:23].

The sinner intends here and now to act in some determined matter, extremely electing that particular evil in defiance of God's law and the dictates of right reason. The deformity is not directly intended, nor is it involved in the act so far as this is physical, but in the act as coming from the will which has power over its acts and is capable of choosing this or that particular good contained within the scope of its adequate object, i.e. universal good but rather follow the dictates of his carnal nature to walk contrary to God’s ordinances.

Actual sin is committed by a free personal act of the individual will. It is divided into sins of commission and omission. A sin of commission is a positive act contrary to some prohibitory precept; a sin of omission is a failure to do what is commanded. A sin of omission, however, requires a positive act whereby one wills to omit the fulfilling of a precept, or at least wills something incompatible with its fulfillment.

FALLING OUT OF GRACE

Consequences of falling out of grace into sin includes

1.   Sorrow - Genesis 3:16, Isaiah 53:3-5

2.   Submission to the law - Galatians 4:4-5

3.   Curse - Genesis 3:17, Galatians 3:13

4.   Tiredness - Isaiah 53:11

5.   Thorn - Genesis 3:18

6.   Sweat and hard labor  - Luke 22:44, Genesis 3:19

7.   Death - Luke 23:46, Genesis 3:19

“If thou does well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou does not well, sin lies at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him” Gen 4:7

Disbelieve and disobedience to God’s constituted order and law brings condemnation and shows that one is acting in the flesh or doing his own will and the person cannot run away from his own punishment as set by God. Remember if the edge be broken the serpent will bite. Evil lies at our door when we do not do well and we walk according to our carnal desires and lust.

“But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” Rom 7:8-12 

LAW AND SIN

Wherever there is true grace there is an assent to this that the law is holy, just, and good. The law is spiritual [Romans 7:14], not only in regard to the effect of it, as it is a means of making us spiritual, but in regard to the extent of it; it reaches our spirits, it lays a restraint upon, and gives a direction to, the motions of the inward man; it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart [Heb. 4:12]. It forbids spiritual wickedness, heart-murder, and heart-adultery. It commands spiritual service, requires the heart, obliges us to worship God in the spirit.

Yet by the Law we also know that we should not murder, covet and we came to the knowledge of the sinfulness of lust, and being greedy but sin working in us bring us to the knowledge of the corrupt principles and we fell into the pit of sinfulness. The law is a schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ, opens and searches the wound, and so prepares it for healing. We never see the desperate venom or malignity there is in sin, till we come to compare it with the law, and we when are beguiled to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and fall head long to do contrary to what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do and the snare or trap catches and entrap us in immorality, death ensues!

Sin in its colors, deforming, defiling, breaking a righteous law and offending God. 

“Thus sin revived, and then I died; I lost that good opinion which I had had of myself, and came to be of another mind, now carnal mindedness makes one to be in enmity with God. Sin revived, and I died; that is, man’s spirit, but the commandment, convinced me that I was in a state of sin, and in a state of death because of sin.” 

Of this excellent use is the law; it is a lamp and a light; it converts the soul, opens the eyes, prepares the way of the Lord in the desert, rends the rocks, levels the mountains, makes ready a people prepared for the Lord. It fashioned death in me by that which is good. [Romans 7:13].

Thus the commandment, which was ordained to life, was intended as a guide in the way to comfort and happiness, proved unto death, through the corruption of nature [Romans 7:10]. Many a precious soul splits upon the rock of salvation; and the same word which to some is an occasion of life unto life is to others an occasion of death unto death.

“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” Rom 7:11-12 

TYPES OF SINS

These are errors, weaknesses and mistakes of righteous people. They include but are not limited to:

1. Presumption 2 Thess. 2:4, Matt. 24:5, 11

2. Spiritual pride Luke 18:11-12, Isa.65:5

    -pride of revelation Isa.5:21, John. 9:40-41

    -pride of position Matt. 23:6, Luke. 14:7-11

    -pride of power Matt.21:23, Luke. 9:46

    -pride of title Matt.23:7 MSG, John 5:44

    -pride of possessions Lk. 12:15, 1Tim. 6:7-8

    -pride of denomination 1 Cor. 1:12-13, 1 Cor. 3:21 NLT

3. Witchcraft or manipulation Gal.5:20, 3 John.1:9-11

4. Empty boasting 1 Cor. 4:7, Matt.26:31-35

5. Competitive spirit 2 Cor. 10:12, Phil.1:15

6. Heresy Titus 3:10, Gal.5:9 AMP

7. Hypocrisy 2 -forgiveness. Heb.12:15, Matt.6:14-15

10. Party spirit Gal.5:20 TLB, 1 Cor.1:11-13

11. Besetting sins Heb.12:1, Eph. 4:22

12. Backsliding 2 Pet.2:20-22, Rev.2:4

13. Curiosity Gen.3:6, Gen.12:10-12

14. Division 1 Cor. 1:10, Rom.16:17

15. Walking in the flesh & Carnality (viewing things from the physical senses) 

1 Cor. 3:1-4, Rom. 8:6-8

16. Self-righteousness Rev. 3:17, Prov.13:7

17. Pleasing men Prov.29:25, Eph. 6:5-7

18. False humility Acts 5:1-10, Matt.26:25

19. Evil thoughts Mk.7:21, Psalms 41:6

20. Apostasy 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Heb.6:4-8

21. Secret faults [errors, mistakes and blunders] Psalm 19:12

KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENT

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keep not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keep his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” 1 John 2:1-6 

There is remedy for sin if we call upon Christ our advocate to forgive our sins as we confess and forsake them, he is able to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness [1 John 1:7-9]. Better still if we keep the commandment of God and walked as he walked in the Spirit not fulfilling the lust of the flesh, we have the assurance that his love is perfected in us.

“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” Romans 6:17-18 

Get out of the grip of the prince of the power of the Air where you are in bondage and ensnared and come out into liberty and freedom into the kingdom of God’s Son. Come under grace! Become like Christ who always do the things that are pleasing unto the Father and you will see the Father’s goodness in the Land of the Living

“Nevertheless the foundation of God stand sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let everyone that name the name of Christ DEPART FROM INIQUITY. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore PURGE himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, SANCTIFIED, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strife. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” 2 Timothy 2:19-26