Dealing With Sin

Sin is a subject that makes us very uncomfortable. Nevertheless we cannot just sweep it under the rug and hope that it goes away. We must meet it head on and deal with it. We will begin our study in the book of 1 John.

1 John 3:4  

Verse 4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

This is the definition of sin. We commit sin when we break Elohim's (God's) Law. Some people teach that "we are no longer under the law" and they attempt to throw the whole law out. That is a serious mistake. It is true that we are "no longer under the law", but this statement must be rightly divided. The meaning of "no longer under the law" is that we as believers in Yahushua (Jesus) do not depend on our ability to follow the law for our salvation because we have faith in our Master Yahushua Messiah (Lord Jesus Christ). That's very different from throwing the law out. Let's go to the book of Matthew and hear what Messiah (Christ) Himself has to say about throwing the law out.

Matthew 5:17-19

verse 17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

verse 18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

To fulfill means to be brought to its full end. To finish completely. Jots and tittles are lines that make up Aramaic and Hebrew words. Yahushua (Jesus) was saying that not only was He not going to change the law, but He was not even going to change a single line that made up the individual letters that spelled the words written in the law. 

verse 19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

After reading that scripture I would'nt be so quick to throw the law out. Let's go to the book of James.

James 4:14-17

verse 13   Go to now, ye that say, "To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:"

verse 14   Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

verse 15   For that ye ought to say, "If the Matser (Lord) will, we shall live; and do this, or that."

verse 16   But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

This next verse is why we came here.

verse 17   Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth not, to him it is sin.

There are two basic catagories that sins fall into. There are sins of commission. These are things that we actually do. There are also sins of omission as this verse 17 documents. This means that if we fail to do a thing that is a known duty, to us that is sin because we are aware of the right thing that should have been done.

There is a belief among some Christians that once we are saved and repent, we don't sin anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth. As rediculous as it sounds, this is actually taught in some churches. According to this false doctrine we are said to "overcome sin by the power of the Ruach haKodesh [ set apart Spirit(Holy Spirit)]" just as Yahushua (Jesus) did. If there is no acknowledgement of sin, there can't be any repentence. I like to view repenting like taking a spiritual shower. When our flesh gets dirty we take a shower to wash it clean. This is not something that we do just one time in our lives. We must continually wash ourselves because we keep getting dirty over and over again. Just imagine what condition our flesh body would be in if we only took one bath in a month, or year, or only once in our whole life. Pretty foul huh? Now just imagine how our Father feels about us not repenting and receiving a spiritual shower in the blood of The Lamb, our Matser (Lord) and Savior Yahushua Messiah (Jesus Christ). Think about how foul we are as sinners before a perfect and set apart (holy) Elohim (God) if we don't repent on a regular basis. I hope that I've made my point. Let's get into some more scriptures. Turn to the book of Isaiah. 

Isaiah 64:6

verse 6   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 iniquites, like the wind, have taken us away. 

1 John 1:8-10

verse 8   If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

verse 9   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

verse 10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Notice that the apostle John says "we." He places himself in the same category as us. John was saved right? This means that we also sin after salvation. We have to be real with ourselves and our Father. Pretending that we don't sin is not the answer. Go with me to the book of Luke.

Luke 18:9-14

Yahushua (Jesus) speaking

verse 9   And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

verse 10  "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

A publican is a tax collector. At this time, they were known as greedy people who cheated people out of money.

verse 11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, Elohim (God), I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulteres, or even as this publican.

Notice Yahushua (Jesus) said that the Pharisee prayed with himself not with Elohim (God). Our Father will not answer the prayers of someone who is self-righteous. When I say self righteous I don't mean it the way most people commonly use it. If that were the case most true believers in Yahushua (Jesus) would be considered to be self righteous. When I say self righteous I mean those people who try to depend upon themselves and their works for righteousness rather than having faith and trusting in the Master Yahushua Messiah (Lord Jesus Christ).

verse 12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I posses.

This Pharisee then proceeds to talk about things that he does. He is very religious. Our faith in Yahushua (Jesus) however is a reality and not just a religion. Being religous does not please Elohim (God). Remember, our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. We shouldn't boast to Our Father about the things that we have done. This does not impress Him at all. We are are all miserable whetches when we are judged on our own righteousness. In stark contrast to the Pharisee, the publican comes before Elohim (God) and is very humble.

verse 13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,'Elohim (God) be merciful unto me a sinner.'

verse 14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exhalted."

We can't make up our own formulas. We have to do it Elohim's (God's) way. If we don't do it His way, we will not be justified before Him.

St. John 10:1,2,9

verse 1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth in some other way, the same is a thief and a  robber.

verse 2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shephard of the sheep.

skip with me to verse 9

verse 9  I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Yahushua (Jesus) is the only way into heaven. Try as we might, our man made religous systems will not get us in.  

On our way to closing out let's move to the book of Romans.

Romans 3:23-28

verse 23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of Elohim (God);

verse 24  Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yahushua (Christ Jesus):

verse 25 Whom Elohim (God) hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of Elohim (God);

Propitiation means covering. If we believe on Him, the righteousness of Yahushua (Jesus) covers us before Elohim (God). We are judged according to His righteousness that is holy, instead of our own righteousness that is filthy. This covering is what Adam and Eve lost in the garden of Eden. Notice it says "sins that are past." We cannot repent ahead of time for sins that we will do in the future. We can only repent for a sin that are past. Elohim (God) doesn't like shortcuts.

verse 26  To declare, I say at this time His righteousnes: that He might be the justifier of him which believeth in Yahushua (Jesus).

verse 27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

It's hard for some people to put total faith in Yahushua Messiah (Jesus Christ). Here is the reason why. If we put all of our faith in Messiah (Christ), we can't take any of the credit.

verse 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

It's not about what we can do, it's all about what Yahushua (Jesus) has already done.

Romans 6:20-23

verse 20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

verse 21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

verse 22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Elohim (God), ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

verse 23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Elohim (God) is eternal life through Yahushua Messiah our Master (Jesus Christ our Lord).

According to the law we as sinners deserve the penalty of death. I thank Our Father for His grace by which undeserving sinners like us can attain eternal life through faith in the Master Yahushua Messiah (Lord Jesus Christ). How do we deal with sin? We deal with it by remembering that none of us are perfect, by trying our best not to do it, and by being honest with Elohim (God) and repenting when we do fall short.