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The Devil wants Christians to think they can continue to commit sin and
still be haver eternal life. Satan whispers to the believer that it is impossible to cease from sin. To prove his point the Devil tells believers that they are committing sin every time they have evil thoughts or desires. Then, once they believe that lie, he soon has them thinking like this...
IF: Lustful thoughts are sin, and committing Adultery is a sin.
AND: I can have lustful thoughts and still be saved.
THEN: I can commit Adultery and still be saved.
As you can see, the Devil's deception depends on the false premise that
a believer who has lustful thoughts is committing a sin. That simply is
not true, the Bible carefully distinguishes between a person's "SIN
NATURE" as described in Romans 7:17, and Galatians 5:17:
"...sin that dwelleth in me."
"...the flesh lusteth against the Spirit."
and COMMITTING SIN as found in 1 John 3:8:
"He that committeth sin is of the devil;"
There is a great difference between the sin nature as an active force in
man and committing sin which is rebellion against God. The Sin nature
is that which urges us to commit an act of sin; and that is what this
booklet is about - the difference between our Sin nature and acts of
sin.
Comparing Acts of Sin and the Sin Nature:
AN ACT OF SIN consists of an intentional choice to break one of God's
Commandments with full knowledge that it is wrong. The Bible refers to this as "Presumptuous Sin" as opposed to sins of ignorance. A sin done in
ignorance of the law could be atoned for by the offering of a
sacrifice (Lev 5:17) but willful transgression of the law was punished
by death. (Lev 20:10 - Adultery) If a Christian is obeying God up to
the knowledge he has and unwittingly breaks one of God's Commandments
it is not an act of sin and he is not condemned. The atoning sacrifice of
Jesus (The Blood of Christ) covers any sin done in ignorance until such
time as the Holy Spirit makes the believer aware of his wrongdoing.
We can see the principle clearly illustrated in 1 John 1:7:
"But IF we walk in the light, as he is in the light...the blood of
Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."
Look closely, the condition for cleansing is that we must walk in the
light. If a believer is doing what he knows to be wrong, he is not
walking in the light and therefore he is not covered by the blood of
Jesus. The blood of Jesus only cleanses from sins done in ignorance of
God's law!
If the Christian has come to know that it is wrong, and continues to
transgress the law, he is guilty of rebellion. If he will not put that
sin away completely and forever, he is a rebel against God's Kingdom
and will be condemned to death. He will not inherit eternal life. This is
what John meant when he said:
"All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal."
1 John 5:17
"....sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4"
All wrongdoing is transgression of the law, but any transgression done
in ignorance is not mortal.
God does not consider a sin to be mortal unless there is rebellion in
the heart. Without an attitude of rebellion there is no act of sin.
Perhaps this analogy will help explain what it means to "commit sin"...
A man was walking in the park and saw a sign that said:
KEEP OFF THE GRASS!
Police Dept.
He walked up to it and contemptuously kicked it over and said: "I'll
walk where I please!" That man acted in rebellion to the law.
Another man was walking in the same park and strayed on to the forbidden grass
without seeing the sign, but as soon as he did see it he
immediately obeyed. That man did not act in rebellion. Both men
trespassed, but only one was rebellious.
So it is with sin, we do not "commit sin" unless we are aware that what
we are doing is against one of God's Ten Commandments, and do it
anyway. The word "commit" implies an intentional act as in: commit
murder...commit robbery...commit Adultery. No one can commit sin
accidentally. Does a Born-Again Christian "commit sin"? The Apostle
John said NO!...
"No one born of God commits sin." 1 John 3:9
Many who think they are Born-again are not. The fact is that a person
is not "born of God" the moment he first believes. Just as in the
natural world where a child is begotten before it is born, so it is with
the spiritual rebirth. First we are "begotten from above" then if we
continue to grow we are born. The seed in the womb has "power" to grow
and so do we! John said:
"But to all who received Him, who believed in His name,
He gave power TO BECOME children of God..." John 1:12 RSV
Please notice that John did not say "...all who believed in His name ARE
children of God, but that all who believed had power TO BECOME children!
Of all the people in the world, only those who are begotten of God
believe that Jesus is the Christ. If those newly begotten believers
will consent in faith to give their lives to God and obey Him no matter
what it may cost, they will soon be "born of God" and BECOME children.
First begotten - then born.
With the new birth comes the power to obey through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The true child of God will suffer anything, even death before he will deliberately offend God by disobeying even one of His
commandments. According to the scriptures, if we do not obey God's
commandments we do not love God! John said: "For this is the love of
God that we keep his commandments." (1 John 5:3) If that is not clear
then listen to what Jesus said:
"He that hath my commandments, AND KEEPETH THEM,
He it is that LOVETH me:
John 14:21
Only those who love God are going to inherit eternal life!
Is it possible for someone who is Born-again to commit a deliberate act
of sin against God's law? Yes, because he still has free will and is
able to choose good or evil. But woe to him if he chooses evil...
Think about it! This is a blessed person who has made a covenant with
God to obey Him, and in turn has been given the faith, the strength, and
the power to obey; yet he treacherously chooses to rebel and betray the
one who has shown him great mercy. He spits in the face of the Holy One
who suffered the agonies of the cross and died in his place.
The rebellion of a Born-again believer is an act of high handed treason.
God's righteousness demands judgment without mercy and eternal
destruction for such a wretch. (Read Proverbs 1:28-33 and Hebrews 6:4-8 and tremble!)
In order to keep new believers from understanding these things and
recognizing that they must stop "committing sin", the Devil wants them
to put errors such as lustful thoughts and angry words, in the same
category with deliberate acts of rebellion such as Lying, Stealing, and
Adultery. He wants them to think that it is normal to "commit sin"
every day so that they will lose the distinction between rebellion
against God and simple manifestations of the Sin nature.
THE SIN NATURE is that part of man which generates evil desires. The
Sin nature is used by the Devil to tempt a person to commit sin.
Through the Sin nature, Satan is able to stimulate the body, soul and
mind towards evil.
The spiritual powers of Satan's kingdom work directly through the Sin
nature in order to tempt a person into breaking God's law. Like the
carrot on a stick held in front of a donkey, Satan dangles the reward of
pleasure as an inducement to lure the person along the path towards
actual transgression of God's Ten Commandments.
Through rewards of greater and greater pleasure the unwitting victim is
drawn ever deeper and deeper into his own lusts, until lust overcomes
him and he becomes willing to rebel against God and commit an act of sin.
The scriptures teach that although lust in itself is not an act of sin
(i.e. a deliberate transgression of the law) it will soon lead to an act
of sin if not checked. Here is the way James described the process by
which our lusts lead us into transgression and death:
1st Stage. DRAWN AWAY!
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of
his own lust, and enticed."
The moment the Sin nature is given an opportunity it begins to act on a
person's will by drawing him away from what is right through his own
lust. - (Greek: Epithumia 1939, "a longing for what is forbidden.")
Those "longings" will soon entice. - (Greek: Deleazo 1185, "to
entrap.") Once the person is entrapped, his desires have grabbed hold
of his mind, and the sin nature will work to draw him on toward actual
sin by rewarding him with pleasure or the promise of pleasure if he will
continue to entertain his "longing for what is forbidden."
2nd Stage. SIN BROUGHT FORTH!
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:"
Very soon the lust will have "conceived," and the living seed of
rebellion is planted in the fertile soil of the mind. It begins to take
root and grow and then bringeth forth sin. - (Greek: Tiktei 5088, "to
produce from seed.") Once the seed of rebellion has taken root in the
mind of the believer actual transgression is not very far away and is
inevitable unless the person slams on his spiritual brakes and puts a
stop to the process. This can only be done by an express act of the
will and calling upon Jesus to rescue him from Sin's power.
3rd Stage: AN ACT OF SIN AND DEATH!
"and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
James 1:14, 15
If the person does not stop entertaining his lusts, the power of sin
will have its way and the person will soon commit sin by choosing to set
aside God's Law. Then Sin, "when it is finished (Greek: Apoteleo 658,
"to complete entirely i.e. consummate.") BRINGETH FORTH DEATH"!
Listen to the warning that Paul wrote to the Christians at
Rome. What he said to them, he said to us:
"...his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of SIN UNTO
DEATH, or of obedience unto righteousness."
Romans 6:16
A true Christian will not long entertain lustful fantasies about
forbidden desires because he knows they are evil, dangerous, and
offensive to God. The mature Christian knows that the longer one does
entertain wrong thoughts or desires, the more one will suffer when
trying to shut them off. The longer they are entertained, the deeper
they become rooted and the more difficult to overcome.
The Christian need not fear that he will not be able to overcome
temptation because God promises that He will not allow us to be tempted
beyond what we can endure. (See 1 Cor 10:13) That same verse also
proves that anyone who really is Born-Again and has the Holy Spirit of
God is able to say "NO!" to any temptation that comes his way.
(I pray that any believer who finds himself unable to avoid acts of sin will
realize that he is not yet born of God and will cry out for God's Holy Spirit,
and surrender himself completely in obedience to God's Law.)
If the Christian will not turn away from his lusts--then he wants to
keep them. If so, then sooner or later, he will inevitably succumb to
the power of the Sin nature, reject the Lordship of Christ and commit
sin. If he was truly Born-Again and then turns away from obedience to
God's law, he will be lost! Not only lost, but according to Peter the
punishment for the dog returning its vomit will be worse than for the
unbeliever who was not able to obey. Christians, beware of your desires
that are contrary to God's law, for the Devil is patient and has lots of time.
The Bible says that all Christians are tempted and drawn away of their
own lust, but "He that committeth sin is of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
The Devil wants us to commit sin and "sin is the transgression of the
law." Those who knowingly choose to disobey any part of God's Ten
Commandment Law (including the Sabbath) are obeying the Devil. They
are his servants and will share his fate on Judgement day. Paul warned:
"Know ye not that, to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are..."
Romans 6:16
The most important question a Christian can ask himself is: Whose
servant am I?
"Jesus answered...Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."
John 8:58
No. Because if you sin, you are no longer a Christian.
Thats such a ridiculous statement. If we didn't sin, then why would we need christ. We sin. We are sinners. If you commit a sin, then suddenly you're not a christian? You'll need one big stretch of scripture to back that one up.
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(Hebrews 10:26)"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"
One deliberate sin separates us from God; we can longer lay claim to being a Christian.
(Romans 6:22)"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."
If we commit willful sin, how can we be free from sin? Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and willful sin is of the devil. Who are you going to obey? God? or the Devil? It's one or the other; there's no in between.
It is through Jesus' Grace and His Divine blood that gives us victory to resist the devil's temptations; but if we give into sin, we are obeying the devil, not God -- and that is what Adam & Eve did.
Thats such a ridiculous statement. If we didn't sin, then why would we need christ. We sin. We are sinners. If you commit a sin, then suddenly you're not a christian? You'll need one big stretch of scripture to back that one up.
John was writing to believers to protect them from the false teaching that one could be born of God and still commit (willful) sin. Many Christians commit sin - just as in John's day - but they are not yet born of God. That is the point you have missed.
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:4
The only way to be perfect...to earn salvation...is to be perfect. That is impossible. The only way to the Father is through His Son Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift. The Lord will never leave us nor forsake us.
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