Understanding The Word

(Since this is an extensive subject; I will be dividing it into 3 parts….)

First….I want to say that Sin should not be such a hard thing to understand or to know….over the centuries through demonic influences and mans…..sin has become so confusing because people don’t want to understand that we are innately sinful…..(or they take it to the extreme of feeling like they can’t do anything but be on their knees all day every day and sacrifice their responsibilities)

What I have seen and experienced especially in the last decade or so….has shown that people are lost when it comes to understanding the sound doctrine of the Bible because of their own wants and beliefs and those of the world.

I include many saved believers in this as well….because too many….far too many saved Christians have gotten off the beaten path into the congestion of the wants and beliefs of this world and are not doing their due diligence as Christ’s to teach that Sin is in all of us….that we are not innately good…..that we need a savior and that Sin carries the weight of death (Hell) to the soul…..

Not all are called to teach….but every one of us as Christ’s should know the truth and when asked…we should be honest and tell people that Sin is real and while none of us our perfect…..we who believe are saved from our sinfulness thru Christ.

How can you ever talk about Christ and not talk about sin?  They go hand in hand for without a Savior we would die in our sins……and if we have no sin….why did Christ die?

So I have made this extensive so there should be no question about Sin….to those that are saved and unsaved alike.

I know that most people today don’t want to hear these things….things that seem unpleasant to the ears….but I would be remiss if I ignored what the Lord has laid on my heart to help others come to the understanding of His love and why He came to save us.

 “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20

The Beginning of Sin

The beginning of sin did not start with Adam….it actually started with Lucifer (Satan)

We all know the story of Lucifer, how he was overcome with pride and started to want (and think) he could be God……

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:13-14

When Angels were created, they were given a free will just like us humans…..how else could they choose to rebel?  Not a lot of people teach on this….but the only way Lucifer and the angels could have rebelled against God….was that He created them with the same willpower/choice that He created us humans with….

(Are we not clearly seeing the same thing becoming paramount today?  People loving themselves more than God, people claiming they are their own creator and own God……)

This is not only pride but greed……Most people when you say ‘greed’ apply this word to money, but greed is anything you want more than what you have.

I have not met one person that at one time or another did not have greed for something. Children are greedy by wanting to get their way, and they threaten or throw a tantrum in order to get what they want….(we are seeing the majority of adults today that are still like this)

Teens are greedy for adulthood and independence, not even realizing what comes with that responsibility….(not all teens are like this some are more mature and understand). While children can grow in greed, this is a time in their life when growing into adulthood is when greed starts to really implant itself on our hearts.

Adults if we are honest with ourselves….we are greedy for many things….happiness, money, love, attention, sleep, peace…..I could go on and on.

God and Sinful Humans

Sin separates us from the Holiness and righteousness of God….it is not just doing bad or evil things….this actually comes later….When Adam and Eve sinned….they refused, in the moment of temptation, to heed God’s warning and word….they made a choice to go against (to disobey) God in that moment….and that was the Sin….

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5

……and the fruit that Adam and Eve ate was the sinful act of disobeying God and it immediately brought the knowledge to them that they did something wrong……they disobeyed…..they turned away from God’s words and became separated from God in that moment.

When we are tempted we are already in a struggle with sinning because we are contemplating separating ourselves from God in that very moment….Sin is also the act….when we act upon our temptation that is when the sin bears fruit….becomes an action…a deed.

Just like today; we are tempted….in our thoughts we have already sinned against God…and it is why God teaches us that our thoughts can be sinful and in those thoughts…we have already sinned….. so too after our sin bears fruit do we realize in that moment we separated ourselves from the Lord.

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5


“I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;” Isaiah 65:2

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride foolishness:” Mark 7:21-22

We are supposed to take our thoughts captive in order not to continue on the road to commit sin….to turning away from God….sometimes this is easier said than done.  It can be a battle for each of us for we all have weaknesses and temptations that are hard to overcome….it takes practice and help from the Lord to do this…. That is how weak we are….and that is why in our weaknesses He is strong…..

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Sinning

When we sin we have a choice to ignore the chastisement of the Lord and continue sinning or we can turn back to Him and try harder not to fall again….sometimes this is an ongoing battle as everyone is different and have different trials….

When we continue sinning, it is a willful act on temptations…..and the more we give in, the deeper we fall away in that area from the Lord.  This does not mean we will lose the salvation we have in Him…it just means that we have turned away in that area of our lives to our own self instead of listening to God.  Eventually this will lead us to depression and shame and feeling so low because we are oppressing the Holy Spirit within us.

We can, even as a saved person,  still serve certain sins (our flesh and weaknesses) in our lives….none of us are exempt…the difference is, that as a saved person your Spirit is kept safe from your flesh….they are separated thanks to the Lord’s Blood that is covering your Spirit.  We should not become a servant of sin….but that doesn’t mean we always do what we should.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6

This is where a lot of people claim that people who live carnally but is of the belief in ‘once saved always saved’ gives license to sin…..this is not true….anyone who claims to get saved but continues living the same lifestyle without feeling guilt or shame….(that is a question for them to answer about their own  salvation)…..because once you become saved….the Holy Spirit begins to work on you and you start, sometimes slowly, to change what you did before….you no longer want to do such things…..

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

(We were gifted an eternal salvation, an eternal life when we accept Jesus as our Savior and in our belief and acceptance of Who He is…..we begin to understand that we can never be sinless while we are yet in our flesh….it is why His death was our Gift.)

Do we at times fall back into a sinful lifestyle?  Yes, we can, we are weak creatures….but we hate it afterwards….we feel horrible for giving in because the Lord is letting us know we are His and shouldn’t do those things we did before.

Our consciousness starts to eat away at our spirits and we will get to a point of calling on the Lord for help…..

“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but the sin that dwelleth in me.” Romans 7:14-20

(Those that do not have the Lord can call on Him to help….but the majority of them will never do it….why?  Because of pride….because of shame…..because of their feelings and what they want.  Do not let these things keep you from turning and calling on the Lord, talk to Him….Plead with Him….He will help you….just not always like you think or want.)

Sinners

If you are saved by grace and you sin….are you a sinner?

If you are not saved by grace and you sin…..are you a sinner?

Can they both be YES?  NO….they actually can’t be….you are either a sinner or saved….you can’t be a sinner and saved  because once you receive Christ as Savior you are no longer a Sinner in need of being saved.

If we who are saved, are still considered sinners after we accept the gift of salvation….that would place us on the same level as the unbelievers…..and we can’t be for we were made righteous by the blood of the Lamb…..you see, if we are saved, we can’t be both righteous and unrighteous at the same time, for why would Jesus make us righteous in the first place if we could still be unrighteous?

“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

(Some people find this so hard to understand ….but I can see it so clearly and even understand it so easily that sometimes I get frustrated by people who don’t see it….)

There are 67 times that the word Sinner and Sinners appear in the entire bible…..and when they are mentioned, it is referencing unbelievers….let’s look at just some of the verses……

“Then cometh he to his disiples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” Matthew 26:45

Jesus was delivered into the hands of the unbelievers. 

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”          Romans 5:8

“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13 & Luke 5:32

Who is Jesus Calling?  The unbelievers….for the believers are considered righteous…. And the believers became saved by His Death.

“And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:18

When we accept Jesus and His sacrifice….we are no longer under the law but under grace….

Being a Sinner is someone who does not believe in God and does not accept the crucifixion of Christ, some do not know they are in fact a Sinner because they do not believe in sin….there are others who know they are sinners because they purposely go against God in their anger and pride….but don’t care or they try to change the meaning of Sin and Sinners from what it really means…..to what they want it to mean to comfort themselves.

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7

It is why when we receive Christ as our Savior, we were a sinner that is saved by grace…..we are no longer what we were….but we do still sin either willfully, accidentally, or unknowingly. (Omission and commission)

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9 & 11

You see, when we repent we have changed our mind to God…to believe in Him….so we no longer need repentance because we have already chosen to believe in God…..but a Sinner is someone who does need to repent in order to be saved.

“But if, while we yet seek justification by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of Sin? God Forbid.” Galatians 2:17

We are all born sinners (but we will not all die sinners)…. It is why none of us can claim we do not sin….for it is in our nature to sin, and when we sin…our thoughts are not on God…and when we act on said thoughts…that, is when we have turned away from listening to the Lord.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:8-10

Thanks be to God for His Mercy and Grace….for through Him we were made righteous and in His eyes are no longer considered unrighteous, we are no longer sinners of unbelief but believers in Christ Jesus who justified, sanctified, and saved us from our own selfishness….our own innate sinfulness….

……but this is also why it is important to look at yourself….and understand what Sin really is and how it affects your life and others lives (your sinfulness can in fact affect others).….and this will start you on the journey of understanding God, humans, Satan, and evil.

(To Be Continued)