Friday, June 18, 2010

"Sin, Sins, Sinning, Sinners (Pt. 1)" by Pastor Kevin Lynch

See the progression in the title this morning.

Most Christians (and I really do mean most) couldn't tell you the differences or similarities between any of it.

The Church today has been dumbed down to accept just about anything without feeling the need to develop their own individual spiritual understanding.

The term "sheep" was not meant by Jesus to mean that we literally turn into sheep. Contrary to some activity which would tend to support the opposite, we are smarter than sheep. Most of the time. Well, sometimes.

Take the issue of sin for instance. Picking up where I left off yesterday with John's first epistle:

1 John 1:8 - "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

"Well pastor, that means if we deny the fact that we are rank sinners we are living a lie."

Only partially true.

The term "sin" here does not mean sins we commit. In the Greek there is a "the" in front of sin (a definite article). Sin in this instance means the "sin nature" which we have all been born with.

However (and hear me out here) we cannot properly be called a "sinner" until we actually commit our first sin. God is not cruel or malicious. He does not hold us culpable for something we didn't have anything to do with. We are born in sin because of what Adam did. We sin because that sin nature will inevitably awaken us too choose to sin. In fact, we are born with the propensity to sin, not to do good.

Are ya' following me? Everybody has indeed sinned, but that is not what this particular verse is referring to.

Sin is the nature we have. Sins are what we commit because of the sin nature.

So, what John is saying above is that we cannot deny that we have a sin nature because we would be denying God and the remedy He has provided in Jesus Christ to deal with it.

It does not mean that we are under a compulsion to sin AFTER we become born again.

You see, if becoming born again does not change us and our nature, what is the point of becoming born-again in the first place? Indeed, the term "born again" would not even be able to live up to its own definition!

Now, before you argue with me (because for some strange reason many people don't like hearing they are not bound to commit sin anymore) read this:

2 Cor. 5:17 - "Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!"

Now that you've read it meditate upon it. Get it deep in your spirit. Now answer the above question in the light of the truth.

Am I bound and enslaved to the sin nature any longer? Or, by receiving Christ as my Lord and Savior have I been freed from the Law of Sin and Death? Am I truly a NEW creation? With a NEW nature?

Well, unless you really enjoy your sins and sinning and being a sinner (yes, sinning means you are a sinner) and don't want to let them go (which we will deal with tomorrow), the above verse is either indisputable or the Bible is a lie.

Think about it.

It's simply about...

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><

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