Sin Signs

Sin: What are the signs?

Segment Two, Part One

Paul in his letter to the Galatians gave them a partial list of “fleshly lusts” that are against God’s Law. (See Gal. 5:19-21) He says that the sins in this list are signs of a disobedient spirit and war against God’s spirit. We can add to that list other sins, such as: Sacrilege (Mk 11:15-18), Covetousness (Luke 12:18), Pride (Luke 7:14), Immorality (Mt. 5:27-32), Anger (Mt. 5:22), Sins of speech (Mt. 5:33), and Prayerlessness (Luke 18:1-8) can be added to the list. These are some of the signs and the list is not even close to being exhausted.

Harper’s Bible Dictionary (pg. 955) makes the following statements about sin: “It is the basic corrupting agent in the entire universe.” Further the article goes on to say:”All sin is an act of idolatry, the attempt to replace the Creator with someone or something else, usually one’s own self or one’s own creation. Paul understood this very well, as he indicates in Rom. 1:18-3:20: all humankind lies under condemnation because all are idolators of one type or another.” From this, we can see that no one can escape the signs of sin.

In our previous study of man, we saw how the heart is the seat of all issues that man deals with. It is out of our heart that we think and act. We need to keep working on having a clean heart as David said in Psalm 51:10. Do all you can to keep your life free of “sin” signs.

WARNING!!

Sin is like being bitten by a very poisonous snake. However, the doctor has an antidote, but you refuse to take it. There is only one result: death. Jesus is the only antidote for sin.

Sin: Where did sin begin?

Segment Two, Part Two

In our 6 “S” list of subjects, this post will cover two of those subjects. Those subjects are the source of sin and how Satan is part of that source. We see from the O.T. book of Isaiah the following: sin originated with Satan because of his pride. In chapter 14 with verses 12 through 14 that Satan allowed his pride to make his five “I will” statements. Satan’s pride was so great that he thought he could be God, replace God, and be the ruler of all that is in heaven and earth. Satan forgot one fact: he was created, he had a beginning and he never had power to replace the always existent one, the Alpha and the Omega. His pride was judged, the penalty assessed and he was kicked out of heaven. Satan never had any remorse for his sin of pride against the Everlasting God.

When God created Adam and Eve, Satan in his anger against God’s judgment for his pride, decided that he would spoil God’s perfect creation by tempting them to disobey God’s instruction and thereby spoil God’s perfect creation and cause havoc in the process. By the disobedience of Adam and Eve, rebellion and death were introduced into God’s creation. Adam failed in his responsibility to obey God and by that failure introduced sin into all of mankind.

The impact of Adam’s sin was that it began with him and his family and has spread throughout all of the world through all of the succeeding generations. Paul in his letter to the Romans lays out the impact of this sin of Adam and its consequences to all of mankind. (Rom. 1:18-23) Thus, the disobedience of one man has become the origin point of all sins that man commits against a holy, loving, and caring God.

Sin: Where did sin begin?

Segment Two, Part Three

In our 6 “S” list of subjects, this post will cover the subject of “standard.” You might ask does sin have a standard? The answer is yes. It is laid out in the law that God gave to Moses. (See Exodus & Deuteronomy) God started with the Ten Commandments. These form the backbone or basis for the rest of the laws that God gave to Moses. Moses then was God’s spokesman for the law that would govern the people that God had chosen.

It was from these Ten Commandments that Moses and Joshua would use as the principles for later explanations and further details of how the Law was to be understood and used. It is from the Ten Commandments and the subsequent use of the Law that we see what becomes the basis for obedience and disobedience. To disobey the Law given by God to Moses and its subsequent detailed explanations formed the basis of what the Priest would use to determine what was sin and what was not. Without the Ten Commandments and the subsequent explanations, we would not know what God considers to be sin. The Law laid it all out. In segment one, part two we see what both John and James said about transgressing the law. (1 John 3:4) (James 2:10)

Both of these N.T. writers laid out the standard that was used to determine obedience or disobedience to the Law. It is clear that “mankind” cannot come close to obeying the Law and therefore “mankind” needs a solution to help us deal with sin. As we continue, we will see God’s solution laid out in very plain words.

Sin: What is the solution for sin?

Segment Two, Part Four

God has a solution for sin. The Bible “word” for this solution is atonement. Simply stated it is the action taken by God to restore mankind to a right relationship with him. This “action” that God took was to give His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for all the sins of human beings. (Read John 3:14 to 18) This passage tells us the why and how that Jesus was to be put to death (shed blood) that all who believe will have everlasting life.

In the O.T. sacrificial system, blood had to be shed for sin to be covered and atoned for. Therefore the blood represented a spiritual covering for physical sin. Jesus was God’s perfect sacrifice that restored (atoned for) man’s separation from God. His physical blood became the spiritual covering (atonement) for man’s sinful condition. This action had to be done for man to be spiritually restored with God. Thus when you believe that Jesus died for you, his blood spiritually covers your sinful nature and you are restored to a right relationship with God.

The solution is simple: 1) confess that you are a sinner, 2) acknowledge that Jesus died to cover your sinful condition. When a person does this God says that He will forgive your sin as it is covered by Jesus’ blood and that God will give you eternal life. This means that you have acted in faith on what God says must be done. God is then bound by His Word to forgive your sin and give you eternal life. The forgoing is not hard nor is it complicated. This is the antidote for all your sin. (See also Acts 4:12)

 

Sin