Tag: sin

True Christians Sin No More

After healing an impotent man, Jesus Christ told him, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (Jhn 5:14). And to a woman accused of adultery, “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (Jhn 8:11). For 30 years in which I thought I was a Christian, I read Christ’s words to really mean “don’t sin as much anymore” or “don’t commit big sins anymore.” I admit now that I was simply explaining away Christ’s words to justify myself as a Christian. True Christians, however, don’t explain away Christ’s words but submit to them. Christ told them to “sin no more” and really meant for them to sin no more for the rest of their lives. True Christianity and salvation is that we sin no more.

Jesus told some religious leaders, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (Jhn 8:34), “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (Jhn 8:44). And His apostle John repeated the same, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not” (1Jo 3:6), “He that committeth sin is of the devil” (1Jo 3:8), “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil” (1Jo 3:9-10). Notice that he states exactly how God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s—they “sinneth not,” “doth not commit sin,” and “cannot sin.” If we’re still sinning after becoming a “Christian,” then we’re not truly a Christian. We’re not one of God’s children but the devil’s.

The apostle Paul defined his writing to the Romans as the gospel message Jesus Christ Himself preached, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation” (1:16), “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ” (16:25). Romans is a detailed explanation of Christ’s gospel message of salvation. As Christ taught, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (Jhn 8:34), so did Paul, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (6:16). We’re servants of whom we obey, not necessarily of whom we confess. Christ asked, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luk 6:46). Calling Him Lord means nothing if we’re not obeying Him as Lord.

Twice he said, “ye were the servants of sin … Being then made free from sin” (6:17,18), “For when ye were the servants of sin … But now being made free from sin” (6:20,22). True Christians were the servants of sin but are now free from sin. It’s not just that they’re forgiven of their sins but that they no longer serve sin but serve righteousness, “ye became the servants of righteousness … now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (6:18,19).

This is also what the apostle Peter taught, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1Pe 2:24). Christ’s death on the cross made us “dead to sins” in that sin is now in our past—we’re forgiven of our past sins and we now live righteously without sinning. He later wrote, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1Pe 4:1-2). And Paul said the same, “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom 6:2). Being “dead to sin” means we no longer live in sin.

Turning away from sin to live righteously has always been God’s message, “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.” (Eze 18:21-22), “Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Eze 33:14-15).

The “gospel” being preached today, however, is that we have a depraved sin nature that compels us to sin; that we’re forgiven sinners and simply can’t stop sinning. Concerning those that preach another gospel, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit [breath], which ye have not received, or another gospel” (2Co 11:4), “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2Co 11:14-15). Christ’s gospel is that we “sin no more.”

On Which Side of the Jordan Will We Die?

The apostle Peter, the first to preach to the Gentiles penned his second letter to them, “to them that have obtained like precious faith [faithfulness] with us” (2Pe 1:1). And Jude, whose letter was patterned after Peter’s reminded them, “earnestly contend for the faith [faithfulness] which was once delivered unto the saints [separated] … I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed [trusted] not” (Jde 1:3, 5). God separated His people from all others—saving them from Egypt and giving precious faithfulness to them to inherit the land. However, most of them died on the wrong side of the Jordan River.

Paul revealed that Abraham’s two sons were prophetic allegorically of the Old and New Covenants, “Abraham had two sons … Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants … For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth [corresponds] to Jerusalem which now is” (Gal 4:22, 24-25). The events with God’s people from Egypt to Jerusalem correspond as examples of our salvation in Christ, “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted … Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition” (1Co 10:6, 11), “lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief [distrust]” (Heb 4:11).

The Lord saved His people out of Egypt to receive their land inheritance and inhabit Jerusalem on the other side of the River. However, most of them died on the wrong side, “But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness” (Num 14:32). The  warning is to us, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1Co 10:12), “whose carcases fell in the wilderness” (Heb 3:17), “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief [distrust]” (Heb 4:11). He intended for them to settle in the land, not come short of it, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (Heb 4:1).

They came short because their hearts were hardened through continual sinning, “Harden not your hearts” (Heb 3:8, 15), “lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 13), “was it not with them that had sinned” (v. 17). And Paul listed several of their sins: “not lust after evil things” (1Co 10:6), “Neither be ye idolaters” (v. 7), “Neither let us commit fornication” (v. 8), “Neither let us tempt Christ” (v. 9), “Neither murmur ye” (v. 10).

Murmuring and complaining was the most frequent sin: “And the people murmured against Moses” (Exo 15:24); “the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him” (Exo 16:8); “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel” (Exo 16:12); “the people murmured against Moses” (Exo 17:3); “And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron” (Num 14:2); “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me” (Num 14:27); “all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron” (Num 16:41); “take away their murmurings from me” (Num 17:10); “ye murmured in your tents” (Deu 1:27); “But murmured in their tents” (Psa 106:25); “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured” (1Co 10:10).

They tempted God several times as they traveled across the desert toward the land, “they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” (Exo 17:7), and God forgave them. However, their hearts continued to be hardened until they had tempted Him too many times, “have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice” (Num 14:22). It came to the point where God swore in His anger that they would not enter the land but die, “I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die” (Num 14:35); “And the LORD’S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware” (Num 32:10); “And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware” (Deu 1:34); “Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest” (Psa 95:11); “So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest” (Heb 3:11), “As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest” (Heb 4:3).

They are examples to us, “Now these things were our examples … Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples” (1Co 10:6, 11), “lest any man fall after the same example” (Heb 4:11). We must fear the same fate of not entering but dying on this side of the Jordan, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (Heb 4:1). God is merciful and forgiving. But if we keep sinning and hardening our hearts, there will come a point when He swears we won’t enter and there will never be hope for us again—we will not enter our inheritance but die on this side of the Jordan.