Sin – Part 6 of 7

By Tom Buckle
Sin—The War Inside

 

In the New Testament we find a more advanced view of sin as Jesus is viewed as the standard for righteousness. He is the perfect example of a life of righteousness from which you can judge what is sinful.

 

Jesus taught that sin starts in the heart when he taught, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man” (Matthew 15: 19-20Matthew 15: 19-20
English: World English Bible - WEB
19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. ²⁰ These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). Jesus taught in a straightforward manner that sin comes from the condition of the heart. It is the wrong desires of the heart that lead to sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states that anger in the heart is the same as murder (Matthew 5:21-22Matthew 5:21-22
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21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ ²²Â But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca “Raca” is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for “empty” and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna Gehenna is another name for Hell that brings to mind an image of a burning garbage dump with dead bodies in it..

WP-Bible plugin NKJV) and the impure look is adultery (Matthew 5:27-28Matthew 5:27-28
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27 “You have heard that it was said, TR adds “to the ancients,” ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ ²⁸ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). He was teaching that the condition of the heart of man is filled with sin. His teachings are also seen as expounding the deeper meanings of the Ten Commandments.

 

The New Testament warns throughout against the sin of unbelief. One must believe that Christ is the Savior of mankind and this belief accounts for one’s righteousness in the sight of God. Speaking to the Jews He said, “Therefore I said that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24John 8:24
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24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). The writer of the book of Hebrews writes about unbelief (a lack of belief and trust) in these terms: “Without faith (belief) it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrew 11:6w 11:6
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Izbrana zbirka WEB ne vsebuje vpisane knjigeMesto:

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). Jesus challenged his audience, “Repent (of your sins) and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15Mark 1:15
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15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

WP-Bible pluginb NKJV).

 

Hebrews 3:16-18Hebrews 3:16-18
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16 For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, didn’t all those who came out of Egypt by Moses? ¹⁷ With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

WP-Bible plugin reminds us of an earlier account of unbelief and its results. The children of Israel experience a miraculous deliverance from Egypt’s bondage. They had seen the hand of God in the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, God leading Israel with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day, feeding them en mass and providing for their needs. Forgetting their miraculous deliverance and concentrating on the negative, it didn’t take long for them to murmur against Moses and God. Murmuring leads to unbelief and the writer of Hebrews points out that because of their unbelief those over forty years of age were denied entrance into the Promised Land.

 

In the Ephesians epistle (letter) the great missionary and Apostle calls the church’s attention to some of the sins of the flesh in relationships by naming the sins. He wants them to live as vessels that testify to a life of holiness. The Apostle Paul needs them to understand that sins of the flesh will do them harm, so he lists some sins. (31) “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. (1) Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. (2) And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (3) But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; (4) neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. (5) For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 4:31; 5:1-5Ephesians 4:31; 5:1-5
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31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. ^{5 1} Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. ²Â Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. ³Â But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; ⁴ nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). In other words, he wants Christians to walk in purity and holiness before God and each other.

 

Jesus taught that His followers had to make a choice between the world and him when he said, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13Luke 16:13
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13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and mammon “Mammon” refers to riches or a false god of wealth..”

WP-Bible plugin NKJV).

 

In the epistle of James he wants the Christian to know that there is a difference in the way the world lives and the way a Christian lives. The world lives to satisfy the flesh and its appetites. It is selfish and short-lived. He makes his point certain by asking, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4James 4:4
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4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

WP-Bible plugin NKJV).

 

The Apostle John is also concerned that love of the world and the flesh will cause some to fall from the faith. He writes, (15) “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (17) The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:15-17John 2:15-17
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15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”

WP-Bible plugin NKJV).

 

Two verses from Romans contrast the Christian’s walk from the world’s walk. (1) “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:1, 13Romans 8:1, 13
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8 ¹Â There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ¹³Â For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

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When the Apostle James wrote, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17James 4:17
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17 To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.

WP-Bible plugin NKJV) he must have had the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself in mind. This scripture is rightly referred to as “the sin of omission,” not doing what you know you ought to do. (The parable of The Good Samaritan is a good illustration of this Scripture, Luke10:30-37.)