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S
I'd also point to I John 3:4 in order to derive some understanding of sin, although my view of this verse is not the one you'll commonly hear.
KJV says Sin is the transgression of the law.
"Lawkeepers" (Torah observers or Sabbathkeepers) will claim this definition, and imply that the law is talking about the Torah or the Ten Commandments, depending on what standard they uphold as being "the standard".
I believe the correct translation in this regard links behavior (sin or hamartia) with motivation (anomia or rebellion). In other words, I think what it's saying is that sin is a manifestation of rebellion.
Adam and Eve rebelled against God, basically asserting their "right" to decide what is right and wrong, rather than relying on God totally to reveal this for them. This was an act of cosmic treason; basically giving God the finger. Mankind continues to manifest this rebellious nature when they sin. Christians don't even totally escape this tendency due to the remnant of the old nature called "the flesh", and they pay the temporal results for their rebellion when they do that...God disciplines every son that he loves.
This view is consistent with the letter of I John, where the heretics it is addressing are portrayed as those who continue to live in rebellion and disobedience, and do not obey the commandments of God.
I have a commentary in the Pillar series which agrees with my view on this. I did not derive the view from the commentary, but the author (Peter O Brien) essentially agrees with it.
Some here believe that anomia should essentially be translated "transgression of the law" like the KJV translates it but I disagree with good philosophical and exegetical reasons. Either way, though, it makes no different to me. If anomia refers to "transgression of the law", my understanding would be God's moral law, but I am confident that the verse is linking behavior (hamartia or sin) with motivation (anomia or rebellion). I believe there's a consistency throughout Scripture that sin is linked with rebellion against God, and that started in the garden of Eden with our rejection of God as our source in terms of revelation, instead choosing to believe Satan or to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death"
KJV says Sin is the transgression of the law.
"Lawkeepers" (Torah observers or Sabbathkeepers) will claim this definition, and imply that the law is talking about the Torah or the Ten Commandments, depending on what standard they uphold as being "the standard".
I believe the correct translation in this regard links behavior (sin or hamartia) with motivation (anomia or rebellion). In other words, I think what it's saying is that sin is a manifestation of rebellion.
Adam and Eve rebelled against God, basically asserting their "right" to decide what is right and wrong, rather than relying on God totally to reveal this for them. This was an act of cosmic treason; basically giving God the finger. Mankind continues to manifest this rebellious nature when they sin. Christians don't even totally escape this tendency due to the remnant of the old nature called "the flesh", and they pay the temporal results for their rebellion when they do that...God disciplines every son that he loves.
This view is consistent with the letter of I John, where the heretics it is addressing are portrayed as those who continue to live in rebellion and disobedience, and do not obey the commandments of God.
I have a commentary in the Pillar series which agrees with my view on this. I did not derive the view from the commentary, but the author (Peter O Brien) essentially agrees with it.
Some here believe that anomia should essentially be translated "transgression of the law" like the KJV translates it but I disagree with good philosophical and exegetical reasons. Either way, though, it makes no different to me. If anomia refers to "transgression of the law", my understanding would be God's moral law, but I am confident that the verse is linking behavior (hamartia or sin) with motivation (anomia or rebellion). I believe there's a consistency throughout Scripture that sin is linked with rebellion against God, and that started in the garden of Eden with our rejection of God as our source in terms of revelation, instead choosing to believe Satan or to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death"
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Jesus is saying one thing in the sermon on the mount. Do what I say or you will be washed away and collapse.
Or did you not read the end.
We are not meeting a make, ie arriving and everything is fine. That concept is for failures who do not understand life, God and spiritual reality. Your inside needs to be the same as your outside, clean.
Perfect is a meaningless word, because it means different things to different people. Clean is simple. Pure, holy, righteous.
Now you may fail to conceive these ideas or even come close condemning yourself into failure, I do not know.
But Jesus is saying God wants us to be perfect in loving our enemies. And all the other points he makes. It is not a list of impossibilities, it is a list of how you walk with Jesus. If you had put these issues into action and obedience, you become someone different. If you shut the door by saying it is irrelevant to the believer you are shutting the door of heaven on people. Tell me which issue you have a problem with and why? I will answer them.
I think you should start putting Jesus's instructions into effect before your house crumbles around you and your rebellion against His word needs to end. You used the word hate about those who desire righteousness and purity which is exactly how the hypocrite pharisees felt about Jesus's teaching.
Or did you not read the end.
We are not meeting a make, ie arriving and everything is fine. That concept is for failures who do not understand life, God and spiritual reality. Your inside needs to be the same as your outside, clean.
Perfect is a meaningless word, because it means different things to different people. Clean is simple. Pure, holy, righteous.
Now you may fail to conceive these ideas or even come close condemning yourself into failure, I do not know.
But Jesus is saying God wants us to be perfect in loving our enemies. And all the other points he makes. It is not a list of impossibilities, it is a list of how you walk with Jesus. If you had put these issues into action and obedience, you become someone different. If you shut the door by saying it is irrelevant to the believer you are shutting the door of heaven on people. Tell me which issue you have a problem with and why? I will answer them.
I think you should start putting Jesus's instructions into effect before your house crumbles around you and your rebellion against His word needs to end. You used the word hate about those who desire righteousness and purity which is exactly how the hypocrite pharisees felt about Jesus's teaching.
J
Do you give any "credit" to the deceiver whos intent was to kill Gods beloved creation? What I'm saying is first He asked eve "did God really say....?" eves first response was to repeat what God had said to adam. When she responded correctly, He introduced the very first Lie, and the one on wich all sin and death is based upon, "surely you will not die, God knows that when you eat of this fruit you will be like Him..." so planting a doubt, and then offering an alternative was His plot. I think of it this way, if man did not know good and evil, and the serpent obviously did....was man Killed? or did He choose to rebel? was man even equipped to make a choice? did man even know what death was? or how serious it was? how it meant death for an entire species? I agree on some points you've written, and cant say I disagree with any, I feel as if like always there is much more to it than man chose to rebel. I also on a bit of a related point: I used to look at it as once adam and eve ate the fruit, every man thereafter was born sinful. yet what of abel, enoch and Elijah? abel was murdered for righteousness, enoch walked away with God and Elijah was taken to heaven the latter 2 men without dying. if sin is death or "the wages of sin is death" then enoch and also Elijah were not sinners because God is just and what is true of one is true of another. also, is sin taken into account when there was no law (the first 10 generations) when the only command was "do what is right and you will be accepted, do what is wrong and sin is right there desiring to have you." ? so how did the first 10 generations know right from wrong? or did they? I think not because by the 10th generation "every inclination of mans heart was only evil all the time." I see an innocent creation thrown into a raging sea without the ability to swim. not By the Lord God, but by His enemy when He deceived them in eden with the knowledge of evil. with the knowledge of evil, came fear and shame, hiding from God became an option when he came to visit. I see a crafty devil whos desire is truly to kill steal and destroy that wich God loves most and was successful until Christ came and brought us back to life. when we are once again home and alive fully, we will understand the result of evil, and in mans mind it will be utterly evil.....sorry for rambling, your comment lead me to a lot more thought, thank you for taking the time
J
God told cain directly, "do what is right and you will be accepted, if you do what is wrong sin is crouching at your door and desires to have you, you must master it." the next verse cain lures abel his little brother into a field and kills him. So cain broke the law of sin and death, the original law given to adam, and reiterated directly to cain himself. I do not define sin as transgression of the law myself, I understand transgression of the law to be a result of sin.
J
Jesus is saying many, many things in the sermon on the mount, and all of His teachings and lessons ,much more than do as I say or perish. He also introduces the many new concepts that makes the new covenant superior to the Old. He tells us to be merciful and we will receive mercy. forgive and be forgiven. condemn and you will be condemned. by the measure YOU yourself use , it will be measured to you. He tells us, be perfect before you go around criticizing others for what you perceive they are doing wrong. These are only a few things he tells us, and you are correct the parable of the wise and foolish builders, to do what we hear Him say upholds our house upon the rock, to hear and not apply them to our Life our house will fall with a great crash. what He says to do is what many people miss. and If the inside of the dish is clean, the outside Will be clean. a clean heart = clean actions. you are also correct when you say Jesus teachings are our goal always to follow them, and not just a list of unreachable rules. if we are to follow Christ perfectly, our lives will be laid down completely is the thing, we would always consider others needs above our own, we would know complete humility. Yet every man is moved along by the faith given to Him according to Gods will to work in Him. we are all works in progress, as paul himself stated "not that I have already been made perfect, but this I do, forgetting what is behind I press on toward the goal to win the prize for that wich God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." we press on, we keep our eyes on the author and finisher.....and we follow his words and also accept His grace when we fail. Christ is never put in a box, He is more than any one man can possess by far. grace set aside is to deny His glorious attribute that works salvation in us. God bless
