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FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.
GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS 1.1-7.38 --- 8.1-11.47 --- 12.1-16.34--- 17.1-27.34--- NUMBERS 1-10--- 11-19--- 20-36--- DEUTERONOMY 1.1-4.44 --- 4.45-11.32 --- 12.1-29.1--- 29.2-34.12 --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- PSALMS 1-17--- ECCLESIASTES --- ISAIAH 1-5 --- 6-12 --- 13-23 --- 24-27 --- 28-35 --- 36-39 --- 40-48 --- 49-55--- 56-66--- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL 1-7 ---DANIEL 8-12 ---
NAHUM--- HABAKKUK---ZEPHANIAH ---ZECHARIAH --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- 1 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-16 --- 2 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-13 -- -GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- HEBREWS 1-6 --- 7-10 --- 11-13 --- JAMES --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- REVELATION
--- THE GOSPELS
If so please EMail us with your question to jonpartin@tiscali.co.uk and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer. EMailus.
The Bible shows sin in various aspects.
1) Sin is the transgression (stepping outside the bounds ) of the Law (God’s Instruction: technically the Pentateuch, but as expanded in the Prophets and the New Testament) - 1 John 3.4.
When we go against God’s instructions we are rebelling against God directly. That is sin in its deepest form. The verse can also be rendered ‘sin is lawlessness’, demonstrating an attitude of refusal to listen to God and to obey conscience.
2) To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4.17). God has placed within each one of us a conscience. We can develop this conscience, or we can seek to stifle it, but we cannot totally avoid it. Paul called it ‘the Law written in men’s hearts’ (Romans 2.14-15). When we act against our consciences we are therefore rebelling against our Creator even though we do not know Him or acknowledge Him. God’s instruction may make sin more clear (Romans 5.20) but even without it men are aware of what they should do. It should be noted that this is not just a question of not doing anything wrong. It is specifically the failure to do what we know we ought to do, a lack of positive goodness. Not only have we done those things which we should not have done, we have also failed to do those things which we should have done. many a self-righteous man falls at this hurdle.
3) That which does not spring from faith is sin (Romans 14.23) When we are in doubt we should choose the way that we know is not in doubt. If we are uncertain about something we should avoid it until we can find certainty. Uncertainty is not a grounds for doing something that we know may be wrong.
4) To sin is in the end to ‘come short of the (moral) glory of God’ ( Romans 3.23) Ultimately sin is to come short of the holiness and purity of God. To fail to reveal His absolute goodness in our lives.
Why Do We Sin?
1) We sin when our bodily desires tempt us to ignore God’s instruction and our own conscience (Romans 6.12). We follow our desires instead of our conscience (James 1.14-15).
2) We sin because man’s first rebellion against God has affected the nature of man (Romans 5.12, 19). But we are not to blame for having a ‘sinful’ nature, we are to blame for following the dictates of that sinful nature. We follow our own desires.
3) We sin when we deliberately choose to go our own way rather than God’s way (Isaiah 53.6).
We are like sheep deliberately going astray from the control of the shepherd.
What is the Result of Sin?
1) Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59.2).
Sin makes God distant and unreal. He ‘takes His Holy Spirit from us’ (Psalm 51.11). This refers to a loss of the sense of the presence of God, not a rejection by the Holy Spirit. As John tells us the way back to awareness of God is to admit to our sin and our sinfulness and seek forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1.7-10). But sin also cuts us off from the blessings of God. The separation is one of deprivation. Those who are separated from God by sin have no right to His goodwill.
2) Sin results in Death. (Romans 6.23)
God’s purpose for man was that he should enjoy a live of fullness and blessing for ever. Man’s disobedience to God’s instruction resulted in the forfeiting of that blessing, so that now death is man’s destiny (Romans 5.14, 17). We should not spiritualise the idea of Death here. This is not referring to suffering in the after-life, rather it is referring to what man has lost by his disobedience, eternal life and blessing with God.
3) Sin will bring Final Punishment.
The Bible makes very clear that sin will result in final punishment of a most awful kind. However it is important not to overstate the pictures used so as to give them a meaning beyond what God intended. The idea of conscious souls writhing in untold agony for ever and ever is neither honouring to God, nor is it Scriptural. Sinful man will be brought to judgment and suffer awful remorse and rejection. They will weep and gnash their teeth in despair. They will be cast into a place of awful destruction, and the consequences of what has happened to them will be an eternal warning. There will be a differing level of conscious punishment before that final destruction. For details and exegesis see our three articles on the After-life.
Sin as A Tyrant.
Up to now we have looked at sin as acts against God and His ways. But the Bible also speaks of sin as being part of our very nature, and as a Tyrant that rules over us. (Romans 6.12, 14; 7.8; 7.17). It is seen as something that battles with us and subdues us Romans 7.13-19, as something that enslaves us (John 8.34). It is part of our very nature ( John 1.8).
But references like these are personalising sin, so as to bring out its awfulness. They occur to show how our sinfulness, rather than making us free, brings us into cruel subservience. We have made ourselves the slaves of sin as Jesus made clear (John 8.34). We cannot blame fate or the first man, for God has made a way out. We choose to follow sin’s path. The consequences of sin are on our own heads.
If so please EMail us with your question and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer.EMailus.
FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.
GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS 1.1-7.38 --- 8.1-11.47 --- 12.1-16.34--- 17.1-27.34--- NUMBERS 1-10--- 11-19--- 20-36--- DEUTERONOMY 1.1-4.44 --- 4.45-11.32 --- 12.1-29.1--- 29.2-34.12 --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- PSALMS 1-17--- ECCLESIASTES --- ISAIAH 1-5 --- 6-12 --- 13-23 --- 24-27 --- 28-35 --- 36-39 --- 40-48 --- 49-55--- 56-66--- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL 1-7 ---DANIEL 8-12 ---
NAHUM--- HABAKKUK---ZEPHANIAH ---ZECHARIAH --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- 1 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-16 --- 2 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-13 -- -GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- HEBREWS 1-6 --- 7-10 --- 11-13 --- JAMES --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- REVELATION
--- THE GOSPELS
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