Jesus tells us that sin is having a clear choice between God's Way or "climbing up some 'other' way" (Jn10:1), and deliberately choosing "other than" God! But He goes further is stating that, had God not Performed His Promise (Did as He Said), man would have no sin!
Paul said the "strength ("power"-R.V.) of sin is the Law (1 Cor 15:56), but Jesus made it clear in His "Sermon On The Mount" that no man was capable of perfect compliance of God's Law (hence the substitutional sacrifice!). Indeed, that was exactly the 2-fold Purpose of the Law; 1- to expose man's sin-nature, and 2- exhibit God's Promised Grace-SuperNature (in Performing for man what man could not do himself!)
Mt 19:25,26 "When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, 'Who then can be saved'? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, 'With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27 tells us this "astonished them out of measure!"
But, if the Law is the power of sin (as Paul says), Jesus says His Words "Spoken", & "Works" Performed are the cause which provoked man's sin! Sounds pretty radical, huh? Well, the most "radical" book in all Scripture may well be the very first one - Job! Let me ask you: Who provoked whom? Who Picked the "fight", anyway? Let's look at exactly what it says!
Job 1:6-8 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and from in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"
Holiness [God] introduces the subject of His Servant Job's Righteousness, and deliberately taunts and challenges Satan with Job's Love of God! But why would God Do such a thing? Simple!
We must never forget God's Nature - HOLINESS! After all, the origination of the warfare & rebellion was Lucifer's unsuccessful challenge to God's Authority over him! That's how deceit, evil, sin and death were "fathered" (as Jesus said). Glory's Nature is to Give or Shine Himself on all He Surveys!
Jn 1:5 "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." Jn 1:9-14 "..... the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not (would not know Him!) He came unto his own, and his own received him not (rejected Him!) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (God's "babies"!) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
It is this "beholding" which marks the separation ("cuts the circumcision") between the "sons of Light" and the "sons of darkness" (as the Essene writers of the Dead Sea scrolls dubbed the conflict). Unfortunately, these "Essenes" lost the battle to these "sons of darkness" and disappeared from history in spite of their monumental effort to preserve, protect & defend the sacred scriptures they dedicated their lives to. Why? Because they failed to "discern the season" (the same reason Jesus cursed the fig tree!). We find a curious clue to this tragedy in Job:
Job 1:5 "And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, 'It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts'. Thus did Job continually."
Job knew-by-his-Righteousness that the nature of man's heart is evil, and that (as Paul said) man is "sold unto sin"! Job took no chances with something as precious to him as the souls of his children. He left the outcome of such treasures of his heart not to his righteousness nor that of his children, nor even to the understanding of his own wisdom (though highly reputed among men), but rather entrusted unto the Lord those things nearest & dearest his heart! And well that he should have done so, for God would soon remove them from him - only to ask (in so many Words), "is this all right with you? Will you yet say 'Blessed be the Name of the Lord'? (after I "taketh away" that which I've "given"?".
Jesus makes it clear what His View of sin is in Luke 13:27 "But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (sin doers)." Mt 7:22-24 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:"
So we see that sin is not Knowing & being Known by Jesus Christ (regardless how much of the Scriptures (Which Speak of Him) we know, like the Essenes). Jesus says it is because (for this cause) He (The Light of God) Came, Spoke, & Worked (and was therefore "seen" by men (and also exposed them), that they "hated" Him (and His Father Who Sent Him), and thus CONDEMNED THEMSELVES!
They hated Him because He was Right! Because He was all of God's Goodness Expressed in man! They hated Him because they could no longer hide in ignorance! Now that the "Truth was out" (so to speak), they hated Him because their hearts would not turn loose of their evil ways & deeds! They wanted nothing to do with Him! They did not want to know Him because He represented the loss of everything their deceived & perverted hearts desired - perceived "control" of this life!
They had been lied to, they had listened to & obeyed the lie, and were now full-blown sons of the liar; Satan himself! And Who Provoked the "showdown" that separates?: God did! Thank God He did!
All the "Fathers" & Prophets of old looked forward to the "Promised One", Jesus Christ. But for us He is a Living Fact! There is a curious, "post-crucifixion" notion that encourages the error that a careful study of the faith of the Old Testament (rather than the unbelief) will reveal New Testament Virtue! Nothing could be further from the truth!
Indeed, that Which those "hopefuls" looked forward to and clung to by sheer faith, is what Jesus Christ expects US to become!
He said "BE" perfect (sin-less!), even as your Heavenly Father is Perfect (Holy!)-Mt5:48. How? By NewBirthNature, of course.
Those in the past had faith in a Promise from God; but we have ("are of") Him "Who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption"!-1 Cor 1:30.
The difference in believing "in" and believing "on" is the difference between faith before and after the Cross! Nobody needs to "believe" a FACT! We either accept ("receive") the reality of it, or pretend to shut out it's truth! It is the pretense which is evil! (We ignore death as though it doesn't exist, only to be shocked by it's ultimate finality!). But ignoring the Living Fact of Jesus Christ will not make Him go away: He Will be "reckoned" with - now, or later! Now, to our great Joy: Later, to our eternal shame! Here is both sin AND shame: LOSS!
...add a 
BOOKMARK?
| Hymns | Essays | SEARCH | Bible F.A.Q.'S | Journal | Salt-Licks | Soul Food | Poems | Quotes |
| Books | Links | Testimony | Daygleans | Read-E-Mail | God's Names | Proverbs | AUDIO-INDEX | Home |