Post by foxjj on Sept 13, 2022 3:07:27 GMT
Sinfulness Or Righteousness.
When caught out in wrongdoing and challenged with the difference between right and wrong, someone will make the excuse; “O’ it’s only a small sin. No real harm was done.” For most there is no problem with sin in general as long as no one was harmed. However, Scripture teaches that God cares greatly about sin in peoples lives, and desires that we live a righteous life, warning in Genesis 4:7: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
The New Testament writers speak much concerning sinfulness and righteousness, teaching about God’s Grace through His Son Jesus. John quoted both the warning, and promise of Jesus when he wrote: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)
John further wrote about the serious danger of sinning, and highlighted the blessings of living a righteous life when he was teaching concerning the reason Jesus came among us:
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:4-10 ESV)
When writing to believers in Rome, Paul used the example of slavery to sin in an effort to warn against the danger of habitual sin which leads to eternal death. Because many of the Christians in Rome were slaves, he encouraged slavery to righteousness which leads to eternal life:
“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:16-23 NIV)
That last verse is the reason Scripture encourages people everywhere to turn from the ways of the world and seek salvation through Jesus:
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
Today, let us give praise to our God.
John Joseph Fox.
When caught out in wrongdoing and challenged with the difference between right and wrong, someone will make the excuse; “O’ it’s only a small sin. No real harm was done.” For most there is no problem with sin in general as long as no one was harmed. However, Scripture teaches that God cares greatly about sin in peoples lives, and desires that we live a righteous life, warning in Genesis 4:7: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
The New Testament writers speak much concerning sinfulness and righteousness, teaching about God’s Grace through His Son Jesus. John quoted both the warning, and promise of Jesus when he wrote: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)
John further wrote about the serious danger of sinning, and highlighted the blessings of living a righteous life when he was teaching concerning the reason Jesus came among us:
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:4-10 ESV)
When writing to believers in Rome, Paul used the example of slavery to sin in an effort to warn against the danger of habitual sin which leads to eternal death. Because many of the Christians in Rome were slaves, he encouraged slavery to righteousness which leads to eternal life:
“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:16-23 NIV)
That last verse is the reason Scripture encourages people everywhere to turn from the ways of the world and seek salvation through Jesus:
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
Today, let us give praise to our God.
John Joseph Fox.
