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WEEKLY
Volume 2 Number 22
28 October 2007
The Scripture and Sin
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the Sunday Worship Service, 2 pm, Oct 21, 07)
Text:
Gal 3:22
We have learnt about our conscience, and it is vital for us to submit ourselves to the Lord and God’s Word so that our consciences may be cleansed, sanctified, strengthened, sharpened and adjusted to God’s holy standard, which is God’s Word, the Holy Scripture, without which our conscience is neither pure nor good.
It is God’s Word, the Scripture, that judges us and shows us our mistakes and sins: “the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48) and “for by the law is the knowledge of sin…I had not known sin, but by the law:for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Rom 3:20; 7:7). Therefore, our proper attitude when we read God’s Word is to read it with trembling, reverence, faith, submission and prayer, asking the Lord to guide us into His truth, search our hearts, show us our sin and
cleanse it. Sadly, many read the Scripture like a text book without any faith, reverence or submission. Instead of letting God’s Word judge them, they arrogantly judge, question or criticise God’s Word! Instead of letting the Scripture show their mistakes and sins, they arrogantly claim that they have found “mistakes” in the Scripture! How can the Scripture have any mistake while it is called “the holy scriptures” (Rom 1:2; 2 Tim 3:15)?
The Scripture verse today says, “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to
them that believe” (Gal 3:22). The Scripture has concluded, shut up, enclosed, confined, or imprisoned all (without any exception) under sin. Sin is real and all are under the bondage of sin and condemnation of sin. The phrase “under sin” has three occurrences in the Scripture. The other two are in Rom 3:9, “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin,” and in Rom 7:14, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” No matter who we are or what we have done, the Scripture has imprisoned us under sin!
Many think that their consciences
are good as they have not done any thing against their conscience and they have never committed murder or adultery while God’s Word says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15) and “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt 5:28). This shows that God’s holy standard is much higher than human moral standard. Sin is not only breaking God’s law but also missing God’s holy standard. For example, God’s holy standard is 7 points, but if you and I have tried our best and only got 6 points, we have failed already. Using human moral standard to judge sin is a great mistake because on the Judgment Day, God will judge human beings according to His holy standard! Then what is sin according to the Scripture?
Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4)
“Transgression of the law” literally means “lawlessness”. It is translated as “iniquity” 12 times (Matt 7:23; 23:28, et al), “unrighteousness” once (2 Cor 6:14), “transgress the law” once (Rom 2:27) and here “transgression of the law” also only once. It means rejecting the control of the law, having no regard for the law, acting contrary to the law, overstepping the boundaries of the law, violating the law, etc. When you and I break the law of the country we are living in, we shall be hauled to court, judged and sentenced. Many have committed sins secretly, and cleverly escaped the judgment of men, but no one can “escape the judgment of God” (Rom 2:3), who is present everywhere, sees and knows everything and condemns sin, even our heart, our thoughts, our motives.
The Lord Jesus sums up His law in two commands: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30-31). Missing this standard or failing to keep
this standard, we have sinned. Loving the Lord must be proved by keeping His commandments and His Word (John 14:21, 23; 1 John 2:5). Have you and I loved the Lord our God and kept His Word with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength (perfectly not only in heart but also in actions) as the Lord commands? King Saul partly obeyed God and thought that it was fine, but he failed to take God’s Word to heart and to keep and obey God’s Word. So he was rebuked and rejected, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam 15:22-23). It is always good and wise for you and me to compare ourselves not only with the Lord Jesus Christ, our perfect Example, but also with God’s Word, our perfect Standard, so that we may always humble ourselves, acknowledging our weaknesses and shortcomings and then hide ourselves in our Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness. That is the sin of missing God’s standard, how about the sin of breaking His law?
Let us briefly go through His ten commandments (Exodus 20:3-7):
(1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Are we trusting, obeying, worshipping and serving the only one living and true God alone? “Ye cannot serve God and mammon (wealth, the god of materialism)” (Matt 6:24):
(2) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them.” Is there anyone or anything even our “self” that we love more than God and submit to rather than God? It is idolatry!
(3) “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.” Are we serious and careful in our words and deeds so that our Lord’s holy Name may be praised and glorified and not be blasphemed?
(4) “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Do we remember our Lord’s Day, look forward to it, and come to worship God with His people?
(5) “Honour thy father and thy mother.” Do we really honour our parents and fulfil our filial duty?
(6) “Thou shalt not kill.” Do we hate others (1 John 3:15), sell or consume the things harmful to health such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, etc.? Do we embrace any thoughts of committing suicide?
(7) “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Do we hate and keep ourselves pure from sexual lusts, pornography, or unholy fellowship?
(8) “Thou shalt not steal.” Are we involved in tax evasion, breach of copyright, unrighteous gains? Do we rob God in tithes and offerings (Mal 3:8)? Do we borrow something from others without returning it to them?
(9) “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Do we tell lies or live a double life? Do we mean what we say or say what we mean?
(10) “Thou shalt not covet.” Do we have a strong desire to have more and more or to have what others have?
Looking at God’s perfect standard is like looking at a mirror, and by doing this we may see our real state of sin and our need of the Saviour. Truly, “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24). We thank God for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity (transgression), and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14), and “Blessed are they whose iniquities (transgression) are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Rom 4:7).
All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17)
“Unrighteousness” is contrary to what is right, righteous, just, and true. It is translated as “unrighteousness” 16 times (Rom 1:18, 29; 3:5, et al), “iniquity” six times (Luke 13:27; 2 Tim 2:19; at al), “unjust” twice (Luke 16:8; 18:6), and “wrong” once (2 Cor 12:13). Our Lord Jesus describes the unjust judge as the one who did not fear God nor regard man (Luke 18:2, 6). We have failed when we do not fear God nor do what is right, just, and true in His sight. Even “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth” (Prov 14:21) and “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin” (James 2:9).
We thank God that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (
James 4:17)
This is the sin of omission. Remembering this verse will humble us as we have failed to do what we know is good or what we ought to do. We have not fulfilled our duties to God and to mankind. We know that it is good to thank the Lord in all things, rejoice in Him, trust in Him, pray to Him, obey Him, and serve Him wholeheartedly with zeal but we have failed. We know that it is good to control ourselves and live a holy and godly life, but we have failed. We know that it is good to be kind to others and share God’s salvation to them, but we have failed. Why? It is the sinful nature in us. Paul shared his experience, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” Rom 7:18-19). Many think that no one is perfect so they just keep on living in sin and do not bother to seriously deal with sin, but a truly born again Christian will not rest until he finds the
victory in Christ, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:24-25). Truly, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin (repeatedly as a habit); for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9). Then, knowing what is good is not enough. We do need our Lord Jesus Christ to help us do what is good in His sight and then give thanks and all glory to Him alone.
Whatsoever is not of faith is sin (
Rom14:23
)
This is the genuine faith in God and His Word, “Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb 11:6). Whatever we eat, drink, say or do without faith in God and His Word is sin. Doing anything with doubt is condemned, “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” We usually feel insulted when others doubt us or our words. How about our most high God, the Lord of lords and the King of kings? It is sin when
we doubt God or His Word or His love, His power, His faithfulness, His guidance, or His sovereignty! Sadly, many say that they trust in God while doubting His Word! Is it not serious in God’s sight?
Let us look unto our Lord Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2) and follow Him no matter what others may say or doubt.
Conclusion
The Scripture has enclosed all under the bondage of sin and the condemnation of sin. The more we know the Scripture, the more we know the truth about God and His perfect Standard as well as the truth about ourselves, our sins, shortcomings, transgression, iniquity, lack of faith, etc. Then, we shall humbly turn to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again for our justification, and who is able to cleanse us from all our sins by His blood, deliver us from the bondage of sin and help us overcome sin when we trust in Him and His Word with our dependence and submission. All thanks and glory be unto Him alone. Amen.
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