What exactly is sinning?

You will find things mentioned in Scripture that tell us what is contrary to what God wants us to do and be. But I find having a focus on who God is, trying to get glimpses of what is good and exciting and loving and wholesome is the best antidote to sinning. We must be God rather than sin focused.

John
NZ

God has a perfect standard of what is right and wrong, anything outside of this standard is sin. In order to know of this standard you must have an Idea of Old testament Law, and then Read what Jesus did in the Gospels By "full filling the law." The short definition is that the Law of Moses (Ten commandments and the like) was not complete. Jesus in his time among us completed the Law. When he did he took commandments like you shall not kill and extended the definition to include you shall not hate or it's the same sin being broken as killing someone. Also you shall not commit adultery was extended to include lustful thoughts, because just the thought of committing that sin is the same as doing it. He did this to extend the reach and range of everything that Moses was given.

WHY????

To show that you can NOT ever be good enough to get to heaven period. You can not follow any prescribed set of rules or earn your way into heaven. Paul speaks of this in the book of Romans if you wish to learn more. The short answer here is that you must have and maintain a strong relationship with Jesus thru the Holy Spirit. This is the only way to have your sins pardoned. This is important because we are always sinning all of the time. sometimes we don't even know that we are outside Gods will, but that doesn't change the fact that we are.

If you looking to serve God, as an expression of love rather than give the appearance of justifying your salvation then, Just remember the two greatest commands. Love the Lord with all of your being, and the second Love your neighbor as yourself. All aspect of the "law" fall under these two categories.

footprints_nthe_sand said:

Ok really really stupid question..........But ive been trying to live right and than i relized I really dont know what is sinning and what isnt. I know that sinning is doing something that God wouldnt approve of. But how do I know if its sinning or not? Rules? There must be some guide lines or something.......I know theres the ten commandments, but is there something else that i could learn about and learn to follow? Im extremly confused

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Oh no, that's not a stupid question at all. It's most excellent.

The answer is found in the dynamics of and between the Law and the Gospel.

Sinning is missing the mark. It is like shooting an arrow at a target. Sin is anything other than a bullseye. Sin is to break the law.

And what is the bullseye. Well it's what you do when you are controlled by the Holy Spirit, when you are filled with the true love of and from God. This is what is meant by having the law written on your heart. It is not a law the way we see law but what is referred to as the law of love controls you in a way that law as such cannot.

Now one way of missing that always comes up at this point is the oh we should just be lawless then, we can do anything and it's just great. Well not really like Paul says let it never be!

This perfect law of love doesn't destroy the Law, it fulfills it, it establishes it.

So we see a few examples in scripture.

The Law says don't commit murder, but the law of love says this is fulfilled in that anyone who hates is a murderer.

The Law says don't commit adultery, but the law of love says that he who looks upon a woman with lust is an adulterer.

We still use the Law as believers as a guide, still used as a schoolmaster, for it is much more trustworthy than our sinful hearts. But we don't follow it. This is referred to in Lutheran theology as the third use of the law.

We don't not steal because the Law says not to, stealing is not love. But we have that guide so we don't fall off the track thinking oh if I steal but use if for "God's work" it must be okay. No God gave us that guideline to protect us from such thoughts.

You are young but you have likely experienced it when things are right, either in receiving or in giving.

Let's say a child is hurt and crying. Your desire is to comfort him. To help him. You don't have to stop and say, what does the Law say? How shall I pick him up, how long should I hold him, and so on. No, you just respond in love to comfort him.

And when things are operating as they should, this is really how your whole life works. But because our old sinful self still hangs around though, we often fight against doing what we know we should, we often miss the mark. But we grow, and over time, we decrease and Jesus increases.

One of the things that strikes me as so strange is how we are freed from the Law. We are under grace, not law. And then the normal human thing to do is to cry out that we must have a law in order to know what to do. But law does not free us, it does not strengthen us, no rather sin uses it against us. So law does not perfect faith, but faith perfects the law.

If you are having a brain cramp, don't worry it will come.

Marv

footprints_nthe_sand said:

I know kind of whats right and wrong, but is there something else to follow by?

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Have a read of this article that I've posted on a number of thread, to give you an idea on confession, repentance, and forgiveness of SIN!

“But above all, my brethren, do not swear (make a promise), either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath (make a vow, that is, make a promise to repent sin and never do it again). But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment (result of sin). Is anyone among you suffering (spiritual or physical)? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick (spiritual and physical), and the Lord will raise him up (forgive sin). And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses (sins) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed (of bondage or sickness from the consequences of sin). The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:13-16)

Today, in the 21st Century, to meet specific needs of believers, we need to be aware of “making a promise” with our Lord Jesus Christ that when we “confess” and “repent” our sin or sins, that we mean what we say, because if we don’t, then we will be “judged”.

At the same time, we need to be very careful that we don’t fabricate lies, half-truths, and omissions of truth, particularly when confessing and repenting sin. Many do so, and they never feel as though they have been forgiven, because of this deliberate action, and most of the time through “spiritual pride”.

We need to be aware that we do not separate the spiritual and physical side of our actions, positive or negative, as our Lord Jesus Christ is Lord over our body, soul and spirit. Many suffer from spiritual and physical infirmities and sicknesses through “sin”, because they allow Satan and his forces to come into their “soul”, their “house”.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to go to our Heavenly Father through HIM for confession, repentance, and forgiveness by praying aloud in faith we will be “raised up” and set free from spiritual and physical bondage/sickness. Spiritual bondage and physical sickness can be the consequences of sin (see Matthew 9:2), but in other cases, not always (John 9:1-3).

When sin is involved, confession and repentance is a prerequisite, and this prerequisite is the “truth that we know, which is the truth that will set us free” (John 8:32) and healed (as per v16). But, we still need to confess our sins to each other as well.

When we sin against another, we must ask them to forgive us.

When our sin affects our church, we must confess it publicly.

When we struggle with continual sin then we need loving support from another mature Christian, and we need to confess our sins to them.

Many Christians struggle with unconfessed sin, and they keep on confessing to our Lord Jesus Christ and still don’t feel they have been forgiven. If that is so, then we may need to confess our sin or sins with another fellow believer, preferably a mature Christian, such as a GOD-anointed counsellor, so that, they will lead us into freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ and assure us of HIS forgiveness.

Also, the spiritual or physical sick person may also need to be reconciled with another who they have sinned against.

Christians don’t use the prayer of faith as a last resort, when all other avenues of worldly thinking and comfort zone fail.

“Fervent prayer” from the spiritual mind, the heart, is effective when used, and will accomplish greater results.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9)

Many make the false claim that they have no sin, because they are saved, and because of His Grace and Love.

When we confess sin, we are acknowledging our sin, and when we repent it, we are saying that we will not do it again. Repentance isn’t “remorse”. Our Lord Jesus Christ says that we need forgiveness, and when we “confess”, we are agreeing with HIM, and we admit we have sinned, and are in need of His Mercy.

When we confess we are cleansed of all unrighteousness.

Many Christians may admit to having a “sin nature”, by saying that they are “sinners”, but they deny any “personal sin”, therefore, believing that they haven’t a need to “confess”. When we deny sin, we haven’t His Word in us, in our ‘house” (see Matthew 12:43-45), and entry points into our “house” is set up for Satan and his forces to enter and dwell.

An example of a prayer for Anger, Bitterness, and Resentfulness:

Heavenly Father, I come to You through our Lord Jesus Christ, where my life (or my employment) seems so unjust, so unfair, through rejection; offence; deep hurts; embarrassments; abuse; trauma; wounds in the spirit; anger, and bitterness, which are almost more that I can bear, in Jesus’ Name.

Lord Jesus Christ, please help me to let go of all my anger, bitterness, indignation, and wrath through my passion, rage, and bad temper; and my resentment through my anger and animosity toward (name of person, etc) I now confess these sins, and repent these sins, In Jesus’ Name.

Lord Jesus Christ, You bind and heal the broken-hearted, and I received Your anointing that destroys all yoke of spiritual and physical bondage. I ask you Lord, for my emotional healing that is destroying my faith in myself, and only by Your grace, Lord, I am able to keep going and stand firm against Satan and his forces until this process is complete, in Jesus’ Name.

Lord Jesus Christ I choose to forgive all those who have wronged me causing me to be angry and bitter toward them. My purpose of life is to live a life of love and forgiveness that I haven’t shown to those people around me, and those who have wronged me. You have forgiven me, Lord Jesus Christ, and I now forgive them, in Jesus’ Name.

I asked you Lord to rid me of all anger, bitterness, rage, brawling and slander along with every form of malice that has impregnated my “soul”, and has settled upon my heart. I desire Lord, to be good, kind, compassionate and loving to others, forgiving them, just as You did Lord, when you forgave me, in Jesus’ Name.

With Your help, Lord, I make every effort to live in peace with all people and to be holy, for I know that without holiness no one will see You, Lord. My purpose Lord, is to see to it that I do not miss Your Grace and Love, and that no sun will ever set on anger ever again, nor allow any “root of bitterness” to grow up within me to cause trouble and to defile others and myself, in Jesus’ Name.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, as You watch over me to perform what is written in Your Word, and that Your Precious Son has set me free, I declare now that I have overcomed and conquered anger, bitterness, and resentment by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of my testimony, in Jesus’ Name.

Satan, I now cut off all power from you and your forces by the power of our Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ through His Blood, and I tell you and your forces to get in Jesus’ Name.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

“Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 Jn 3:4) even as “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom 13:10)—that is, “law” in the sense of all of God’s revealed will, and especially the Decalogue, which epitomizes all that God requires of man (see Ec 12:13, 14). Where there is no “law”—that is, where there is no divine revelation of God’s will—there is no sin or transgression (Rom 4:15).