Everybody gets to define sin for themselves.

[SkyWriting]

Yes, that is what Jesus taught.
I've made the comment that Jesus told the prostitute off.
No, he didn't.
He told her to "Go, and sin no more"

It was up to her to figure out what that meant.
This was moments after telling off a group
who was deciding for themselves what was sin
and which rocks would fix it.

 

[Petros2015]

John 14:15

 

[redleghunter]

Yes, that is what Jesus taught.
I've made the comment that Jesus told the prostitute off.
No, he didn't.
He told her to "Go, and sin no more"

It was up to her to figure out what that meant.
This was moments after telling off a group
who was deciding for themselves what was sin
and which rocks would fix it.

Jesus did not teach we get to pick and choose our sins.

 

[Jim Langston]

Jesus was very specific in what sin is and is to be avoided. Your thought that "everybody gets to define sin for themselves" is a doctrine of men, unbiblical and of the devil.

Matthew 19:16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 

[RaymondG]

I believe there are suggestions that your beliefs create your reality. i.e. if you believe something is wrong, to you it will be wrong. This seems to be the idea around "Judge not, lest ye be judge." What you judged as wrong for others, condemns yourself as well.....

 

[Shempster]

Skywriting has the right idea. If you look at it from the right perspective that is.
We are to be led by the Spirit of God. If we walk in the spirit the He shows us what is right and wrong for each individual. And we are not talking about adultery or murder. Common sense tells us those things are wrong. But in terms of what one can eat, drink, listen to, watch, invest in, ect., the Spirit of God knows what are weaknesses are and what we should avoid.

 

[Ron Gurley]

OP: "Everybody gets to define sin for themselves....Yes, that is what Jesus taught."

Totally FALSE!
God through His "word" the Bible clearly and extensively "defines sin".

 

[Ron Gurley]

Mark 2:17
And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to CALL the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 15...Jesus on the "sin nature" of Man
The Heart of Man
15 Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 Jesus said,
“Are you still lacking in understanding also?
17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
18 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the "heart", and those defile the man.
19 For out of the "heart" come
evil thoughts,
murders,
adulteries,
fornications,
thefts,
false witness,
slanders.
(and SIMILAR sins!)
20 These are the things which defile the man;
but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Matthew 1:21
She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name "Jesus", for He will save His people from their sins.”

Mark 2:5
And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

John 1:29
The next day he (john the Baptizer) saw Jesus coming to him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 8:34..Jesus answered them,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

John 9:41,,,Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Attempted DEFINITIONS based on the Bible

SIN = "falling short" = ANYTHING contrary to the CHARACTER of GOD.

SIN(S) = personal "missing the marks" = willfull or ignorant, commission or omission, "trespasses" that cause loss of fellowship between God and Man.

SIN NATURE = the natural capacity and inclination to do / not do those things
that can in no way commend Man and his "works" to God.

1 John 1:7...but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with "one another", and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

"sin" occurs 430 times in 380 verses in the NASB

Hebrew 2403 - "chatta'ath"
sin, sin offering
a) sin
b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
c) punishment for sin
d) sin-offering

Greek 266 - "hamartia"
a) to be without a share in
b) to miss the mark
c) to err, be mistaken
d) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
e) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin
2) that which is done wrong, sin, an offence,
a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3) collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many

John 16:8 (NASB)...Jesus: Role of God the Holy spirit
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

 

[SkyWriting]

Jesus was very specific in what sin is and is to be avoided. Your thought that "everybody gets to define sin for themselves" is a doctrine of men, unbiblical and of the devil.

Matthew 19:16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Those ARE all things we interpret for ourselves. Hello?

 

[SkyWriting]

Jesus did not teach we get to pick and choose our sins.

He taught that we define what sin is.

 

[SkyWriting]

Attempted DEFINITIONS based on the Bible

SIN = "falling short" = ANYTHING contrary to the CHARACTER of GOD.

SIN(S) = personal "missing the marks" = willfull or ignorant, commission or omission, "trespasses" that cause loss of fellowship between God and Man.

SIN NATURE = the natural capacity and inclination to do / not do those things
that can in no way commend Man and his "works" to God.

1 John 1:7...but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with "one another", and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

"sin" occurs 430 times in 380 verses in the NASB

Hebrew 2403 - "chatta'ath"
sin, sin offering
a) sin
b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
c) punishment for sin
d) sin-offering

Greek 266 - "hamartia"
a) to be without a share in
b) to miss the mark
c) to err, be mistaken
d) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
e) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin
2) that which is done wrong, sin, an offence,
a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3) collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many

John 16:8 (NASB)...Jesus: Role of God the Holy spirit
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

In each case, a person decides for themselves what is sin against God
in their own lives. No other person may decide.

Lets let Jesus explain it to you, who point at sins:

So he concludes: “I tell you, her sins, many though they are, are forgiven, because she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” —Luke 7:44-47.

3And the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them 4and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

6They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.

7When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Whoever is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.” 8And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.

9When they heard this,a they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there. 10Then Jesus straightened upb and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers?c Has no one condemned you?”

11“No one, Lord,” she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”

In this story...just who do you think you are?

 

[redleghunter]

He taught that we define what sin is.

You have not established such and repeating it a second time does not make your statement true.

 

[SkyWriting]

You have not established such and repeating it a second time does not make your statement true.

True, but if no one provides scriptural rebuttal I get to repeat it till the cows come home. And there is a passage or two you could use.

See post #1, 12
Everybody gets to define sin for themselves.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

WHO is to decide these details?

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5

WHO is to decide these details?

Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.
Psalm 119:133

WHO is to decide these details?

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4

Who ITDTD?

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
Matthew 7:3

89 more Bible Verses about Sin

 

[FireDragon76]

You make a good point: we as individuals are ultimately responsible. If only more Christians would realize that, and stop being busibodies policing other peoples lives.

 

[Tigger45]

You make a good point: we as individuals are ultimately responsible. If only more Christians would realize that, and stop being busibodies policing other peoples lives.

^This^ perspective took a load off of my shoulders. My business isn't what others sins are, my business is introducing them to Christ and letting that dynamic be worked out between Christ and them.

 

[redleghunter]

True, but if no one provides scriptural rebuttal I get to repeat it till the cows come home. And there is a passage or two you could use.

See post #1, 12
Everybody gets to define sin for themselves.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

WHO is to decide these details?

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5

WHO is to decide these details?

Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.
Psalm 119:133

WHO is to decide these details?

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4

Who ITDTD?

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
Matthew 7:3

89 more Bible Verses about Sin

Yes I just viewed post #12.

That post also assumes much. For example, God defines what is righteous and what is not.

"A" cannot be "non A."

Meaning if I consider drunkenness a sin, and Dave considers drunkenness a non sin we both can't be right.

There must be an objective standard to test both claims.

We have such a transcendent standard to test truth claims. The Holy Scriptures.

Applying the written Word of God, Dave would be wrong and God would be right. Notice I didn't say I would be right.

That is how objective standards work.

God is always right.

 

[redleghunter]

What you judged as wrong for others, condemns yourself as well.....

Yes when we judge others according to our own self righteousness. But applying God's Holy standards is not judging others. It's communicating His Holy standards.

 

[SkyWriting]

That is how objective standards work.
God is always right.

True, but sin is entirely subjective. Each PERSON decides if they are sinning against God or not.
Jesus did not say to the prostitute, "Go home and read your bible".
Jesus did not say "Stop being a prostitute."
JDNSay "Stop sleeping around"
JDNS "Be a more moral person"
JDNS "stop being a sinner"
He said Go home and choose not to sin and do what you know is wrong.
Knowing what is wrong is subjective for each person and depends
on local customs, laws, and personal morals. Killing an ant may
be a sin for one person, allowable by another.

James 4:17
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

1 John 3:4
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

Genesis 4:7
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

 

[SkyWriting]

You have not established such and repeating it a second time does not make your statement true.

James 4:17
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.


So we can stop calling other people names now.