- Jan 1, 2024
- 1,106
- 597
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Messianic
- Marital Status
- Widowed
"Stand in awe, and sin not..." - Psalm 4:4
The Bible is replete with "sin not" but so many professors of Christ think there's all kinds of wiggle room here, squirming their way out and around these clear passages that tell us to "sin not", with excuse after excuse why they must sin, and by such beliefs they become lax in striving against sin, because in their minds they are gonna sin, so just ask forgiveness. They say we all make mistakes, even to expect to sin, and then sin is compounded. And while they may have victory over many sins themselves their word is weak because their hearers only hear they are gonna sin, so what's the use.
No! God forbid! Stand in awe, and sin not! "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:34)
God hates sin. He abhors it. Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, whom He did not condemn, "go, and sin no more." (John 8:11)
Let's take a look at several passages from the Scriptures that are very clear we are not to sin, and that means ALL sin. It doesn't mean some, and it doesn't give any license to sin at all. It gives no excuse. There is forgiveness for sin IF we sin, but that's IF we sin, and not when. I think a lot of us want that verse in 1 John to say "when we sin"
1 John 2:1,
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"
It's clear it says "if" and in Greek it says "if" as in conditional. I prefer to use the terminology the Bible uses, and not say "when we sin." I'll say "if we sin we can go to Christ for forgiveness," and thank God for that!
We'll come back to First John, but before we do, there are many other verses we can look at to see we are called to "sin not."
There's also Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:"
2 Corinthians 7:1,
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
It says ALL filthiness, and PERFECTING holiness. That's a double there, to cleanse ourselves of ALL filthiness of flesh and spirit, PERFECTING holiness in the fear of God. The Greek word "pantos" is used here for "all" and means all or every. See, there no room to maneuver around it, and it surely don't say "some" it says ALL!
How about 1 Thessalonians 5:23? This is another good one.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Wholly there means completely and entirely: the whole. Paul is also clear that this is a full sanctification, not just a spiritual thing, but of the whole spirit, and soul, and body - the whole tripartite being. And he says preserved blameless, that is, faultlessly, so that there is no cause for censure.
1 Timothy 6:10-14,
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.."
It's really the last verse I want to draw your attention to, but have to give it in it's context. Paul is warning Timothy to flee from covetousness, and even earlier in the chapter in verses 3 - 5 says, "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." So Timothy is commanded to flee all this and keep this commandment without spot, and unrebukable. That is, without stain or spot, and above reproach. This verse carries the same weight as the previous two we have looked at.
Oh, we have more. Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Lay aside every weight, and that word is "panta" the same root as "pantos" we saw earlier, that means all or every. Pretty clear, the Word of God is telling us to lay aside ALL sin.
Definitely no wiggle room, but it's ok if you squirm. I hope this causes some to squirm. When the Holy Ghost began impressing on me these truths and I'd been messed up in sin, I squirmed, and I squirmed a lot! The more He revealed the holiness of God and the deplorable state of my condition, I squirmed like a worm on the hook that had been pierced through, because I'd been pierced through by the Sword of the Spirit, that "word of God (that) is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) But after I squirmed and trembled and cried, I stood in awe, and I knew I was called to sin not because the Scripture commanded so!
James 1:21-22,
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
Again we see the word "all" being used, this time the Greek is "pasan" of which "pas" is the root, meaning all, and each. Superfluity is an over gushing forth, or abounding of naughtiness, or also it could be translated 'wickedness." So James is telling us to lay apart, or put aside, just as Hebrews 12;1` says, all filthiness and abounding wickedness: all of it, lay it apart or aside from you, and walk away from it.
1 Peter 4:1, This is a great one: "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;"
Ceased from sin. Interesting word there, "pepautai" which means to be done with, ceased, to stop, finish, prohibit. Pretty clear the meaning there, which again confirms "sin not." Ceased from sin, be done with it.
2 Peter 3:11 & 14,
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,...
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
This verse is so important because Christ's return could so catch us off guard we are admonished to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for Him. Then in the last verse we are admonished further to be found in peace, without spot, and blameless. Again, a high standard is set. No excuses are given.
Now let's finish up with the rest of the passages from 1 John:
"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." (3:6)
Here again we see "sin not" and it goes beyond that: it goes way way beyond that to say they who sinneth have not seen nor known Him! That's heavy, and that's scary and should put the fear of God in you that you "stand in awe and sin not."
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (3:9)
Another heavy. Doth not commit sin. Sounds like an absolute. And it even says the one born of God cannot sin. Oh, it cannot mean what it says, some people say. I got a problem with John, or 1 John. I've heard that one too. There are difficult things in the Bible, and its high standard in regard to true Christian living is a problem for many. Why? Sin. People want to cling to their sins, and even if they don't, Satan deceives them into thinking they can't possibly stop spinning and they will sin some, just so he can accuse away and point out the sin that doth so easily beset.
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (1 John 5:18)
Ouch! There you go again John. Man, he's really hammering the point, isn't he? And for good reason. What John is saying is backed by so much more that we've already gone over.
Jesus said "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true" (John 8:17) We have the testimony of John. And if you aren't comfortable with John, you have the testimony of Paul, and of James, and of Peter, and of David in the Psalms. We can even pull from Moses in Exodus 20:20, "And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." And from Ezekiel 3:21, "Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."
But above and beyond all these godly witnesses, we have Jesus Himself, who is actually at least 2 witnesses, for He said in the next verse, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." That's 7 witnesses and Jesus Himself with the Father.
One last verse and we'll end with this:
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
nowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
For he that is dead is freed from sin."
(Romans 6:1-7) - Amen.
The Bible is replete with "sin not" but so many professors of Christ think there's all kinds of wiggle room here, squirming their way out and around these clear passages that tell us to "sin not", with excuse after excuse why they must sin, and by such beliefs they become lax in striving against sin, because in their minds they are gonna sin, so just ask forgiveness. They say we all make mistakes, even to expect to sin, and then sin is compounded. And while they may have victory over many sins themselves their word is weak because their hearers only hear they are gonna sin, so what's the use.
No! God forbid! Stand in awe, and sin not! "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:34)
God hates sin. He abhors it. Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, whom He did not condemn, "go, and sin no more." (John 8:11)
Let's take a look at several passages from the Scriptures that are very clear we are not to sin, and that means ALL sin. It doesn't mean some, and it doesn't give any license to sin at all. It gives no excuse. There is forgiveness for sin IF we sin, but that's IF we sin, and not when. I think a lot of us want that verse in 1 John to say "when we sin"
1 John 2:1,
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"
It's clear it says "if" and in Greek it says "if" as in conditional. I prefer to use the terminology the Bible uses, and not say "when we sin." I'll say "if we sin we can go to Christ for forgiveness," and thank God for that!
We'll come back to First John, but before we do, there are many other verses we can look at to see we are called to "sin not."
There's also Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:"
2 Corinthians 7:1,
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
It says ALL filthiness, and PERFECTING holiness. That's a double there, to cleanse ourselves of ALL filthiness of flesh and spirit, PERFECTING holiness in the fear of God. The Greek word "pantos" is used here for "all" and means all or every. See, there no room to maneuver around it, and it surely don't say "some" it says ALL!
How about 1 Thessalonians 5:23? This is another good one.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Wholly there means completely and entirely: the whole. Paul is also clear that this is a full sanctification, not just a spiritual thing, but of the whole spirit, and soul, and body - the whole tripartite being. And he says preserved blameless, that is, faultlessly, so that there is no cause for censure.
1 Timothy 6:10-14,
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.."
It's really the last verse I want to draw your attention to, but have to give it in it's context. Paul is warning Timothy to flee from covetousness, and even earlier in the chapter in verses 3 - 5 says, "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." So Timothy is commanded to flee all this and keep this commandment without spot, and unrebukable. That is, without stain or spot, and above reproach. This verse carries the same weight as the previous two we have looked at.
Oh, we have more. Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Lay aside every weight, and that word is "panta" the same root as "pantos" we saw earlier, that means all or every. Pretty clear, the Word of God is telling us to lay aside ALL sin.
Definitely no wiggle room, but it's ok if you squirm. I hope this causes some to squirm. When the Holy Ghost began impressing on me these truths and I'd been messed up in sin, I squirmed, and I squirmed a lot! The more He revealed the holiness of God and the deplorable state of my condition, I squirmed like a worm on the hook that had been pierced through, because I'd been pierced through by the Sword of the Spirit, that "word of God (that) is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) But after I squirmed and trembled and cried, I stood in awe, and I knew I was called to sin not because the Scripture commanded so!
James 1:21-22,
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
Again we see the word "all" being used, this time the Greek is "pasan" of which "pas" is the root, meaning all, and each. Superfluity is an over gushing forth, or abounding of naughtiness, or also it could be translated 'wickedness." So James is telling us to lay apart, or put aside, just as Hebrews 12;1` says, all filthiness and abounding wickedness: all of it, lay it apart or aside from you, and walk away from it.
1 Peter 4:1, This is a great one: "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;"
Ceased from sin. Interesting word there, "pepautai" which means to be done with, ceased, to stop, finish, prohibit. Pretty clear the meaning there, which again confirms "sin not." Ceased from sin, be done with it.
2 Peter 3:11 & 14,
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,...
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
This verse is so important because Christ's return could so catch us off guard we are admonished to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for Him. Then in the last verse we are admonished further to be found in peace, without spot, and blameless. Again, a high standard is set. No excuses are given.
Now let's finish up with the rest of the passages from 1 John:
"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." (3:6)
Here again we see "sin not" and it goes beyond that: it goes way way beyond that to say they who sinneth have not seen nor known Him! That's heavy, and that's scary and should put the fear of God in you that you "stand in awe and sin not."
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (3:9)
Another heavy. Doth not commit sin. Sounds like an absolute. And it even says the one born of God cannot sin. Oh, it cannot mean what it says, some people say. I got a problem with John, or 1 John. I've heard that one too. There are difficult things in the Bible, and its high standard in regard to true Christian living is a problem for many. Why? Sin. People want to cling to their sins, and even if they don't, Satan deceives them into thinking they can't possibly stop spinning and they will sin some, just so he can accuse away and point out the sin that doth so easily beset.
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (1 John 5:18)
Ouch! There you go again John. Man, he's really hammering the point, isn't he? And for good reason. What John is saying is backed by so much more that we've already gone over.
Jesus said "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true" (John 8:17) We have the testimony of John. And if you aren't comfortable with John, you have the testimony of Paul, and of James, and of Peter, and of David in the Psalms. We can even pull from Moses in Exodus 20:20, "And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." And from Ezekiel 3:21, "Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."
But above and beyond all these godly witnesses, we have Jesus Himself, who is actually at least 2 witnesses, for He said in the next verse, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." That's 7 witnesses and Jesus Himself with the Father.
One last verse and we'll end with this:
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
nowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
For he that is dead is freed from sin."
(Romans 6:1-7) - Amen.
