Committing the Same Sin – January 20, 2019

Committing the Same Sin

January 20, 2019

Everyone at some point in their lives must deal with the issues of sin and I do mean everyone. Not one person who understands what sin is, can say, I’ve never sinned. Paul said by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This means that every human being at some point in their lives will sin. The reason is because of the sin committed in the garden as recorded in Genesis chapter 3. This chapter is a record of the temptation and fall of man which is facilitated by the cunning serpent, the devil (v.3). He’s the one that first added to God’s word which originally instructed Adam in chapter 2 verse 16 saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Eve knew this to be true as she restated it in the third chapter verses 2 and 3. Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die” (v.4), adding just one word to the Lord’s command. In verse 6 “the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was [a]pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate”. Thus, the first sin.

Paul taught, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12). Sadly, though, most denominations would translate verse 3:23 as “we all sin and there is nothing you can do about it, so do it all in the name of the Lord”.

Someone sent me a note once that said: “Confession #7: I hate people who judge me and think they know more than me, when they are committing the same sin as I do every day.”

She is right about people who judge and “commit the same sin.”

Jesus said, “1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

This can be summed up by saying stop your sin, lying, bad language, stealing, adultery etc, before you judge others, and if you aren’t lying, using bad language, stealing, committing adultery etc, then by all means do all you can to help the person who is.

She is wrong in insinuating that those who judge her are guilty of the same sin.

Not everyone commits the same sins as “you do every day”. Some sin in mind, fighting the battle between the spirit and the flesh “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Gal. 5:17), some battle the lust of the eyes, “Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids” (Prov 6:25). Some fall into sin then turn from it, while others just keep on committing the same sin over and over again. As for me, I used to be an angry and violent person but when Jesus’ word showed me that these behaviors were wrong, I chose to love the Lord Jesus, to love others, to even love my enemies, all by loving His word more than myself. And guess what, the sin stopped. Now I can see clearly to help others with the same problems and that is not being judgmental, that’s being loving.

Everyone is a sinner and if they said differently, they would be deceiving themselves. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Then, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6). Now no one who practices lying, among other sins, will enter heaven, but it is those who overcome sin by the power of God. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7-8). Not everyone commits the same sins, and Christians must “Stay away from every kind of evil” (1Thess. 5:22). God has given His children the power to overcome sin, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). When you know what you are doing is sin, you must—stop it period end. Paul said “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Bottom line is this:

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1John 3:8-9) and “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son....” (2 John 9)

If you would like to study the Bible, I would be happy to come and sit with you and with you search out the great things of God.

We are Christians only and our purpose is to Glorify God in the church by Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) and to speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent (1 Peter 4:11) being the pillar and the ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

Peter wrote, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11). That’s what we’re all about.

We invite you who are seeking to worship the Lord in spirit and truth (John 4:24) to join with us each Lord’s day beginning at 9:00 am for Bible study and 9:50 am or 6:00 pm for a time of worship. We also met each Wednesday at 7:30 pm for a time of study, song and prayer.

In Love

Dave Scarpino