Sin as it is defined by scripture I believe this is
one of the most controversial subjects within the religious and Christian community. It is my prayer that, as you are reading
this, it will stir up some unrest, so you can consider if you are participating in a life style that is harming you on a daily
basis. You will notice that I have made a distinction between religion verses Christianity. Religion is any system of belief
in worship ritual or anything that induces one to devotion or dedication to any thing that has no vital living relationship
with Jesus Christ. Let's not be naive, if you look at this definition, there are many things being sought after in this
way by many people. Christianity is a word in it self. It means, a follower of a living Jesus and what He tells us to do.
Over the many years that I have heard the gospel, there have been more teachings on sin and different
types of sin, and how they are manifested in our lives to the point of sickening repetition. Even though what they are saying
is obvious and true, we have to deal with the core of sin and its origin, not with the fruits of it.
In some circles, I believe we attend seminars and church settings as sadists, wanting to receive our weekly
dose of soulish beatings, so we can cry awhile, repent for the moment and feel we had our spiritual baths. However, we continue
in our so-called Christian life style, unchanged.
There are many references in
the bible on the fruits of sin. We will refer to what Paul the Apostle says about it, as he talks to the Galatians people
in chapter 5:19-21 "now the works or fruits of the flesh that become obvious are, immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry,
sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger ill temper, selfishness, divisions, party spirits, sects with peculiar opinions,
(meaning heresies) envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those
who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
The definitions
of these can be defined much further because; they constantly want to rear their ugly heads in all circumstances in our thought
life and want to get us to participate with them in our actions and become intertwined in our makeup. I believe we all are
participating in some form of these in some manner. Some of us are consciously aware of doing some of this, but many of us
are participating in these life styles unawares.
Sin in its many forms is a stronghold that the Devil wants to weave
into our lives.
It has been preached and taught in too many areas of so-called
Christian settings, that if you have these things operating in your life, you can't go to heaven and live with God in
eternity. This interpretation is so far from the truth that at times, as I hear and see this belief being taught and operating
in Christians lives, it just makes me grieved and disgusted. This is nothing more then false interpretation of scripture.
It is necessary that the Holy Spirit takes us back through our false teachings and erases the blackboards of our hearts, so
He can put truth back into our thinking processes. I have found it so much easier to reach non-saved people, who have no preconceived
ideas, and they will receive the Lord into their hearts and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord because of their non-religious
beliefs.
When we accepted Jesus in to our hearts, we have already received a
down payment of our inheritance. Therefore, while we are now here on earth, we need to be functioning in this inheritance
that God has already given us. The kingdom of God starts for us the day we make Jesus our Savior. This concept of us starting
to receive our inheritance when we die and go to heaven is a lie right from the pit of hell. When we get to heaven, we will
then receive our full inheritance, which is the new body that we will receive for eternity. Why is this lie a deception from
the Devil? There are many reasons, but the main reason is, God made us as people who have a need to be rewarded daily. By
making us believe that we have to wait until we get to heaven to be rewarded, it robs us of the spiritual strength and intense
passion we need to live the Christian life in God's love and favor now.
Where
did this concept of sinning or erring begin? Well we have to go back to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis chapter 2 and 3: God
told Adam that he could enjoy all the trees in the Garden, but of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he could not
eat. If he did, he would surely die. The story goes on to say that, a serpent came to Eve and tempted her to eat from this
tree. She said to the serpent. "God said if we eat from the tree or even touch it we would surely die." The serpent
said, "you won't die, but you will be (as gods,) knowing good and evil." She swallowed the bait, ate, and got
her husband to eat. The serpent told her the truth when he told her that her eyes would be open and she would know the difference
between good and evil. However, he did lie when he told her she would be like God because, she was already like God and didn't
know it. What really happened, her and Adam became a god unto themselves.
The word serpent is defined in the Hebrew
as a whisper, magical spell or being enchanted. We know that these are the characteristics of Satan and we need to know how
he tries to operate in our lives, so we can identify his tactics. What happened was Eve didn't recognize who was talking
to her and in reality; she was having a séance with Satan.
They erred and
disobeying God by eating from this tree, but when they ate, they became infected with the disease that causes sin. God never
wanted His creation to have a sin conscious awareness of right and wrong in their lives, and know that there was a Devil and
his ways of evil. They did not die physically, but their soul was contaminated. In chapter 2 of Genesis, it says that when
God made Adam from the dust of the ground, He breathed into him a healthy and perfect living soul. He had healthy thinking
and a total receptive capacity to receive and enjoy his relationship with God. He had no concept of guilt and saw himself
as God saw him, perfect and complete. Before this atrocity took place, it was natural and customary for Adam and Eve to walk
with God in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day. Cool of the day does not mean when it cooled off in the afternoon.
The word cool in the Hebrew is RUWACH: a Spirit presence like a wind or breathe
that would weave back and forth into their beings. Adam lived with an overwhelming anticipation when God showed up. Their
oneness and openness in the Spirit gave Adam a quick understanding of God's thoughts. He was totally naked in God's
sight and he was unashamed. God intentions have not changed. He wants the same relationship with us today. When Adam ate from
the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and disobeyed God, he decided to take fig leaves, sow them together, and make aprons
for Eve and himself to cover their shame and nakedness. When God showed up, he hid. God said "Adam where are you?"
Adam answered, "I was naked, I heard the sound of you walking in the Garden, and I was afraid, so I hid myself."
God said, "Who told you, you were naked? Did you eat from the tree I told you not to eat from?" Adam said, "The
woman you gave me made me eat from it." God then said to the woman. "What have you done?" Eve said, "The
serpent outwitted and deceived me and I ate."
Here is where the problem starts.
The first thing that happened, they shifted the accountability by not taking responsibility for their actions. They hid in
the darkness and focused on their shame and for the first time they were aware of their nakedness. They didn't want to
come clean and trust God's forgiving grace and love. You will also notice that God asked Adam "who told you, you
were naked." Since they now had the disease of being aware of good and evil, they were now susceptible to being condemned
by the Devil. I hope we realize where condemnation comes from. The scripture tells us that he is the accuser of the brethren.
If Adam and Eve would have run to the Lord and confessed their disobedience, God would have forgiven them and it would have
been over. We have the same tendencies to hide from God and handle our own deficiencies the same way today.
Since we inherited our fallen nature from Adam, the only way we could be restored back to God was
by becoming born again and receive Jesus finished work by dying on the cross for our sinful nature. Scripture tells us that
the blood He shed on the cross washes away our sin and restores our capacity to interact with Him...Why?...because He again
becomes our life.
What we need to understand our soul still needs constant care
and protection, because, it is susceptible to being contaminated and influenced by stinking thinking and false interpretation
of scripture. When this happens, there are things taught and said that put a doubt in our thinking of how much God really
loves us. I call them, conditional love themes.
Now if we received our fallen
diseased nature from Adam, whom did Adam receive his nature from after he disobeyed God? Pretty obvious, who else but Satan
himself. Scripture tells us that Satan had one of the loftiest places in the kingdom of God, because he was in charge of worship
in the heavenly realm. He decided that he was more powerful then God and because of pride he revolted against Him and he was
cast out of heaven with many more who decided to follow him. This word pride means to be swelled up with self, become high
minded and arrogant. In another words, he thought he had arrived and didn't need God anymore.
Let's try to describe, what an atrocity really took place when we inherited our fallen nature from Adam
our grrrrrrrrrrrreat.... Grandfather. I have never in the forty years that I have endeavored to walk in the admonition of
the Lord, heard so much noise and confusion as I have in the spiritual world today. You can understand why so many people
today want to talk to psychics and have séances with the dead and search into spiritual concepts as never before. The
pressures of life are so great and uncertain and the need is so great, that people are looking everywhere to escape from intolerable
conditions and trying to hide their soulish condition in all manner of self-indulged pleasures.
Therefore, we see everybody making up all their fig leaf aprons as Adam to cover their nakedness and shame.
This is the disease that we are talking about; which is focusing our attention on self and us finding our own ways of delivering
ourselves and planning our own lives. It's pride, the core of the fruits of sin in its many grotesque forms and disguises.
As long as we continue to focus on the fruits of sin, the more shame we will live in and we will be focusing on our lack,
deficiencies and see our nakedness.
Sin in its true form can only be exposed,
by us allowing the Holy Spirit to show it too us with our spiritual eyes and is a cancer of the soul. Only the blood of the
cross and our minds being wash by the water of the true interpretation of God's word, can keep our souls safe and healthy.
This relationship has to be based on a covenant relationship with God and us living by the faith of Jesus. Let's try now
to expose the true nature of sin and its grotesque manifestations and how it works. We find ourselves today in an environment
that we're living in where; we are constantly making decisions of what we believe to be right or wrong. Some of us have
a more intense passion of living moral standards then others. When Adam disobeyed God, he brought this right and wrong concept
and condition into the human equation of life. It makes no difference if you are a Christian or not, this condition exists
for all of humanity.
As born again Christians we should realize that it is only
what God thinks, that is important. His plan of restoring and maintaining a relationship with man should be the number one
priority of our lives. This and this alone needs to be our whole life focus, until we meet Him face to face. Now from a Christian
perspective,
All truth comes from God the Father, through Jesus Christ and by
the Holy Spirit. There is NO Hope for Mankind Other Then This.
This for us as
Christians has to be so engrafted into our souls that it actually becomes a part of our being. This is what keeps our soul
healthy and alive to walk in holiness before the Lord. Scripture tells us that we have to live a life of constantly lifting
up the Lord Jesus Christ and by so doing this; He will pull us closer to Himself.
Let's
look at us between two opposing forces that are seeking after our affections. God on one side and the Devil on the other and
we are being influenced by both. My question to you is (whom) are you listening too? The Devil is the prince and ruler of
the world system. This is where he was cast down to when he was thrown out of heaven. No right-minded person unless he is
a devil worshipper and there definitely are those, would want to be a slave to the Devil in any shape or form, or be following
his advice. Let me make my self perfectly clear on this point. If you are not hungering and thirsting after God and walking
in revelation knowledge of His ways, you are being deceived. ******* Continued in part 2
