What Makes Sin Sinful?

Suggested by: RLC

Why does GOD select one thing as holy and another as sin--good or evil?

Sin is usually spoken of as an act committed in violation of religious or moral law. Is this completely true? Do we consider a young child who innocently violates a religious law as sinning? I do not believe so. I consider sinning to be an act of rebellion against GOD--done knowingly. The act is committed even though we consider it wrong whether it be from religious beliefs, law, our conscience, or just the fact that we would not want it done to us. All sin comes from a life in us created by our self-serving nature.

Matthew 7:12 is a simple statement of moral law "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Notice though that Jesus's statement is not expressed as a negative but a positive. If law states, "Do not use copyrighted software except according to the copyright statement" but says nothing about copyrighted music. Anyone copying music and giving it to others to use is not actually breaking the law of the land if music is not mentioned (as in this example). Would they want music they had copyrighted used by thousands of individuals for free, though? This is the problem with law expressed negatively. All examples must be covered. When moral law is expressed in the positive as Jesus did in Matthew 7:12, it is easier to recognize the intent or Spirit of the law, which covers all instances of a similar nature.

Unfortunately, when anyone's purpose is self-serving, it is necessary to address their actions in legalistic statements. This is basically the condition of Man the Old Testament addresses until the Spirit of the law is recognized and the individual begins striving to obey GOD's Law according to purpose--repents. The truly repentant individual then strives to understand the purpose of GOD and lives according to that purpose. Although the life created by the self-serving nature still lives in the individual, that nature will never be expressed knowingly; and the sinful life will slowly die as the repentant individual grows in an understanding of how to "live" the purposes of GOD. During the period of transition from mostly self-serving to totally GOD serving, the individual does not sin in the eyes of GOD when their self-serving nature is expressed innocently because their purpose is correct--the blood of the lamb is on the door of their conscienciousness. They are in a state of transitional perfection and their innocent errors are overlooked.

GOD's Purpose is Christ the Omega, and Man (any enity capable of knowing the truth of GOD--on this world or another) is the tool through which HE is accomplishing this purpose. As Man grows in the life of Christ, Christ is growing closer and closer to being the Omega--complete. GOD, therefore, has determined what is holy or sinful relative to this One Purpose. Anything that would weaken the unity Christ is becomes sin when knowingly experienced; and anything that strengthens the unity Chirst is has always been holy because those living qualities (eternal Life) have always been in GOD.

To reveal the sinful life, GOD has used Law. Law points out actions that are expressed by our self-serving nature and reveals the intent or Spirit of the Law--revealing GOD's Purpose. Law is similar to three points (the Law) in space determining a plane (the Spirit of the Law). The Spirit of the Law then defines an almost unlimited set of actions that are good or evil. This is why it is not enough to just obey the Law (the three points on the plane). We must actually obey the Spirit of that Law (all the points on the plane) totally (i.e. Matt 5:20). To do this we must become the life (eternal Life) that can only express actions according to the Purpose of GOD. When the Life in us is correct, we cannot sin against GOD--or even innocently error--because it will not be in our nature to do so. These facts should reveal to us the necessity of always acting according to GOD's Purpose in all we do and changing our actions as GOD's Spirit in us reveals them to be incorrect. At the same time GOD's Spirit in us will recognize more and more of the sinful desires we have before they are expressed and not follow them. In this way the life desiring such actions will not be fed and will slowly die as it is replaced with the correct life.

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