What is sin? Is there really such a thing as sin, or do we just make mistakes? Romans 5, " When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did." Sin is death. Sin is the thing we do that makes us feel dead inside. There is no life there. Everyone sins, they are not just some mistake that affects no one. Everything we do, everything we say that brings a feeling of death to either us or to others around us, is sin. Sin is death.
Some sin is obviously leading to death, and everyone can see it. Other sins are more obscure. You may think you are living, but you are still searching. I know for I was a walking dead person, and I can now see it. There was no meaning in my existence. There was no life there. I can see it now, for I was constantly looking for that next thing that would make me at least feel like I was having fun, for everything revolved around fun. If we are dead we know it, for we cannot be free to just be ourselves without the next high. Whether it is the next party with friends, the next boyfriend/girlfriend, the next intoxication, the next sexual encounter, the next.... what ever it is that you are looking to, to give you life. That is the walking dead. Nothing satisfied me, I was always looking to the next, whatever.
Romans 5:21- 6, "So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord... For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him... Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God... Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living."
How I thank my Lord, for giving me new life. Does this mean that I no longer sin and I get everything right all of the time? No, but my desire has changed and for the first time in my life, my chains are broken. I was a slave of death. I was a slave to my own evil desires and for the first time, I now live. I no longer seek that party. I no longer look toward that next high. I am free and live for Christ. It is through Him that I have found the true joy in living. It is not just about dieing and going to heaven to get my reward, but it is about the freedom of living. I am no longer a slave. I am a woman that was sought by God, while I was still a slave to death, and given a chance to truly live. It is not because I am grown and have a good family, but because of the love of Christ. It is not my circumstances that has set me free, but the real faith in the one who gives that freedom. There are many people out there that should feel the joy that I feel, for their circumstances are perfect for it, but they are still the walking dead. They have not found the One that will bring them true joy. There are others that their circumstances say they should be miserable, but they have found the One who truly gives life, and so they live. Are you the walking dead, claiming to live? Or, have you really been set free, so that now you can truly live?
5 comments:
Is it that black and white? Are we by default a slave to the things that we obey? Aren't some desires neccessary to maintain a sense of humanity?
"Dead to the world and alive in Christ".. What does that mean?? How could we possibly die to the world when it's His creation and in it, yes there is bad, but there is also good.
These aren't really my questions.. They just are.
The Logos is Eternal, and throughout Eternity we, creation, have taken it to our interpretation; a symbolic reference. Here is your question: Because sin looks differently to every being.. How do we then define a righteous life?
Definition of sin-- “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things. In short, if anything increases the authority and power of the flesh over the spirit, then that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself.” (Susana Wesley, Ravi Zacharias)
Lostness of man
http://www.rzim.org/USA/Resources/Listen/JustThinking.aspx?archive=1&pid=1645
I am currently out of town and do not have access to the Internet, so this is the best I can give you at this moment. Please listen to the link and hopefully RZ can answer your question.
The only quick answer I can give in such a short amount of time... living with Christ as your shield and banner. He is the only way anyone can be justified. Which is living righteously...
like I said this is the best that I can give you at this time, please listen to the link... Ravi is so much better than I am. Please be patient and when I have better access to the Internet, we can visit more
You know many times I have heard, "you cannot appreciate the good if you have not tasted the bad." I think this is a cop out. It is not true at all, my husband has never been with another woman. Does this mean that he cannot appreciate me? No, he appreciates me very much.
Romans 8:5ff
"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life[d] because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."
We are slaves to what we obey, you said it perfectly. If we are addicted to pornography, the first thing that grabs our mind when we turn on the computer is the images calling us. It haunts our time on the comp. until we succumb to the temptation. Since, I opened this door it is something that tempts me often, for sin is in me. But if I call on Christ to help me, I do not have to be a slave to that sin and I can withstand the temptation.
Dead to the world, we no longer have to give in to every temptation that comes our way. We have to power through Christ to live free. Freedom comes by having the power over our desires and not to give in. For when we give in to temptation consequences always come. So we always have to pay a very high price for our decisions. It may not seem like it in the moment, but later we will feel the cost come and bite us.
Yes we live in His creation, but this is not the creation that He originally planned for us. Sin entered with Adam and Eve, so we are living with the consequence they have given us. The bad is revealed by the law and the good are the things that He wants for us to choose. We are living in a fallen world, not the original creation.
Others probably have better answers than I, but if you really are sincere and desire the truth, the truth will be revealed to you.
Ravi Zacharias is a great reference. If you still have unanswered questions, you may want to go to his address and ask them. They have answered many questions for me and will gladly answer yours. I will do my best, but I am only a student as well...
Ha, I just realized that you finally came back. Wasn't sure if I scared you.. I'll be reading this carefully.
Good lets visit.... I love to visit.... It helps me to become stronger :o)
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