Slaves of Sin?
After writing most of Part 1, I began to realize just how much the Lord had laid on my heart to write about. There was no way to put it all in one article without making a small book of it. Unfortunately today, most people won’t read the 14 pages of Part 1 let alone a small book. But these things must still be proclaimed.
The Lord let me know that I had to expand upon some of the things that were originally written in Part 1 and also there would be additional understanding as we went along.
It is only by God’s grace and mercy that any of us are able to draw close to Him and be taught by Him. I am glorifying the Lord over His great kindness and His Mercy. I do not know or understand WHY He does what He does nor why HE chooses those He chooses, but all of those He does actually choose KNOW for a fact that it is ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS and it has nothing to do with them. The only thing they have done is lay down their lives in abject humility and submission.
All of that being said, let us move on to what the Lord would have us see.
WHY did Jesus come? To forgive us of our sins? That is NOT what He said.
John 8: 31So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. 33They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free? 34Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin. 35Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever. 36So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.
So, here is the Great Mission of the Lord, this is truly WHY He came, not JUST to bring about forgiveness of sins but to set us FREE from SIN! Yes, that is what I said, because that is what JESUS said. Please read the passage once again. Many people will quote verse 32, but they do so out of context and put into it all the things they want you to believe or what they believe. But carefully read what Jesus said to all of us.
Jesus tells us that He came to set us free from being slaves to sin, and goes on to define being a slave to sin as ANYONE who commits and practices sin! This means He actually has dealt with the works of the devil.
I John 3: 5You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]. 6No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him--deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him]. 7Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous. 8[But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. 9No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. 10By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).
That is what the Bible says and part of the works of the devil was to introduce sin into the lives of man, satan deceived man into becoming independent from God. Jesus Christ came to deal with this and allow us to become FREE from being slaves to the devil and to SIN!
Paul tells us the very same thing in Romans, but most people explain it all away saying Paul is referring to how God looks at us; that once we are saved, God no longer sees the sin in the lives of believers, forgetting that the Holy Spirit is God and convicts us ALL of sin and that Jesus told the Seven Churches in Revelation all about their sins. So this idea is NOT in agreement with all the scriptures. Rather, we are told that God sees the heart of man and knows us far better than we know ourselves. We are told in I John 3 above (and in many places throughout the Bible) that we are NOT to be involved in sin. In fact, I John 3 is so very clear that most modern Christians ignore it completely; and it is very difficult to argue with I John 5:18
I John 5: 18We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him].
Basically, it comes down to the fact that what is commonly taught in American Churches today is actually man’s explanations that ignore what the scriptures say so that man can live as he chooses. Look at what Paul says in Romans 6.
Romans 6: 1WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? 2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
Paul is saying we are NOT to live in sin anymore!
3Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. 5For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God].
Hmm, it appears that we are to go through a real death process in the spirit, so that the old man we used to be is no longer a part of our current life. We are also told that we are to walk in this NEWNESS OF LIFE, which is just like the Life that was exhibited by Jesus Christ AFTER HE WAS RESURRECTED!
6We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 7For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men].
Whoops, there is that pesky slave of sin again. Paul is in ABSOLUTE AGREEMENT WITH JESUS that we are NOT to be slaves of sin anymore. Do we remember what Jesus defined being a slave to sin was? ANYONE who commits or practices sin is a SLAVE TO SIN!
8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. 10For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. 11Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. 12Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. 13Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. 14For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy].
So where does the Bible say that we will sin for as long as we live on this earth? Are we still under its power OR HAVE WE BEEN DELIVERED and SET FREE FROM SIN? (as Jesus and Paul both say)
15What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor and mercy? Certainly not! 16Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?
Here it is, the TRUTH of the Lord. If we continually surrender to sin and do its will, WE ARE SLAVES OF SIN! OR we are told we can SURRENDER to God and do HIS will, we will be SLAVES of RIGHTEOUSNESS! So what kind of life do we lead?
17But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. 18And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).
Is this really what is taught in our churches? Are we told that we have been set free from sin and become servants or slaves of righteousness?
19 I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Dear friends, please read these last four verses once more. Paul tells us that before we were saved, we did absolutely NO RIGHTEOUSNESS! But now that we are saved, we are to be slaves of righteousness just as we used to be SLAVES of SIN! Could we help sinning in those days? Did not sin reign over our lives completely? Do we understand that even the supposedly “good” things we did were all motivated by selfish ambition in some way so that God saw it as what it truly was; SIN! In the same way that we used to be slaves of sin we are now to be slaves of RIGHTEOUSNESS; and may I add this is not imputed righteousness, but TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, the same kind of righteousness that Jesus had when HE walked on the earth.
21But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None] for the end of those things is death. 22But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life. 23For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.
How many of us are truly the slaves of God? How many of us have this present reward of HOLINESS? That is what the Bible says, my friends; we are to have our PRESENT REWARD IN HOLINESS! Do we believe this or have we relegated this reward to our heavenly life after Jesus returns? Have our doctrines made the Promise of God of NO EFFECT in our lives because we believe what man has told us or do we cling to the Lord and the promises He has made to us through the scriptures?
The point of all of this is that we are not to be practicing sin on a daily basis. In reality, we should be growing into a place where it is no longer seen in our lives, where we no longer stumble or fall.
II Peter 1: 10Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. 11Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Do we believe this? According to the doctrine of the vast majority of denominations, they have contradicted this passage entirely. They actually preach that we will stumble and fall on a DAILY BASIS. So do we believe what men have said or do we believe what the Holy Spirit has told us? Yet, this is NOT keeping the commandments as so many teach today. These Law Keepers and Torah Keepers would have been in good company with the Galatians. Yet Paul admonished the Galatians for their Law keeping and told them that because they kept the Law they were SEPARATING THEMSELVES FROM CHRIST JESUS!
Gal 4: 19My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you, 20Would that I were with you now and could coax you vocally, for I am fearful and perplexed about you! 21Tell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, will you listen to what the Law [really] says? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondmaid and one by the free woman. 23But whereas the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise. 24Now all this is an allegory; these [two women] represent two covenants. One covenant originated from Mount Sinai [where the Law was given] and bears [children destined] for slavery; this is Hagar. 25Now Hagar is (stands for) Mount Sinai in Arabia and she corresponds to and belongs in the same category with the present Jerusalem, for she is in bondage together with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above (the Messianic kingdom of Christ) is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written in the Scriptures, Rejoice, O barren woman, who has not given birth to children; break forth into a joyful shout, you who are not feeling birth pangs, for the desolate woman has many more children than she who has a husband. 28But we, brethren, are children [not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise. 29Yet [just] as at that time the child [of ordinary birth] born according to the flesh despised and persecuted him [who was born remarkably] according to [the promise and the working of] the [Holy] Spirit, so it is now also. 30But what does the Scripture say? Cast out and send away the slave woman and her son, for never shall the son of the slave woman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. 31So, brethren, we [who are born again] are not children of a slave woman [the natural], but of the free [the supernatural].
And even further than this, look at what Paul said in Romans.
Rom 9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; Rom 9:31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Rom 9:32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. Rom 9:33 As it is written: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STUMBLING STONE AND ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME."
A RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes by Faith, and TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, not some intellectual or spiritual gymnastics, but a true righteousness. Do you doubt what I am saying? Then you doubt the scriptures.
Eph 4:21 Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him], Eph 4:22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; Eph 4:23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], Eph 4:24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
But where does our righteousness and holiness and sanctification come from?
1Co 1:29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. 1Co 1:30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. 1Co 1:31 So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord. [Jer. 9:24.]
SO WHY do so many boast in KEEPING THE LAW instead of Faith in Christ Jesus? They are NOT looking to Him to be their righteousness but rather are complying with the Law thinking they are righteous because they keep the Law, never knowing that their righteousness is filthy rags. And I do not mean to be gross or disgusting, but do we understand what the term “filthy rags” is in reference to?
H5708‛êd ayd
From an unused root meaning to set a period (compare H5710 and H5749); the menstrual flux (as periodical); by implication (in plural) soiling: - filthy.
THAT is what keeping the Law is. In God’s sight, it is absolutely disgusting, gross, unholy, impure, and only worthy of being discarded. No amount of our compliance to God’s Laws, Rules, Commandments, etc. will ever change the way God sees our works.
BUT, if we receive BY FAITH the Very life of Christ Jesus, so that His life is living through us BY FAITH, and through Faith HE lives in absolute agreement with ALL the Will of God in ALL WAYS, then we WILL be fulfilling the LAW of God, but NOT by compliance; by FAITH ALONE!
Gal 5:4 If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God's gracious favor and unmerited blessing). Gal 5:5 For we, [not relying on the Law but] through the [Holy] Spirit's [help], by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God [our conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us] to hope. Gal 5:6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.
So which is it? Do you attempt to comply with God’s commands by following the Law OR do you receive Christ’s righteousness by Faith and allow HIM to live His life through you?
Do you not know?
Rom 3:20 For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]. Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, Rom 3:22 Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
AND
Rom 14:23 But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].
WHY is this so very difficult for so many to understand? Are we unwilling to be wrong, to allow Jesus Christ to be our life, our Righteousness, our Holiness, our Sanctification, our absolutely EVERYTHING and remain in control of our own lives? Do you not know that is INDEPENDENCE from God; and THAT is the very same Sin Adam and Eve committed when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
Please, PLEASE, my dear brothers and sisters cease protesting and refusing to listen to what I am saying. Just STOP for a moment, because I care deeply for you all and I do not want to see you disappointed nor hurt unnecessarily. As long as we are attempting to comply with the Law of God, of keeping the Torah, of keeping the Feasts, of DOING anything where WE are obeying what WE THINK the Bible tells us to do, then we are LIVING by the Flesh and eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil once more, committing the very same sin that caused Adam and Eve to be ejected from the PRESENCE of God! Truly, we are committing the same sin as the Pharisees, living NO DIFFERENT than they did and do we have to be reminded of what Jesus said about them?
Mat 23:25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. Mat 23:26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also. Mat 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything impure. Mat 23:28 Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity. [Ps. 5:9.]
How did the Pharisees look to all? They appeared to be righteous, conformed to ALL the LAWS of God, yet on the INSIDE, they were full of all of this evil. God does NOT overlook this, despite what so many men have told you. You will NOT FIND any verse in the New Testament that tells you that God overlooks the sins of your heart. In fact, Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that those are the VERY SINS God DOES INDEED SEE!
So, can you explain to us all why it is that the vast majority of denominations today teach contrary to the Scriptures by saying God does NOT see our sins because they are covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ? THAT is nowhere to be found in the Bible! Yes, we are forgiven, but as we have already quoted above, we are NOT to REMAIN in sin; it is NOT to be a part of our lives ANYMORE! In fact, we are commanded to be as full of righteousness NOW, as we used to be full of sin!
Can you do this? Can you comply with God’s Rules, Laws, Commandments, Precepts, etc, so well that your heart has no sin in it; that there is no unholy, unrighteous, ungodly, feeling, thought, or desire on the inside of you? Yet that is exactly what we are commanded to do;
Gal 5:5 For we, [not relying on the Law but] through the [Holy] Spirit's [help], by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God [our conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us] to hope.
Unless you can, no matter how well you deceive yourself, you are NOT keeping His Law, His Commandments until the INSIDE of you is just as clean as Jesus. Our purposes, our thoughts, AND our actions must ALL Conform to God’s will in ALL WAYS! If you cannot do this; if there are still unholy things on the inside of you; if you (like the Pharisees) are full of, “extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence” (From Matt 23:25) then no matter how you kid yourself, you are NOT keeping His commands.
Please do not argue with me. I have only presented what the Scriptures all say together without compromise. So the crux of this matter comes down to this:
1. We are commanded to Obey God
2. Our obedience is just like filthy rags.
3. No matter how hard we try, we will NEVER be able to clean the inside of our hearts so they are as clean as God requires.
4. God STILL SEES any sin that we commit and unless we repent, we are held accountable for those sins.
5. There MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!
Now I ask you all to please get honest with ourselves. We do not like hearing these things. No one likes to hear that they are NOT ADEQUATE! Many years ago, a young Hebrew man met Jesus and was a great witness to his family. Honestly we lost track of him and I do not know where he is today. But he told us something I have never forgotten.
God commanded to the Jews to do certain things. They had rituals and Feasts to keep. They also had to be forgiven in very specific ways. Every year, the High Priest would take the Blood of the Sacrifice into the Holy of Holies to cover the sins of the people.
In AD 70, the temple was destroyed and the Jews have not been able to obey God’s commands since that time. There is not one single place in their Bible that allows them to ignore these sacrifices; God has NOT given them an out.
SO, either God is completely and totally unfair and has sent all of those Jews to perdition; OR GOD HAS MADE ANOTHER WAY!
We happen to know, that other way is Jesus Christ. But so many Christians, TODAY, try to live in the very same manner as the Jews, ignoring that OTHER WAY, God has provided. We will begin to look closely at this other way that does NOT ignore the Commands of God, that deals with the inside of the heart and does NOT rely on our filthy rags of feigned obedience because we are still full of self-indulgence.
It is here, where we shall go next. God bless you all!
a bondslave in Christ Jesus, Dirk
THE REALITY OF LIFE FOUND IN CHRIST JESUS Part 2 After writing most of Part 1, I began to realize just how much the Lord had laid on my heart to write about. There was no way to put it all in one article without making a small book of it. Unfortunately today, most people won’t read the 14 pages of Part 1 let alone a small book. But these things must still be proclaimed.
The Lord let me know that I had to expand upon some of the things that were originally written in Part 1 and also there would be additional understanding as we went along.
It is only by God’s grace and mercy that any of us are able to draw close to Him and be taught by Him. I am glorifying the Lord over His great kindness and His Mercy. I do not know or understand WHY He does what He does nor why HE chooses those He chooses, but all of those He does actually choose KNOW for a fact that it is ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS and it has nothing to do with them. The only thing they have done is lay down their lives in abject humility and submission.
All of that being said, let us move on to what the Lord would have us see.
WHY did Jesus come? To forgive us of our sins? That is NOT what He said.
John 8: 31So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. 33They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free? 34Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin. 35Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever. 36So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.
So, here is the Great Mission of the Lord, this is truly WHY He came, not JUST to bring about forgiveness of sins but to set us FREE from SIN! Yes, that is what I said, because that is what JESUS said. Please read the passage once again. Many people will quote verse 32, but they do so out of context and put into it all the things they want you to believe or what they believe. But carefully read what Jesus said to all of us.
Jesus tells us that He came to set us free from being slaves to sin, and goes on to define being a slave to sin as ANYONE who commits and practices sin! This means He actually has dealt with the works of the devil.
I John 3: 5You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]. 6No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him--deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him]. 7Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous. 8[But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. 9No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. 10By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).
That is what the Bible says and part of the works of the devil was to introduce sin into the lives of man, satan deceived man into becoming independent from God. Jesus Christ came to deal with this and allow us to become FREE from being slaves to the devil and to SIN!
Paul tells us the very same thing in Romans, but most people explain it all away saying Paul is referring to how God looks at us; that once we are saved, God no longer sees the sin in the lives of believers, forgetting that the Holy Spirit is God and convicts us ALL of sin and that Jesus told the Seven Churches in Revelation all about their sins. So this idea is NOT in agreement with all the scriptures. Rather, we are told that God sees the heart of man and knows us far better than we know ourselves. We are told in I John 3 above (and in many places throughout the Bible) that we are NOT to be involved in sin. In fact, I John 3 is so very clear that most modern Christians ignore it completely; and it is very difficult to argue with I John 5:18
I John 5: 18We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him].
Basically, it comes down to the fact that what is commonly taught in American Churches today is actually man’s explanations that ignore what the scriptures say so that man can live as he chooses. Look at what Paul says in Romans 6.
Romans 6: 1WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? 2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
Paul is saying we are NOT to live in sin anymore!
3Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. 5For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God].
Hmm, it appears that we are to go through a real death process in the spirit, so that the old man we used to be is no longer a part of our current life. We are also told that we are to walk in this NEWNESS OF LIFE, which is just like the Life that was exhibited by Jesus Christ AFTER HE WAS RESURRECTED!
6We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 7For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men].
Whoops, there is that pesky slave of sin again. Paul is in ABSOLUTE AGREEMENT WITH JESUS that we are NOT to be slaves of sin anymore. Do we remember what Jesus defined being a slave to sin was? ANYONE who commits or practices sin is a SLAVE TO SIN!
8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. 10For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. 11Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. 12Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. 13Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. 14For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy].
So where does the Bible say that we will sin for as long as we live on this earth? Are we still under its power OR HAVE WE BEEN DELIVERED and SET FREE FROM SIN? (as Jesus and Paul both say)
15What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor and mercy? Certainly not! 16Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?
Here it is, the TRUTH of the Lord. If we continually surrender to sin and do its will, WE ARE SLAVES OF SIN! OR we are told we can SURRENDER to God and do HIS will, we will be SLAVES of RIGHTEOUSNESS! So what kind of life do we lead?
17But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. 18And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).
Is this really what is taught in our churches? Are we told that we have been set free from sin and become servants or slaves of righteousness?
19 I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Dear friends, please read these last four verses once more. Paul tells us that before we were saved, we did absolutely NO RIGHTEOUSNESS! But now that we are saved, we are to be slaves of righteousness just as we used to be SLAVES of SIN! Could we help sinning in those days? Did not sin reign over our lives completely? Do we understand that even the supposedly “good” things we did were all motivated by selfish ambition in some way so that God saw it as what it truly was; SIN! In the same way that we used to be slaves of sin we are now to be slaves of RIGHTEOUSNESS; and may I add this is not imputed righteousness, but TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, the same kind of righteousness that Jesus had when HE walked on the earth.
21But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None] for the end of those things is death. 22But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life. 23For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.
How many of us are truly the slaves of God? How many of us have this present reward of HOLINESS? That is what the Bible says, my friends; we are to have our PRESENT REWARD IN HOLINESS! Do we believe this or have we relegated this reward to our heavenly life after Jesus returns? Have our doctrines made the Promise of God of NO EFFECT in our lives because we believe what man has told us or do we cling to the Lord and the promises He has made to us through the scriptures?
The point of all of this is that we are not to be practicing sin on a daily basis. In reality, we should be growing into a place where it is no longer seen in our lives, where we no longer stumble or fall.
II Peter 1: 10Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. 11Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Do we believe this? According to the doctrine of the vast majority of denominations, they have contradicted this passage entirely. They actually preach that we will stumble and fall on a DAILY BASIS. So do we believe what men have said or do we believe what the Holy Spirit has told us? Yet, this is NOT keeping the commandments as so many teach today. These Law Keepers and Torah Keepers would have been in good company with the Galatians. Yet Paul admonished the Galatians for their Law keeping and told them that because they kept the Law they were SEPARATING THEMSELVES FROM CHRIST JESUS!
Gal 4: 19My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you, 20Would that I were with you now and could coax you vocally, for I am fearful and perplexed about you! 21Tell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, will you listen to what the Law [really] says? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondmaid and one by the free woman. 23But whereas the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise. 24Now all this is an allegory; these [two women] represent two covenants. One covenant originated from Mount Sinai [where the Law was given] and bears [children destined] for slavery; this is Hagar. 25Now Hagar is (stands for) Mount Sinai in Arabia and she corresponds to and belongs in the same category with the present Jerusalem, for she is in bondage together with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above (the Messianic kingdom of Christ) is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written in the Scriptures, Rejoice, O barren woman, who has not given birth to children; break forth into a joyful shout, you who are not feeling birth pangs, for the desolate woman has many more children than she who has a husband. 28But we, brethren, are children [not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise. 29Yet [just] as at that time the child [of ordinary birth] born according to the flesh despised and persecuted him [who was born remarkably] according to [the promise and the working of] the [Holy] Spirit, so it is now also. 30But what does the Scripture say? Cast out and send away the slave woman and her son, for never shall the son of the slave woman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. 31So, brethren, we [who are born again] are not children of a slave woman [the natural], but of the free [the supernatural].
And even further than this, look at what Paul said in Romans.
Rom 9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; Rom 9:31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Rom 9:32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. Rom 9:33 As it is written: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STUMBLING STONE AND ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME."
A RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes by Faith, and TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, not some intellectual or spiritual gymnastics, but a true righteousness. Do you doubt what I am saying? Then you doubt the scriptures.
Eph 4:21 Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him], Eph 4:22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; Eph 4:23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], Eph 4:24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
But where does our righteousness and holiness and sanctification come from?
1Co 1:29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. 1Co 1:30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. 1Co 1:31 So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord. [Jer. 9:24.]
SO WHY do so many boast in KEEPING THE LAW instead of Faith in Christ Jesus? They are NOT looking to Him to be their righteousness but rather are complying with the Law thinking they are righteous because they keep the Law, never knowing that their righteousness is filthy rags. And I do not mean to be gross or disgusting, but do we understand what the term “filthy rags” is in reference to?
H5708‛êd ayd
From an unused root meaning to set a period (compare H5710 and H5749); the menstrual flux (as periodical); by implication (in plural) soiling: - filthy.
THAT is what keeping the Law is. In God’s sight, it is absolutely disgusting, gross, unholy, impure, and only worthy of being discarded. No amount of our compliance to God’s Laws, Rules, Commandments, etc. will ever change the way God sees our works.
BUT, if we receive BY FAITH the Very life of Christ Jesus, so that His life is living through us BY FAITH, and through Faith HE lives in absolute agreement with ALL the Will of God in ALL WAYS, then we WILL be fulfilling the LAW of God, but NOT by compliance; by FAITH ALONE!
Gal 5:4 If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God's gracious favor and unmerited blessing). Gal 5:5 For we, [not relying on the Law but] through the [Holy] Spirit's [help], by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God [our conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us] to hope. Gal 5:6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.
So which is it? Do you attempt to comply with God’s commands by following the Law OR do you receive Christ’s righteousness by Faith and allow HIM to live His life through you?
Do you not know?
Rom 3:20 For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]. Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, Rom 3:22 Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
AND
Rom 14:23 But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].
WHY is this so very difficult for so many to understand? Are we unwilling to be wrong, to allow Jesus Christ to be our life, our Righteousness, our Holiness, our Sanctification, our absolutely EVERYTHING and remain in control of our own lives? Do you not know that is INDEPENDENCE from God; and THAT is the very same Sin Adam and Eve committed when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
Please, PLEASE, my dear brothers and sisters cease protesting and refusing to listen to what I am saying. Just STOP for a moment, because I care deeply for you all and I do not want to see you disappointed nor hurt unnecessarily. As long as we are attempting to comply with the Law of God, of keeping the Torah, of keeping the Feasts, of DOING anything where WE are obeying what WE THINK the Bible tells us to do, then we are LIVING by the Flesh and eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil once more, committing the very same sin that caused Adam and Eve to be ejected from the PRESENCE of God! Truly, we are committing the same sin as the Pharisees, living NO DIFFERENT than they did and do we have to be reminded of what Jesus said about them?
Mat 23:25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. Mat 23:26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also. Mat 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything impure. Mat 23:28 Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity. [Ps. 5:9.]
How did the Pharisees look to all? They appeared to be righteous, conformed to ALL the LAWS of God, yet on the INSIDE, they were full of all of this evil. God does NOT overlook this, despite what so many men have told you. You will NOT FIND any verse in the New Testament that tells you that God overlooks the sins of your heart. In fact, Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that those are the VERY SINS God DOES INDEED SEE!
So, can you explain to us all why it is that the vast majority of denominations today teach contrary to the Scriptures by saying God does NOT see our sins because they are covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ? THAT is nowhere to be found in the Bible! Yes, we are forgiven, but as we have already quoted above, we are NOT to REMAIN in sin; it is NOT to be a part of our lives ANYMORE! In fact, we are commanded to be as full of righteousness NOW, as we used to be full of sin!
Can you do this? Can you comply with God’s Rules, Laws, Commandments, Precepts, etc, so well that your heart has no sin in it; that there is no unholy, unrighteous, ungodly, feeling, thought, or desire on the inside of you? Yet that is exactly what we are commanded to do;
Gal 5:5 For we, [not relying on the Law but] through the [Holy] Spirit's [help], by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God [our conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us] to hope.
Unless you can, no matter how well you deceive yourself, you are NOT keeping His Law, His Commandments until the INSIDE of you is just as clean as Jesus. Our purposes, our thoughts, AND our actions must ALL Conform to God’s will in ALL WAYS! If you cannot do this; if there are still unholy things on the inside of you; if you (like the Pharisees) are full of, “extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence” (From Matt 23:25) then no matter how you kid yourself, you are NOT keeping His commands.
Please do not argue with me. I have only presented what the Scriptures all say together without compromise. So the crux of this matter comes down to this:
1. We are commanded to Obey God
2. Our obedience is just like filthy rags.
3. No matter how hard we try, we will NEVER be able to clean the inside of our hearts so they are as clean as God requires.
4. God STILL SEES any sin that we commit and unless we repent, we are held accountable for those sins.
5. There MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!
Now I ask you all to please get honest with ourselves. We do not like hearing these things. No one likes to hear that they are NOT ADEQUATE! Many years ago, a young Hebrew man met Jesus and was a great witness to his family. Honestly we lost track of him and I do not know where he is today. But he told us something I have never forgotten.
God commanded to the Jews to do certain things. They had rituals and Feasts to keep. They also had to be forgiven in very specific ways. Every year, the High Priest would take the Blood of the Sacrifice into the Holy of Holies to cover the sins of the people.
In AD 70, the temple was destroyed and the Jews have not been able to obey God’s commands since that time. There is not one single place in their Bible that allows them to ignore these sacrifices; God has NOT given them an out.
SO, either God is completely and totally unfair and has sent all of those Jews to perdition; OR GOD HAS MADE ANOTHER WAY!
We happen to know, that other way is Jesus Christ. But so many Christians, TODAY, try to live in the very same manner as the Jews, ignoring that OTHER WAY, God has provided. We will begin to look closely at this other way that does NOT ignore the Commands of God, that deals with the inside of the heart and does NOT rely on our filthy rags of feigned obedience because we are still full of self-indulgence.
It is here, where we shall go next. God bless you all!
a bondslave in Christ Jesus, Dirk