What Makes a Person Commit Sin

 

What Makes a Person Commit Sin

 

As Christians and “Ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5: 18-20), we may be called upon to explain not only what a “sin” is, but also what makes a person commit a sin. The Bible says that mankind has been condemned to death because of sin, therefore Christians must know why. (Romans 5: 12)  Others will assume that we have this knowledge as part of the belief system that we would encourage them to share. Our foundation is built on faith, but that faith must be explained in a way that hopefully makes sense to them. That starts with helping them understand some basic concepts.

What the Bible means when the word “sin” is used.

In both the Old and New Testaments, the term “sin” has been translated to mean “missing the mark”; committing an offense or transgression toward God and men. (Strong’s Concordance #s 2398 and 2403 in the Old Testament; and #s 264 and 266 in the New Testament). Christians generally understand that the “mark that was “missed”” was the established standard for obedience to our Supreme God, and His Moral Law (Ten Commandments) that governs how man should worship God and interact with other men. (Exodus Chapter 20)

However, the Scripture further clarifies that sin was in the world even before the LORD gave man the Moral Law. Yes, sin was in the world, but as far as “missing the mark”, God did not impute / charge / attribute sin to individual men on that basis because He had not yet specifically taught or instructed man as to His Standards for man’s behavior through the Law. (Romans 5: 13) It was the first man Adam’s offence / transgression of disobedience against his Creator LORD God that brought sin into the world. (Genesis 2: 7-9, 15-17, 3: 1-7;  Romans 5: 12-14). If necessary, the distinction that becomes apparent is differentiating the sin resulting from the direct disobedience to the LORD God, as opposed to the sin from violating His Law.  But from the perspective of our Just and Holy God, sin is sin.

 

How did the “sin” of the first man result in sin being attributed to all mankind?

Both Adam and Eve were aware of God’s only command to them…that they do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. All other sources of food and trees were available for their use / consumption. However, their offense of disobeying that singular command resulted in not only the loss of the glory and honor that God had given Adam to have dominion over the Earth. They also began to suffer a prolonged process of dying, leading to the death of their physical bodies (Genesis 5: 1-5); and the immediate separation of their eternal souls and spirits from their Creator. (See below)  As another negative, they gained the “knowledge of good and evil”, which ironically would ultimately work against mankind for generations and centuries. (Genesis Chapter Three)  (See below).

Some would argue that “knowing good and evil” should not be a negative. However, when Adam made the choice to disobey the LORD God, he forfeited the “objectivity” / “fairness” / “impartiality” that might be associated with “knowing good and evil”. For this knowledge to not be a negative, there would have to be the assumption that given a truthful explanation of the pros and cons of the “good” vs. the “evil”, man could and would make wise choices that would be in his/her own best interests. However, the truth/good that Adam and Eve received from the LORD God was opposed by the flagrant / overt lie of the Serpent (“You shall not surely die.”); and that was accompanied by half-truths (“your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”).  (Genesis 3: 1-5)

In his disobedience to God, Adam had accepted obedience to the entity (Serpent / Lucifer / Satan) which Scripture later revealed was the Enemy of God. (Isaiah 14: 12-17; Ezekiel Chapter 28) As a result of that disobedience and as noted above, Adam lost / forfeited dominion over the Earth, and Lucifer / Satan became the “god of this world”. (2 Corinthians 4: 4) They also lost their spiritual relationship with their Creator. However, because of His love for His favored creation man, the LORD God quickly restored their spiritual relationship with Him by shedding the blood of innocent animals (Genesis 3: 21). That act of His love was a sign / a prophetic indicator of how future generations could / would regain their relationship with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (John 1: 1-3, 3: 16-17; Romans 5: 8-12; Colossians 1: 16) . It would be through the shedding of His own innocent blood. (Hebrews Chapter Nine)

So, how did all that come to affect us today?

Note that “Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was (to become) the mother of all living”. (Genesis 3: 20) Adam’s choice to follow the guidance of the Serpent would eventually affect all mankind.

While the Serpent was deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden, he deliberately did not tell her of the other consequences if she / Adam followed his guidance. One important consequence of disobedience to God was that future generations of man would fall under the influence of their (Adam and Eve’s) decision to follow him (Lucifer / Satan).  Among the changes they personally would undergo, those factors would also affect future man’s soul and spirit. Since then, man’s spiritual connection to his Creator God would be inoperable from his birth. (That is what our Lord Jesus was explaining to the Pharisee Ruler Nicodemus later in the Scripture when He said: “a man must be born again…” – John 3: 1-8) Man’s spirit would have to be regenerated.

Further, man’s soul (mind, will and emotions) inherited a “sin-nature”, that would be passed from generation to generation. That trait shifted what might have been a “balanced” conscience / “knowledge of good and evil” to one that is “imbalanced” and has a strong slant favoring sinful behavior. (Romans 3: 10-18, 23)

It was because of this imbalance that mankind’s behavior became dominated by the same traits exhibited by God’s Enemy, the “god of this world”, Lucifer / Satan. For a more detailed description of the sins of this Enemy who sought to usurp God’s throne, I refer you to the Scripture at: Isaiah 14: 12-17; and Ezekiel Chapter 28.  The Bible points out how those traits  became manifest in humanity, but also gives this caution to believers: “¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2: 15-16)

 

Those three temptations were used successfully by the Serpent to deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 1-6). However, he was totally unsuccessful when he attempted to manipulate our Lord Jesus at a time of His supposed weakness in the wilderness. (Matthew 4: 1-11)  By having only an “imbalanced conscience” to guide them, most people will fall victim and be trapped in sin.

Today, you and I, and all mankind have faced and will continue to face those same tests / temptations. However, the Bible gives believers the following reassurance: “³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”. (1 Corinthians 10: 13)  The Ascended Lord Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to guide us as Christian believers to more than correct for that “imbalance”. For “greater is He that is in (us) than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4: 1-6)  The “odds” have been shifted in favor of those who believe God.

Now that doesn’t mean we can’t be tempted to sin, because we have been and will continue to be tested. The Apostle Paul addressed the mixed signals that even believers’ souls receive in the on-going battle caused by our “knowledge of good and evil”. (Romans Chapter Seven) But God has given us as Christians the advantage of knowing the stronger “good” through the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans Chapter Eight)

 

What did God want man to know about sin through the Law? (Exodus Chapter Twenty)

The short answer to that question is that God wanted man to come to the realization that because of all the factors noted above, no man could fully comply with the requirements of the Law. Further, the Scripture clarified that a failure to meet even one part of the Law was regarded as having broken the full law. (James 2: 10-11; Galatians 3: 10) Man could not escape committing sin. (Romans 3: 19, 23)  Because man would commit sin, he would incur the penalty of death, as inherited from the sin of the first man Adam. Left to his own efforts (self-righteousness), man could only fail.

The key Scriptural answer to the question is: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.   (Romans 3:20)  The Law was the device / tool used by God to send the message that only He is “Righteous”. Man’s only alternative / recourse would be to believe what God has said through the rest of the Bible. He, Himself would pay the severe price of death through the suffering and death of His Son, our Lord Jesus. Man’s “righteousness” (being in good-standing with God) comes from believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins - He was buried - and He arose on the third day.  That is our Gospel of God’s Grace… The Gospel of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13) The Lord’s Resurrection was evidence that our salvation is secure. (1 Corinthians 15: 12-17)

For a more detailed discussion of this question, I’d refer you to the earlier two-part post I made to this blog on August 24 and August 29, 2023, titled: “The Bible Truth About the Ten Commandments”. Those posts can be found in the “Archives” section of this blog.

As a closing thought regarding the Law, consider the response that our Lord Jesus gave to the Pharisee lawyer who wanted to test Him, as recorded in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 22, in verses 35-40. It seems that the first part of Lord’s response was to have mankind address the circumstances that led to Adam’s disobedience / sin in the Garden of Eden. The second part of the Lord’s response was true guidance for all mankind, so that we would not fall prey to the wiles of the Enemy. If we were to all practice the true “agape” love that God wanted, then we would always seek the higher good for our fellow man.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com

Gospels Related to Our Lord Jesus Christ

 

Gospels Related to Our Lord Jesus Christ

 

At the close of my last post to this blog titled: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ – Man’s Second and Last Chance”, I wrote that this follow-up post would address the additional blessings (beyond our eternal salvation) available to believing Christians,…and it would address other New Testament names associated with that Gospel. However, while in the process of developing that post I felt it necessary to first provide more clarification regarding the use of the term “gospel” in reference to the Lord Jesus. (As noted earlier, according to our Strong’s Expanded Concordance the term “gospel” does not appear in the Old Testament / Torah or Tanakh.)  

The first and primary clarification is to distinguish between the “Gospel of the Kingdom” preached by the Lord Jesus to the Nation of Israel during His Earthly Ministry, (Matthew 4: 17, 23;  9: 35;  10: 1-7); and the Gospel that the Ascended Lord revealed and taught to the Apostle Paul for the benefit of all mankind. The latter one was the “Gospel of Jesus Christ “ that I discussed in the previous post and will discuss further below. As you may recall, the Gospel of the Kingdom was to be the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12: 1-3; Exodus 19: 1-6), but Israel refused to accept the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. As a result of Israel’s rejection, the Ascended Lord turned to Saul of Tarsus (later named Paul) to bring the message of eternal salvation directly to the Gentile world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Acts 9: 1-15; Chapters 13 and 14; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)

The distinction between these two gospels became a source of strong disagreement between their respective supporters, even as both groups supported our Lord Jesus. The issue: “Should Paul be allowed to evangelize Gentiles without their adhering to the Laws of Moses and Hebrew tradition?” The more established “Kingdom Gospel” followers had been part of the Lord’s Earthly ministry (including some as Apostles), and were based in Jerusalem. They were deeply seated in the Law of Moses and Israel’s traditions, with an eye on the Lord’s “Second Coming” to be King over their Kingdom. The opposing Gospel supporters were a small team headed by the Lord’s new convert, Saul of Tarsus / Paul. Paul was adamant that the “new” Gospel revealed to him by the Ascended Lord could not be altered, and must be shared directly with the Gentiles, especially outside of Israel’s borders.

This conflict was ultimately resolved at the historic “Jerusalem Council” meeting. After Paul and his team had traveled there, and after an apparently contentious debate / argument, the following momentous agreement was reached.  That agreement shaped our Scripture and Christian theology from then on. The Jerusalem “Kingdom” leadership, understanding “the grace that was given to (Paul)…gave to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that (Paul and his supporters) should go unto the (Gentiles without interference ) and  they (the Jerusalem Apostles would continue) unto the Circumcision (Jews).”   (Galatians 2: 9; Acts 15: 1-29) (https://www.gotquestions.org/Jerusalem-Council.html )            

The next point of clarification I’d like to make is to note that the citation of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” is one of several titles that are used in the Scripture to identify the same “Good News” concepts that lead Christian believers to their eternal salvation…that our Lord Jesus is the Son of God; He died for our sins; was buried; and rose again on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)  Other names given to this Gospel (G) include the:

·       Christ’s Gospel (2 Corinthians 2: 12)

·       G of the grace of God (Acts 20: 24)

·       G of God (Romans 1:1; 15: 16; 2 Corinthians 11: 7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 8)

·       G of His (God’s) Son (Romans 1: 9)

·       G of Christ (Romans 15: 19, 29; 1 Corinthians 9: 12, 18; 2 Corinthians 4: 4, 9: 13, 10: 14…)

·       G of peace (Romans 10: 15; Ephesians 6: 15)

·       G of your salvation (Ephesians 1: 13)

·       G of our Lord (2 Thessalonians 1: 8)

·       G of the Blessed God (1 Timothy 1: 11); and as cited by the writer, the Apostle Paul…

·       “My Gospel” (Romans 2: 14-16; 16: 25)  /  “Our Gospel” (2 Thessalonians 2: 14).

Each of these references speaks to the same Gospel which, since its inception, has been directed by the Lord to both Jews and Gentiles. (Romans 3: 28-30)  This does not violate the Agreement reached at the Jerusalem Council because God knew what lay ahead for the Jerusalem Church. Further, the Scripture documents that  James, Peter and John who participated in shaping that Jerusalem Agreement continued their mission only to the Circumcision (Note their respective messages / “Books” near the end of the Bible), even as did Paul to the Gentiles. (Acts 18: 1-11)

[Note as an aside: Remember that since 70 AD, when Rome destroyed Israel’s Temple in Jerusalem, and the people were without a priesthood, those who weren’t killed were dispersed throughout the known world. That dispersion lasted until the most recent centuries, as prophesied in Ezekiel Chapter 37.  Note also that the latter verses of that Chapter speak to the coming to fruition of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The prophets were not aware of the current 2,000 + years of the “Church Age”, in which we speak to the Gospel of Christ as noted above. This is another example of how God keeps things “secret” until He chooses to reveal them. (Deuteronomy 29: 29)]

 

Now, with regard to the many blessings made available to those who believe the Gospel of Christ (by whatever name it may be called)…I want to re-state the list I previously posted on February 26, 2023, with one addition:

Those who believe are impacted in all three areas of their being: Body, Soul and Spirit (3 John 1:2)  Through faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6), the believing person:

 

• becomes a Christian, having been baptized into Jesus Christ, into His death, burial and Resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5)
• who previously did not believe, and God had regarded as an enemy (Romans 8:7-9), that person has been reconciled to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5: 8-10, 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19)
• has all sins, past, present and future forgiven, their punishment having been paid through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 10: 43, Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19, Hebrews 9: 11-18, 22,28)
• becomes a new creation / creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) and is translated into His Heavenly Kingdom. (Colossians 1:13, Philippians 3:20-21)
• has become a member of the spiritual Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians Chapter 12)
• becomes the righteousness of God in Christ and becomes both a son of God and a joint-heir with Christ. (Romans 8: 14-17)
• has become sanctified / purified internally by renewing of the soul through faith. (Acts 26: 15-18)
• has become an Ambassador for Christ in this present time on the earth. (2 Corinthians 5: 20)
• is in-dwelt with the Holy Spirit, Who quickens / awakens the person’s internal spirit, providing knowledge, wisdom and guidance. (Romans 8: 1-27)
• has his/her name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, bringing eternal life. (John 3:16-17, Revelation 21: 27)
• can freely request the many blessings of God, including healing “by His stripes” (Isaiah 53:5), and safety and protection (Psalm 91), among other blessings.
• has comfort knowing that their prayers have been heard by God, regardless of whether or not God’s answer is what he / she hoped for. (Proverbs 15:29, Romans 8: 26-27, James 5:16)
• is comforted knowing that whatever trials or difficulties that person may face, the Lord will always be with them. (Deuteronomy 31:8. Hebrews 13:5)
• has the support of the Holy Spirit to break any generational curses or iniquities. (Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18)   …and
• received the blessing of the continuing opportunity for Communion with our Lord Jesus, who also serves as our Advocate with our Father in Heaven. (1 Corinthians 10: 16; 1 John 2: 1)

These Gospels and the blessings received by those who have believed them over the centuries are true evidence of the Almighty God that we serve.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com

The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Man's Second and Last Chance

The Gospel of Jesus Christ – Man’s Second and Last Chance

 

When Christians are asked to interpret the phrase “the Gospel of Jesus Christ”, they will undoubtedly offer differing opinions. Hopefully they will all relate the term “Gospel” to its most positive form of “Good News!” (https://strongsconcordance.org/results.html?k=Gospel ; https://biblehub.com/greek/2097.htm#:~:text=2097%20euaggel%C3%ADz%C5%8D%20%28from%202095%20%2Fe%C3%BA%2C%20%22good%2C%20well%22%20and,of%20%22the%20good%20news%22%20%28the%20Lord%27s%20glad%20tidings%29. [As an aside, according to our Strong’s Expanded Concordance, the word “gospel” is found more than 100 times in our Bible, but only in the New Testament.]

Where Christians differ is likely to be in the way we identify our Lord Jesus and the blessings which we have received from Him. In this post I’d like to review some of those blessings He has given us and how they came into being.  

Of all the verses in our Bible, I believe there are two passages of “Gospel” that are most critical for Christians to know and understand.  However, before I discuss them I’d like to address the issue raised in the title of the post…”Man’s Second and Last Chance”.  To provide the context for that phrase, it is only necessary to review the earliest parts of the Bible.

Note in the Book of Genesis in Chapter Two, the LORD God had created a perfect Earth, and within it the perfect Garden of Eden.  In the Garden He placed “the man whom He had formed (Adam).” (Verse 8)  As you will recall, the LORD God placed only this one stipulation on the man Adam: ^“16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:¹⁷ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2: 16-17)

That directive from the Creator LORD God gave man his first opportunity to live a blessed and eternal life in harmony with God. We understand that there would not have been the need for a “second chance” if the man Adam had only believed God. We also now understand through the Scripture that man forfeited his totally blessed Earthly life leading to death (due to physical and mental hardships), and forfeited his eternal life in harmony with God (the “Second Death”),  because of his unbelief and disobedience. (Genesis Chapter Three; Revelation 20: 11-15)

However, what some Christians may not fully appreciate is what we would later learn through the Scripture.  It was the same LORD God (Jehovah) who had determined the penalty for man’s disobedience, who would Himself (our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) pay that severe penalty so that mankind could escape the “second death”. (https://www.gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-Yahweh.html ; Isaiah 45: 18; https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-of-Yahweh.html ; John 3: 16-18, 12: 44-45; 2 Corinthians 5: 14-15) 

Now we understand that through His love for us as His favored creation, our Lord Jesus has provided the “Second Chance” for man, as noted in the title.  As the ultimate expression of His Love for man, all He asks is that we believe what He has done for us.  His sacrifice brought us His “mercy” for the sins we committed…and His “grace” giving us blessings we did not earn or deserve.

As I noted in the third paragraph above, there are two passages in our Bible that describe what we are to believe. These messages were revealed to the Apostle Paul by the Ascended Lord Jesus, and are the keys to both the eternal salvation of our souls, and our access to the many other blessings we could receive during our Earthly journey. These two passages are:

1.     1 Corinthians 15: 1-4

“15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: “    …and

2.     Romans 10: 1-13 (with special focus on Verses 9-13)

“10 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. ² For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

⁵ For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. ⁶ But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) ⁷ Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) ⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ¹² For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. ¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

These passages tell us not only what we  (as both Jew and Gentile) must believe, but also must be willing to confess verbally.  (Romans 1: 16-17; 1 Corinthians 1: 18)

Now I’d like to add some further perspective on what the Lord accomplished on our behalf, and why there will be no further “Chances” for restoration of our righteousness / “right-standing” with God.  Consider again the principle of Bible study found in Romans 15:4, that says: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”  (Our Old Testament contains a wealth of relevant information which provides context for New Testament events.)

Remember that in Genesis Chapter Three, after Adam sinned by disobeying the LORD God, he incurred the death penalty of immediate spiritual separation from God, (Verse 9: “Where art thou, Adam?”); …and the onset of the delayed process of physical death. God’s priority was to re-establish Adam and Eve’s personal relationship with Him by bestowing His Righteousness on them. He accomplished this by shedding the blood of an innocent animal to clothe them, replacing their efforts (of self-righteousness) to clothe themselves with aprons made of fig leaves. (Verses 7 and 21). Note that the shedding of “innocent blood” would initiate the pattern ordered by the LORD for His  Chosen Nation Israel during their worship and their seeking forgiveness for their sins. (Leviticus 23: especially verses 27-28; Hebrews Chapters 9 and 10) The shedding of His own innocent holy blood by our Lord Jesus became the ultimate expression of His love for us, using this means of securing righteousness for man.  … sometimes called the “Divine Exchange” – (https://christcrucified.info/teaching-tracts/the-divine-exchange-2/ ).

To understand how God accomplished this for us, we return again to the Old Testament / Torah. The LORD followed up on the subject of “innocent blood” by teaching Israel how God would use sacrificial blood to bestow His Righteousness on man.  The lessons He taught Israel were specifically applicable only to them, and were only a “short-term fix” (up to one year), to address their sinful behavior. Most of the efforts to atone for sins were initiated by the individual members of the Nation of Israel (Leviticus 1: 1-5). However, the most significant effort for atonement was that undertaken by their High Priest on behalf of the entire Nation once every year. That was “Yom Kippur”. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/is-yom-kippur-in-the-bible/ )  It was that annual pattern of observance that fatefully revealed the singular process that our LORD Jesus Christ would follow once / a single time, to the benefit of all mankind. (Hebrews Chapters Nine and Ten)

The structure and format for the Lord’s sacrifice for us began in Exodus Chapter 25.  The LORD spoke the following to Moses on Mount Sinai, as instructions to the people of Israel: “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” (Verses 8-9)  (This was the first mention in the Bible that there was an “original” of the tabernacle and its contents located in God’s Heaven.)

The LORD taught Israel through detailed instructions how to construct the Tabernacle / Temple through which they would approach their God Jehovah in worship, including seeking atonement for their sins against Him (Exodus Chapters 25-27). He immediately followed the verses above with the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle’s most holy content: the “Ark of the Covenant”. (Verses 10-21). Key to the construction of the Ark was the “Mercy Seat” which sits above it. Whether the Mercy Seat was atop the Ark of the Covenant in Israel’s Tabernacle / Temple, or the original in God’s Heaven, it is the place on which the blood of the innocent sacrifice was sprinkled. Only the High Priest of Israel could perform that function for their Nation. (Hebrews 9: 19-28)

However, following His death, burial and resurrection, by serving as our High Priest, our Lord Jesus carried His own precious, holy blood, to God’s Third Heaven and sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat there. (https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Christ,-The-High-Priest ; https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-High-Priest.html ) As an aside, that is why He had to remain without human “contamination” shortly after His Resurrection. (John 20: 17) 

In this manner, our Lord Jesus paid the dear price of His excruciatingly painful suffering and death; shed His holy blood to atone for the sins of all mankind; and made the blessed path to righteousness and eternal life available to those who would believe in Him… and the Gospel of His Grace towards us that bears His Name. (Isaiah 52: 14-15; 53: 1-12)

In my next post to this blog I will further discuss some of those additional blessings available to believing Christians, and other New Testament names / titles associated with this Gospel.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com 

JESUS - Salvation from Enemies and from Sins

 

JESUS – Salvation from Enemies and from Sins

 

While reading the Bible we sometimes come to passages that offer differing perspectives on a topic or subject or person that perhaps we hadn’t fully appreciated. As Christians we tend to focus on the familiar aspects of Scripture, neglecting the relatively unfamiliar. In a recent study, I reviewed two passages that demonstrated that point with a focus on our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first passage concerned the Lord Jesus indirectly, prior to His birth. Luke Chapter One records events prior to the birth of His soon-to-be cousin John the Baptist. John’s father Zacharias, a priest in Israel’s Temple, was cited as making the following statements regarding the pending birth of Jesus: “⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, ⁶⁹ And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; ⁷⁰ As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: ⁷¹ That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;” (Luke 1: 67-71)

The second passage also concerned our Lord Jesus indirectly, prior to His birth. Matthew Chapter One records these events which also took place prior to His birth.: ¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. ²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  (Matthew 1: 18-23)

When we check with our Strong’s Expanded Concordance for the name “JESUS”, we find listings in both the Hebrew section (#3091); and the Greek section (# 02424). The Hebrew translation (used 218 times) means “Jehovah – saved”. The Greek translation (used 972 times) simply means “the name of our Lord”. However, because both translations relate to the Lord’s role in “saving”, we need to look further into how they might be distinguished from each other with a focus on being “saved” from “enemies”, or “sins”.

In the Old Testament, we remember Israel’s history from the beginning when the LORD made a Covenant with Abram (the Abrahamic Covenant) saying: “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: ³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12: 1-3)

That Covenant led to Abram (later Abraham) becoming the father of Isaac and Ishmael, the grandfather of Esau and Jacob, and Jacob becoming the father of the 12 sons who would become the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. (https://www.gotquestions.org/God-of-Abraham-Isaac-Jacob.html) Further review of the Scripture documents the genealogy of our Lord Jesus traces its roots back through Israel to Abraham. (Matthew 1: 1-16)  Christians know that  the reference made above that “in thee (Abram / Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed” was a direct reference to the future coming of our Lord Jesus…who would bring salvation to Israel and the Gentile world.

Now the question to be answered is where the Scripture addresses the subject in the title above and differentiates between the “Salvation from Enemies and from Sins.”

I raised the point above about the descendants of Abraham because as with many families, some of the most heated and anger-provoking relationships take place between people who are genetically related. The Middle East Conflict that exists today between Israel and its neighbors is the continuation of hostilities that began with Noah’s sons Shem and Ham (Genesis 9: 18-27), and later between Isaac and his descendants and Ishmael and his descendants. (Genesis 16: 1-12; 17: 18-21; 21: 9-13; Galatians 4: 21-31)  Because I addressed that conflict in two previous posts to this blog, (under the following headings: “The LORD’s Covenant with Abraham for Isaac vs Blessings for Ishmael”, and “Why the Arab-Israeli Conflict is So Important to Christians”), I will not explore them again at this time.

However, I will point out that the vast majority of the approximately 40 Bible references to God’s “saving from enemies” relate to Israel’s seeking that protection from its neighbor enemies in the Old Testament / Tanakh. (https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God-Saving-From-Enemies ) Those neighbors were / are also descendants of Noah’s son Shem, or of his son Ham. (Psalms 78:51; 105: 23, 27; 106: 22) 

But, on the contrary, the references to seeking God’s “saving from sin” is only found in the New Testament, and is related to the influence of our Lord Jesus .  Now even as I say that, many will remind me of the coming annual observance of Yom Kippur, Israel’s Holy Day of Atonement, whereby Israelites were “cleansed of their sins” (Leviticus 23: 26-32);  (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/177886/jewish/What-Is-Yom-Kippur.htm ) What may not be clearly understood by many is that this annual observance was only a temporary covering for the sins of the people of Israel.  Their eternal “saving” / salvation could only be achieved (as with all mankind) after our Lord Jesus had paid the dear price of death, through the shedding of His holy, precious blood to pay for our sins. (Hebrews Chapter Nine) Consider also that the Jewish Law / Torah required animal sacrifices in Israel’s Temple which  was destroyed by Rome in 70 AD, and has yet to be rebuilt. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-temple-its-destruction )

The New Testament contains numerous scriptural references which either directly or indirectly point to the role of our Lord Jesus as Savior, in saving man from the penalty for his sins. (https://www.openbible.info/topics/jesus_saves_us_from_sin )  Of the most recognizable passages that reinforce our understanding of the Son of God as our Savior are the following two. The first is part of the passage noted above in the third paragraph:

Matthew 1: 21 - 23

²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The second highly recognizable passage from our Bible contains the memorable words of John the Baptist, as he was baptizing repentant Israelites in the Jordan River:

John 1: 29

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Please take note that the Apostle John used the singular word “sin”, rather than the plural form “sins”. I believe that singular term yet applies to the entire category and body of sin / sins committed by mankind  since the first man Adam. (Genesis Chapter Three; Romans 5: 12-21)

 That conclusion brings us back to the title of this post, and the identification of mankind’s true, most significant enemy, who took the form of the Serpent and promoted / encouraged the original sin. (Genesis Chapter Three)

Dr. W.A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com