What Is Sin?

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TOPIC: WHAT IS SIN?

 

1. What is sin?

"Sin is the transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4. This is the only definition of sin. The Scriptures talk of many instances of sin but they are not the definition of sin. In fact, the law tells us what sin is. Without the law, we would not have had any idea of what sin is all about. And the law has to be broken in order for sin to exist. The law can be present but if not broken, sin does not exist.

 

Romans 4:15 says, "... for where no law is, there is no transgression."

Romans 3:20 says, "... for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Romans 7:7 says, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

 

2. How does one become a sinner?

According to Scripture (1 John 3:4), one becomes a sinner by breaking the law of God. One is not a sinner by the fallen sinful nature or by birth. We are all born with a fallen sinful nature without a choice, but that does not automatically make us sinners. 

 

3. Where did sin first begin and by whom?

Sin began in heaven with Lucifer - Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-15. Lucifer was created perfect with a sinless nature. He did not have a fallen sinful nature when iniquity was found in Him. When Lucifer transgressed the law of God in heaven, only then sin existed. In heaven, the law of God was in existence, but sin does not exist until it was broken by Lucifer.

 

4. Did sin exist in heaven through Lucifer by the transgression of God's law or by his fallen sinful nature?

Sin existed in heaven through Lucifer by the transgression of the law of God.  Ezekiel 28:15 says, "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Lucifer never had a fallen sinful nature when he committed iniquity in his heart in heaven. Sin was never caused by the fallen sinful nature.

 

5. Where did sin begin on earth and by whom?

Sin began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. They were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - Genesis 2:16-17. They disobeyed God - Genesis 3:1-6. Sin is the transgression of the law of God - 1 John 3:4. Had they obeyed God and ate not the forbidden fruit, sin would not have existed.

 

When Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God, sin existed without a fallen sinful nature. They inherited a fallen sinful nature after they had sinned. Hence, a fallen sinful nature is the result of their sin but not the cause of their sin. Sin is the transgression of the law. Apparently, sinful nature is not sin.

 

6. What is the wages of sin?

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ" - Romans 6:23. It does not say that the wages of a fallen sinful nature is death, but sin.

 

7. What is the Deception in the teaching of sin amongst Christians?

Today you may hear from Church literatures, pulpits and others say, "Sin is by nature," or "We sin because we are born sinful," or "In order for one to be a sinner, all one has to do is to be born," or "We sin because we are sinners," or "Sin is a state," or "Sin is a condition," or "We are born sinful," or " We inherit sinfulness."

All of the above statements of sin contradict the Scripture in 1 John 3:4. None is a sinner by nature nor by birth.

 

8. Are we born sinners? Or Are we born with a fallen sinful nature?

We are all born with a fallen sinful nature, not born sinners. Being born with a fallen sinful nature and being born sinners, are two different things. They are not the same.

 

9. Did we inherit sin?

No one inherited sin from Adam and Eve nor from their parents - Ezekiel 18:20. We all inherited a fallen sinful nature from Adam and Eve.

10. Is sin excusable?

No! There is not excuse for sin.

11. What would be the evil consequences of the belief that says, "We are born sinners" as per statements in question 7 above?

(i) That sin is inherited.

(ii) That sin can be excused.

(ii) That sin is without one's choice.

(iv) That the sinner is not responsible for sin.

(v) That one can be saved in sin, rather than from sin.

(vi) That a Christ-like life is impossible since that is our condition/state.

(vii) That the sinner will continue to sin since that was his/her condition/state.

(viii) That God is reponsible for sin.

(ix) It has done away the law of God in a very subtle way.

 

12. What would be the evil effect of the false teaching of sin upon the Churches?

What one believes will affect his/her life style - behavior. One's behavior will affect one's destiny - either for heaven or hell. If the church believes the false teaching of sin, they will continue living in sin and expect to be saved in sin, but the end result will be eternal death. In order for the church members to live righteous with God, first the teachng needs to be correct - 1 John 3:4.

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Beware of the deception sweeping amongst Christianity!

 

 

We, the 7th Day Advent Bible Ministry teach and preach strongly that God expects a Christian who professes to believe in Jesus Christ, in His life and in His teachings; is to live a perfect, blameless, sinless, holy, righteous, and undefiled life because it is attainable through the power of the Holy Spirit that is made available for anyone's victory over all temptations - 1 Peter 1:15; Matt 5:48; 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Therefore, there is no excuse for anyone to keep believing that in Christ, he or she cannot overcome sin completely and that he or she will continue sinning while waiting for the Lord's return.

Although we stronly believe, preach and teach perfection of life on this earth before translation or resurrection when Jesus comes again, nonetheless, we as a church do not claim that we are perfect or sinless because that is God's prerogative to judge us. Nevertheless, for anyone to believe, teach and preach prefection of life without living the Chirist-like life, he or she is the same as a non-believer.

On the other hand, just because our church teachers strongly that perfection of life is attainable, and in any case you have found one of us never lived up to it, that does not make the truth to be in error. It is our prayer that you will not turn away from the truth in God's Word where it upholds perfection of character and the sinless life to be possible through Christ's power in us - 2 Corinthians 5:17.

7th DAY ADVENT BIBLE MINISTRY

On the Doctrine of Salvation:

1. Our Salvation is only through Jesus Christ alone - John 3:16, Acts 4:12

2. Jesus Christ saves us from sin, not in sin - Romans 6: 1-3

3. Salvation in not in any church organization, but in Jesus Christ alone - John 14:6

4. An organized church can apstatize, but the truth in Scripture does not, and remains the same in Jesus Christ - Hebrew 13:8, John 5:39

5. We can come out on an organized church and move on if she has apostatized (teaching error) since our salvation is only found in Jesus Christ alone - Revelation 18:4

6. The love of God is unconditional, but the assurance of salvation is conditional. Obedience is a condition - John 3:16; Acts 2:38; 3:19; Mark 1:4; Matt 19:16-24.

7. We are saved not by faith alone but through faith that works - James 2:17, 24, 26.

8. Saving faith is more than a mental assent to truth - Herew 11:7

9. To claim eternal life by faith alone without the works of faith is no guarantee of assurance of salvation except eternal death - (example James 2:19)

10. If we love God supremely, we would truly keep All of His Commandments - John 14:15, 21; 15:10, 1 John 2:3,4

11. No one can work his own way (without Jesus Christ) to earn salvation - Ephesians 2:8,9, John 15:5; Genesis 4:5,6 (Cain)

12. The faith in Christ's righteousness and His power in us will reproduce the works of faith in Christ's righteousness in us - Romans 8:3,4; Galatians 5:22

13. Faith in Christ is not separated from the works of faith in Christ. They go hand in hand - Genesis 4:4; 22:18; Hebrew 11:8

14. Obedience is the fruit of faith and they both precede assurance of salvation - example Luke 5:5,6; Matthew 14:29; Exodus 12.

15. Obedience is not the fruit of salvation; it is the fruit of faith.

16. Once saved is not always saved - Ezekiel 18:24

17. Once lost can be saved - Ezekiel 18:21,22; 2 Peter 3:9

18. Salvation is individual, not transferable - Ezekiel 18:18

"The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ...The true children of Abraham would live, as he did, a life of obedience to God" Ellen G White Desire of Ages, p.466