The Fine Print
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Sins – John doesn’t write, “Confess your sin.” He writes, “Confess your sins.” It’s plural. He is not writing about the big block of willful rebellion against the source of light and life. This is not Sin with a capital S. John is concerned about our tiny little peccadilloes, those details that we love to lump under “He forgives my Sin.” Oswald Chambers makes the point clear. “Never discard a conviction. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to have brought it to your mind, it is that thing He is detecting. You were looking for a great thing to give up. God is telling you of some tiny thing;”
In Greek, hamartias comes from a verb that means “to miss the mark.” That seems pretty straightforward, until we look at the Hebrew background behind this Greek word. Then we find things get complicated in a hurry.
Quell writes: The concept of sin is linguistically expressed in many ways in the OT. Indeed, justice is hardly done to this variety either in the LXX . . , nor by our modern translations, which neither express the richness of the original nor even catch the decisive point in some cases.”
In other words, sin in Hebrew shows a much wider, more diverse range of meanings than what is captured in either Greek or English. Furthermore, many of the theological words for sin are indistinguishable from their secular equivalents in Hebrew. There is apparently little difference between the religious meaning of sin and the common, ordinary daily living implications of the same behaviors. One additional layer of complexity is added when we discover that some concepts of sin in Hebrew are unique to Hebrew alone. There are about 30 different words for sin in Hebrew. Obviously, it is quite an important part of Hebrew life.
Does this discourage you? How in the world are we supposed to understand sin and avoid it if our very language disguises or distorts what God had in mind when He spoke in Hebrew? Once again, we are prisoners of linguistic ghettos. But don’t give up. There is hope (without being reborn as a native Hebrew speaker). Chambers got it right. God presses on the details. Without the language, the Spirit still speaks. Sure, it might be in our own linguistic-cultural framework, but that has never prevented God from reaching the heart of Man before. The issue is not Hebrew as a second language. It is Spirit sensitivity. If we let God speak, we will find that He can communicate without any problems where He wants us to focus on sin-sensitivity. Sin might be a much bigger category than we realized, but when it comes to this tiny little sin that God has His finger on right now, nothing else really matters, does it?
Topical Index: sin, hamartias, 1 John 1:9
Skip, ( & all) So thankful to have read the past several quotes from Oswald Chambers, especially on your S.D.D. Nov. 19, and again above. Want to state that for forty years, “My Utmost For His Highest” , and most of his other books have been in our hands regularly if not daily. So your praise of Oswald Nov.19, was especially meaningful to us. Oswald’s writings that I have always considered going along with God’s Word, and many other authors that have blessed us, some that I have mentioned through the past year of replies, have kept us from going off into excesses that are being thrown out to everyone on every hand.
I want to comment that Oswald Chambers’ died suddenly, while living in Egypt, at only 43 years of age, where he was engaged in a Bible Training College. What a short life, yet so well lived! (he was born 1874- -d.1917).
I want to focus on the last paragraph written above by Skip, please reread it, it is so valuable, — I also pray that Skip has written it just recently. I have been keeping up with the new ones, but, also, have been going back and rereading from 2003 the Daily Devotionals, such excellent material in them.
—– Thanksgiving time in U.S, our country that God gave us. Everyone from youngest to oldest in our homes, after the blessing of the main meal, and eating it, those dishes will be cleaned up, BUT before any dessert, we will regather at the table where we sat, and each one will speak to the group about what God has done for them this year. It could be a song, a scripture, just a talk, a poem, also it can be a dance. Then we will have dessert. This is still our country NOW, how long only the Lord knows, so we will celebrate as we were taught the Pilgrim’s did.
Oswald Chamber’s wife, B.C., writes a foreword, in one of his older Devotional issues, the last part of it states: ” It is because it is felt that the author is one to whose teaching men will return, that this book has been prepared, and it is sent out with the prayer that day by day the messages may continue to bring the quickening life and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” ——– L.B.
“our tiny little peccadilloes”
Hi Skip,
As much as I enjoy reading about your focus on our tiny little peccadilloes, focusing on “sin” is a bit too complicated for this simple old man 🙂
I like to start every day with the Lord’s Prayer and a “clean slate”:
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”
Then just focus on “doing the right thing.”
Of course, I always seem to “miss the mark” and things tend to get too complicated.
But every day is a new day, a clean slate, and I’m on the right path for some period of time 🙂
It’s all a matter of aim, isn’t it? And my aim yesterday won’t hit the target today. The target is moving.
Back for more!!.. (lol!) I asked a preacher friend of mine what subject he proclaimed while subbing for another pastor at a nearby church. He told me, “I preached on sin. I told them I was against it.” A bit humorous for us, but not for a holy G-d. It it hard for us to comprehend but it is not the amount of sin (or sins), but the fact of sin. If all I ever did my entire life long was to.. let’s say.. steal a pencil, this one sin (thou shalt not steal) -would keep me out of heaven. Do you believe this? Again, it is not the amount (or severity) of the sin, but the fact of sin. Light cannot dwell with darkness. Period. Our problem is we do not know how holy YWYH is. I think we have a pretty good handle on our depravity, but the holiness of G-d is where our perception lacks. I hope the next few days a solution will be offered to the “fact of sin”. I fully and freely “confess”, I am a sinner in the sight of my Creator, who is holy. What do I do now?
And I must add, I am so grateful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit concerning sin. A few years ago I had a melanoma removed from my arm by an oncologist. He cut wide and he cut deep. Quite a handsome scar but it is one of my favorites. (I have a few.) This is my “scar of mercy.” G-d in His mercy and goodness, for some reason, spared my life and let me live another day. My sister’s father-in-law died two months after a melanoma was discovered on him- (too much fun for both of us in the South Florida sun!). Of course when it comes to the big “C”, I wouldn’t mind “swatting a fly with a hammer”. I don’t want one surviving cancerous cell in my body. I want it all g-o-n-e. The nine-hundred pound gorilla was cut loose when my doctor pronounced me “clean”. It was a hallelujah moment.
And what a blessing it is for the children of G-d that we can be clean and pure in the eyes of our Father! I’m remembering a quote from a former pastor, “you’ll never settle the sin question, until you settle the “Son” question.
We have so much to be grateful for the Thanksgiving season, but most of all of course.. “thanks be to G-d for His unspeakable gift!” I am also thankful to you brother Skip for this marvelous internet restaurant where G-d’s sheep can come and feast on the bread of life- every word that proceeds out of the mouth of G-d. I am thankful for this new format and the contributions of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am amazed at the “depth” out there in cyberspace! We are so blessed! Isn’t He wonderful?