Seriously
My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 1 John 2:1 NASB
May not sin – Seriously now, does anyone out there really think it is possible not to sin? My guess is that no one after Luther could ever have imagined such a ridiculous thing. Luther was quite clear about the whole mess. The life of a Christian is a life of daily repentance. We sin every day in word, thought and deed. We are saddled with a sinful nature from the moment we are born (some of us even have it before we are born). There is literally no escape. We are all doomed until God elects to save us.
This theology makes a mockery of John’s letter. As F. F. Bruce says, “Sin, indeed, is so thoroughly uncharacteristic of the Christian life that a life which is marked by sin cannot be called Christian.”[1] If Bruce is right, if John really believes that sin is the exception to the rule, then why are we so saddled with personal and collective guilt? Why do we think that sin is so infectious it is more like measles than moral decisions? Maybe our problem starts with the wrong idea of sin.
John uses the Greek verb hamartano. It is the equivalent of hata (het’ah). Both words have the same primary meaning: to miss the mark. Whether in Greek or Hebrew, the idea must be tied to Moses’ declaration, “These things are not too difficult for you.” Everywhere the biblical record simply assumes that moral obedience is completely possible. It couldn’t be any clearer than here in John’s first letter. John doesn’t write in order that the continuous sinful actions of followers can be ignored or erased. He writes so that followers will know what to do in order not to sin. The Greek me hamartete combines the conditional “not” (me) with an aorist, active subjunctive tense of hamartano. Aorist means this is a past, completed action, not an ongoing one (“I sinned,” not “I am sinning”). Active means the action was done by the subject (I am the one who sinned). And subjunctive means this is an indefinite statement (if I might have sinned). We might expand the translation, “that, as a matter of fact, you might not ever miss the mark again.” John uses the same construction in the next part of the verse, the only difference being a change from plural (you) to singular (anyone). John can hardly be mistaken. He fully intended that his instructions would allow followers to not miss the mark any more.
So what happened? Augustine and Luther, that’s what. These men read Romans 7 as a personal report of Paul’s “conversion.” They understood the text to say that everyone does wrong even when wanting to do right, does bad even when wanting to do good and basically cannot help sinning. That picture has distorted everything the Bible teaches about possible obedience, so much so that most Christians today believe that sin is inevitable and that God functions as a perpetual forgiving machine. What is the point of trying to live a righteous life if I sin every day in word, thought and deed? It is an exercise in futility. I might as well give up the quest, recognize that I just can’t help myself and hope that God will still take me to heaven in the end.
How destructive to the Kingdom is it to have soldiers who believe they can never measure up? How debilitating is it to the purposes of God for His people to think that holiness is simply beyond human living?
Either John is right (along with Moses) and sin is the exception to the rule, or Augustine and Luther are right and we are riddled with sin. It is either completely possible and expected to live according to God’s revealed instructions or it isn’t. How you answer that question will do more to determine your outlook on life than just about any other theological inquiry. What do you say?
Topical Index: sin, hamartano, hata, miss the mark, 1 John 2:1
[1] F. F. Bruce, The Epistles of John, p. 48.
Hi Skip, Either John and Moses, or Augustine and Luther, are right. Now that gives something to think about! I am going to take this to heart and ask the Lord to further reveal His Truth. What is it that John 8:31,32 says: “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, if you hold to my teachings, then you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Amen Linda K. Morales Bayamon, Puerto Rico
If I’m suppose to believe that I can be without sin, then why don’t I just stop sinning?
Can it be because the big franchises are having a sale on fake Grace- T shirts( been there, done it!), while the expensive grace-suites are locked behind a glass door at the back of the store?
On the windows it reads: SALE! LOWEST PRICE! NEARLY FREE! And while cheap grace is so readily available we just keep on sinning!The store owner pockets all the profit himself. I love a bargain. But a bargain I don’t need , is cheap waste. YHWH’S grace is surely readily available to all, but definitely not cheap. It will at least cost you to do(not only believe you should) something in return.
The store’s business manual(kept safely in the safe) accually explains how much the grace- suite bill can be: a day, a week or more away from home, carrying your lamb or chasing the young bull by foot for 20 miles. Leaving my loved ones behind, missing my fishing trip that was already paid for, not knowing what will happen to my business or family( no cell or internet). Then coming home physically, mentally and emotionally( from repentance) exhausted! Surely if we had this experience more often we could start to believe that we could be without sin somehow. But now I ‘d rather go for the(fake) Grace T-shirt sale on the TV break between Desperate Housewives and CSI without moving an inch of the couch! And go on believing: ” You know I’m Bad, I’m bad, you know it, I am bad….”
“Either/or” or both? Do I believe in the free will of man or the Sovereignty of G-d? Yes, I do and yes, to “both.” Allow me to introduce my self, -I am a sinner saved by grace. Gasp! Horror of horrors! A sinner! Yes, most assuredly, a sinner, for I too have “missed the mark.” And so have you and you and you. Simply put, “all” have sinned. The Jew, the Greek, the male, the female.. -all. We my friends (all of us) are sinners. By birth, by inclination/desire/yetser hara, and by choice. It may sound crazy (and it is!), but I have willingly, openly, freely chosen to sin. “Forgive me Father for I have sinned” belongs to me- and to no one else. (Even though this applies to all) The word of G-d is catholic/universal. It applies to all. -All have sinned. My guilt (our guilt) before our thrice-holy G-d has been thoroughly established. Bottom line- I am a sinner. (Just the facts m’am..) This is my identity- without (outside of) Christ.
Now the good news. This is what makes the gospel so good. This is what makes the diamond of the gospel shine so brightly. Christ Jesus died for sinners. G-d loves sinners- all of them. Rich, poor, tall, fat, vegetarian and Puerto Rican, G-d, my friends, loves them all. We are all too familiar with John 3.16, but verse sixteen is (drumroll) followed by verse 17- “For G-d did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save/redeem/deliver/set free/renew the world through Him.” Our intense focus my friends is (needs to be) the Messiah, the Christ, the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world. Very inclusive and and yet very divisive. The cross of Calvary includes and it also divides, but there is no other way to G-d other than through the cross of Jesus who is the Christ. The preaching/proclaiming of the cross (the tslav- the execution stake) is to them who are perishing- foolishness, but unto us who are saved (and being saved) it is the power of G-d.
The cross. The cross. The cross. It is the cross. Our focus should be (needs to be) on tHis cross. His cross is not ours. He is the Burden-bearer. He is the Sin Substitute. He is the Lamb of YHWH that takes away the sin of the world, and yes..- “G-d will provide (and did provide) Himself,- the Lamb. “Behold, (everyone) the Lamb of G-d is the Master Theme of our entire Bible. If you miss this, you will indeed- miss the mark entirely. Friends,- “it is the LORD.”
Who did “we” (I am included) crucify upon the tslav? Who willingly spilled His very life’s blood on our behalf? Who gave Himself for us at Calvary? Yes.. look. Then look again and again and again. It was the Messiah. G-d Incarnate. We killed our Creator. Guilty,- every one of us, guilty and yet He said these very words with a love unknown to us: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” My response to His words? “Father, forgive me for I (too) have sinned.”
And what are the words of my Father? (Yes, I did say “my Father”). “Welcome home, son, – welcome home.” Welcome to the (world-wide) family of G-d. And I fell at His feet, and worshiped Him- for He alone is worthy.
Love is a choice and I (today) willingly, freely, gladly, openly choose Him. I want/desire to live my life (right here, right now) in intentional obedience. I (now) delight to do His will. It is not drudgery, nor is it a duty- it is a delight, a joy to obey Christ and to do what is pleasing in the sight of my Maker and Redeemer, my Lover and my Friend. Obedience issues forth from love. I listen for His speaking (His words are eternal) and then obey the push/pull of the Ruach HaKodesh- the Holy Breath in my daily life and circumstances. At times I falter, stumble, fail- then He lifts me up, bandages and heals my wounds and again (and again), “together” (what a wonderful word) we continue on this journey called life. Together my dear family, -brothers and sisters of all nations, tribes, kindreds and tongues we are making Aliyah- journeying ever onward to a city whose Builder and Maker is G-d. How do we get there from here? Yeshua is the Way.
Hi Carl,
While I can’t comment on all your blog, but I appreciate it, I just want to say that I do not believe you and I are sinner BY BIRTH. That is the mythology of Augustine (via Plato) and Luther, and it has done considerable damage to the desire to be obedient. After all, what’s the point of trying to obey if I am BORN a sinner. I can’t be saved unless God swoops in and saves me since I can’t do anything about how I am born, so what’s the use in trying.
It’s time to seriously exam this doctrine, find out when it came into the Church and dismantle it.
Thank you Skip for your reply. I’ll try to expound on why I believe we are (all) sinners by birth. I am not saying a spanking new baby is a sinner, but rather “in Adam” all die. This is what (I believe) Rabbi Sha’ul refers to by “the natural man.” We (humankind) are either “in Adam” by our first birth our we are “in Christ-the second Adam” by our new birth. (The regenerative work and power of the enabling, empowering and ever present Ruach Hakodesh, our Comforter, Aid, Helper and Teacher along this journey called life.
Somewhere (I do not know where or when) a young child becomes aware of right and wrong. As each of us are made in the image of our Creator, contained within every man is a G-d given G-d consciousness. We are all,as Romans 1 states: “without excuse.” However, because of the polluting influence of sin, this world will pull us down and outside of Christ and without His guidance and protection we (all) are vulnerable and doomed to despair and defeat. There is not a man on the planet (with the exception of ONE) who can live a perfect life. As I am wont to say, “there is only one perfect man ever to have lived and (shock of shocks!) I am not that man.”
I would have to agree with you concerning the new bairns and I accept your prognosis – we are born “innocent.” There is nothing as innocent and beautiful as a newborn. They are gorgeous indeed! But as time progresses we do see that we do not need to teach a child to sin and to do wrong, we (all) have a “natural” proclivity toward doing that which is sinful, or outside of the will of G-d. (Anything outside of the will of G-d is sinful).
There is however something we can do about the problem of sin. (I do hope all would agree- sin is a problem, and I would go even further to state: sin is THE problem. Sin has been revealed (to all) and has been made manifest. It is clear and plain as the nose on my face, no doubt in my mind dear friends- I am (are you sitting?) less than perfect. And anything less than perfect, just won’t do.
A question. How much sin would G-d allow into His Heaven? Do we even have a clue about how holy our G-d is? Read the Book!- It’s in there! G-d hates sin. Yes, with a holy hatred- G-d hates sin in any form or fashion. Sins of omission, sins of commission- it doesn’t matter. It is not the amount of sin (you’re better than he is, right?) -no, it is the fact of sin. If all I ever did my entire life was to steal a pencil, (I’ve done plenty more than this, -rest assured..) would G-d let me into His heaven? It is not the amount of sin- it is the fact of sin. Well.. – I’m not such a bad guy.. after all I.. – yes? You what? Give money to the church.. -wonderful. Go and visit the sick? fantastic. Read your Bible? Super- an excellent activity. Would any of these things be “sufficient” concerning our sin problem? Does G-d have a giant set of scales to balance our good works (those Girl Scout cookies sure were good!) against our bad? No.- There is no way (no way) we can atone for our sins. We just don’t have what it takes, for what it takes is the shedding of blood. Perfect blood. Lamb’s blood. What can “wash away” my sins? – Nothing but the blood of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of G-d. A Lamb without blemish and without spot-I find no fault in Him.” What can make me “whole again?”- Nothing but the blood of Jesus. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of (the) Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1.18,19) This is so Jewish, so Hebrew- I am flabbergasted, frustrated and foozled (I made that one up!) how the Messiah could be rejected by the very ones He came to save! How can I say it any plainer? Folks,- He is the ONE! The ONE who not only was nailed to a Roman cross and buried in a borrowed tomb, but the ONE who three days later defeated Death, the Grave and Hell and now has total authority over these three.
What an incredible love story the gospel is. And people..- it only gets better! Better quit before I go to shoutin’!- He Lives!!
Skip, I am so glad you brought this up. Last year Dwight Pryor came out with a teaching on Original Sin and the harm it has done. He said it began with Augustine and was due to a mistranslation in the Latin from the Greek (I can’t remember the exact text, sorry). This teaching is available as a 4-CD. It is “controversial”, but extremely thought provoking. It came out as part of his monthly Chavurah teachings but was so popular they made it available to everyone. Personally, I never felt “right” with this idea that I’m born a sinner. From a Judaic point of view, it reflects poorly on the character of G-d. So, if you want to be challenged I highly recommend this series. It’s called “Reassessing the Doctrine of Original Sin and its ramifications”. It also discusses how un-Hebraic this doctrine is. Anyway, he put it much better than I ever could. Well, I guess it’s time for me to dig out my CDs and listen to them again! Todah, Donna
Thanks Donna. I will see if I can get these. Also, in the next few weeks we will look at this topic again, with more verses and more implications.
Skip — Do you no longer miss the mark? (I ask seriously and perhaps out of naivete, and not facetiously or sardonically; nor rhetorically). I am losing contact with a deeply important friend because of his struggle with same-sex attraction, and his discouragement lies in his weakness to resist the pull of pornography and life-style. He is foundering in a sea of self-condemnation and has begun to isolate himself from every Christian influence. He believes that he has exhausted God’s grace by repetition.
Please help if you can!
Of course I miss the mark! But it’s my fault. It is not the fault of the way God made me or my parents or my culture or my theology. It’s MY fault. And God still excepts me to be obedient because I CAN BE. Can I be obedient at this very moment? Certainly! At the next moment. Yes, again. At the next? Yes. So, why do I fall? Because I stop exercising my choice to obey and instead exercise my choice to do it my way. To be distracted. To listen to the programming I have been given myself for years. But I don’t have to.
Is it hard to change? Of course. Ask any addict. But it’s not impossible. It will become impossible as soon as I tell myself that I can’t change, that this is just the way I am. Then I am finished. All Scripture is a statement of my responsibility, my struggle and His grace to help me THROUGH my struggle.
Hi Skip
2 weeks ago, while going through Guardian Angel again, I was shocked to discover something I thought everybody except me knew:
Is this whole thing of choice the main reason why the story of Adam and Havvah is right in the beginning of Scripture( most important facts first?)
And this is the real reason why we need to understand all the facts about the fall? For from that day that Havvah decided to LISTEN to her OWN DESIRE, and not be obedient to G-D and at the SAME time Adam, standing next to her, decided to NOT REMEMBER G-D, from that day everything we as believers do, is based on that same choice between listening to G-D or choosing to listen to my own desires? If this is so, it is actually very sad that it took me 40 years to understand the story behind the” green tree with the red apples”
Do you think it is All about choice? I choose to love G-D and do what He says, even if I don’t feel like it( as in marriage)?
You got it! And there is a lot more to this story than even what we discover in Guardian Angel. I will be writing about it on Today’s Word in the upcoming weeks.
Beautiful. Thank you so much Skip for confirming that. Sometimes we just need to hear it again. Please pray for my friend if you get a chance.
Sorry…but still don’t get this line of thinking. Isn’t John speaking here exclusively to believers (“my little children”)? Believers or followers of Christ who have already been clothed with the righteousness of Christ and who should therefore, in practice, through the power of the Spirit (Rom 8) regularly reckon themselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus?” (Rom 6:11) And if that reality is a true reality in my life and in my walk with God, then I can choose not to let sin “reign” in my life (Rom 6:12-13)?…So, yes, I have the complete ability and capability, through the Spirit of God and the life of Christ, as a believer to choose to “not to sin”….But what of those who have never been clothed with the righteousness of Christ? Are you saying they (just like a believer of Christ) can “choose not to sin” in the same way a “believer” can choose not to sin? And what exactly does that mean because whether a non-believer can choose to sin or not makes no difference since the non-believer stands in a place of condemnation and subject to being one day confronted with the holiness of God and therefore His righteous wrath….Paul’s “frustration” described in Romans 7 leads to his natural confession of “what a wretched man I am but thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord”. In other words, left in my own power, and in trying to live a “righteous” life in on my own, all I am left with is this perpetual cycle of sin-confess-sin-confess etc. But Paul doesn’t stop his letter to the Romans at Chapter 7. Chapter 8 tells us how to live this life of victory over sin…and it is surrender to and being led by the Holy Spirit….To this end, I don’t find the Christian life frustrating because I am unable to get beyond my “sinful nature”, but rather, the struggle I share with Paul is simply living a life of surrender and obedience to His will, while relying on the Holy Spirit to lead, convict, etc. so that I “may not sin”. And my obedience to Him is simply my declaration of love for Him while my disobedience (sin) denies the reality of a truth already made possible through Him. He put sin to death. I just need to agree with God, through My Savior, and live like it is truly dead daily.
Sounds good to me. Did I confuse the issue somewhere?
I so agree and lose heart too easily with all the ‘acceptable’ sin in the church and personal lives. I am thankful for your good word and this community of Believers. Thank you. Pray for me and husband. We get along fine but lack any depth of emotional/ spiritual connection.
Even if I wasn’t born in sin (which I was), had I been overshadowed by the church at some point in my life, I would have been convinced that I could never measure up to God’s standard of holiness. I often heard my Christian mother use that term, “I don’t feel like I ever measure up”…and then the comparison would come next. She spoke to me and declared that I never measured up! How reassuring to my lack of self esteem. I always loved the Lord and His Word and early on I read Isaiah 32:17 which I chose as my life verse. “The effect of righteousness will be peace; the result of righteousness, quiet trust forever.” I have experienced peace and I know quiet trust in my Savior and I’m not afraid to stand in His Presence and worship Him with my whole (forgiven) heart. If righteousness were unattainable, then I am a fool to dare enter His presence and the peace I experience is a farce (the enemy’s lie). The truth is; I was saved from an abortion and I know Who gave me life AND peace!
Excellent brother Carl. i couldn’t have said it better, or as well. Praise the Lord for HIS WORD!
Wow! I have never heard of this perspective. That’s pretty awesome to contemplate! It’s fascinating (and disturbing) to discover how many of the things I take for granted, and have been taught to believe as literally gospel, are, in fact, theology inserted over time. Scary! Frustrating! Liberating!
Thanks, Skip!
Oh such a joy to know that we can be free from sin. Oh thanks you Jesus!! THis acknowledgement that my sin nature no longer defines me, and now I am defined by my relationship to Christ. As I grow in my relationship with Christ, I am longing to draw nearer to him every day. I recognize that my brain is programmed a certain way, that is to dwell in my sinful nature and to never reach the other side, and yet, the Holy Spirit, who lives in me, convinces me that I am a Child of God, and even further, a friend, loved one of Christ. This relationship, which helps me to love him more each day, and to act out my relationship by loving others and showing them why God redeemed me, so that his glory can be revealed to all. Thank you all
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! The gospel of Christ. The only sinless One who struggled in all points in temptation, YET lived without sin. We call ourselves followers of Him, yet we continue to focus on how unrighteous we are, although we have been made righteous through His sacrifice, and we lose focus on how He has given us everything we need to live godly lives. I am thankful for His Word and His Spirit that lead us to repentance…to turn from my way to His Way. I may have BEEN a sinner, but, through Christ, I am redeemed and set free from the power of sin. I must choose this day whom I will serve. I must choose whether I will serve me or Him. I cannot decide how I am going to do so, His Word gives direction for godly living.
When I slip, He helps me up and gets me going again. Now unto Him who is able to keep me from falling, be glory forever!! He preserves me, YES! He who began a good work, is able to finish it. Why would He keep, preserve, guard me in sin? He is my Provider, my Sustainer and deliverer. WE must learn to “put on Christ” and that is something WE do. No more twilight zone Christianity, I cannot just decree it and watch it happen, I have to live this Word out,day by day.
Open my ears Father, that I can hear you when you tell me what sin is, then open my heart that I would hide Your Word in it that I might not sin against You.