Sin With Purpose
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17 NASB
Sin – We are familiar with the exhortation that awareness of our sin is one of the purposes of Torah. In this sense, Torah is the schoolteacher, showing us where and when we have gone astray so that we might plead for merciful return to His presence. In this context, we often find theologians characterizing sin as something “insane” (e.g., Berkouwer). After all, what rational man would deliberately choose a pathway that absolutely puts his entire life in danger and guarantees horrendous punishment? The insanity of sin makes sense. But maybe there is another aspect of our disobedience that needs to be illuminated in order for us to recognize the signs before the fall.
What happens to us when we sin? (By the way, notice that James assumes a certain common understanding of disobedience along with individual application). First we must take notice of the fact that very rarely do we experience the immediate consequences of our actions. This delay allows the yetzer ha’ra to operate, suggesting either that God doesn’t really care or that God will certainly forgive at a later time (when we require it). When we do experience the inevitable guilt, remorse and moral confusion, we are inclined to immediately appropriate grace in any attempt to circumvent any future repetition of our mistake. And we usually fail. The reason we fail is not because we didn’t understand the requirement. Rather, it is because we did not pay attention to the sign along the way. We did not consider (or we deliberately ignored) those lesser acts that brought us to the point of sinful behavior, a point where we are without will power to prevent the consequent disobedience. Sin is orgasmic. There is a point of no return. There is a point where, no matter what you wish to do, it’s simply too late to stop. The key to righteous behavior is to divert the causal connections before they reach the explosive edge. And here sin itself becomes purposeful.
We sin. But instead of running to the altar, perhaps we should consider for a moment what sequence of events and actions preceded our sin. We find one link in the causal chain that we know will lead us into disobedience. We correct that one link. For example, if I find that each time I am with certain friends at a ball game I exaggerate the truth (i.e., I lie) in order to impress them, then I correct that situation by insuring that I do not attend a game with these people. Step one. On further observation (and more sin), I realize that it is not just the friends and the circumstances that cause this behavior. I notice that it occurs only after I have had a disagreement with my spouse. Another correction is necessary further up the causal chain. I sin again. Now I have to step even further back, recognizing that the reason for the argument with my spouse finds its source in my going to work without taking time to pray in the morning. Another backward step. As you can see, ultimately the goal is to identify those basic steps that lead me to sinful actions so that I can avoid the steps before I get to the unstoppable end. Perhaps instead of fighting to exhaustion those unstoppable ends I would be better served by examining what happened before I was no longer able to control the outcome. Each time I do this, I back up until at last I see the path before it even becomes a choice—and I choose another way. I use the power of the yetzer ha’ra against itself.
If we are going to really make any progress toward righteousness we will have to find ways to short circuit those patterns we have conditioned ourselves to use as ways of numbing our fears. With the help of YHVH, perhaps this is seeking Him too.
Topical Index: sin, James 4:17
O what a tangled web we weave,
when first we practice to deceive.
“May the words of my mouth
and the meditations of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight
O LORD,
My Strength and My Redeemer”
~ but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love ~
GOT IT! Stop going to ballgames, divorce my wife and quit my job! Thanks Skip! This ‘keeping the law’ thing is getting easier and easier. Wait till I tell my wife and boss the good news! …oh, wait I need to read this again.
Laughing!
“I use the power of the yetzer ha-ra against itself.” Ho, ho, now we come to the meat of the matter.
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother (Torah obedience) and then come offer thy gift.” Matt. 5:23,24. YHVH apparently doesn’t even want to have anything to do with us until we have something to do with each other! Hmm
A friend reminded me yesterday about a prayer group that had invited me to come share my experience in recovering from all the illness and debility in my life, which was my testimony. I had agreed, and had started out walking them through the steps that I had taken to get to my freedom. Well, we made it through the understanding that healing is for today, and that it is a consequence of the restoration of relationships. We talked about accusation and how to recognize it and how it opens the door to the rest of it. We made it through a discussion on bitterness, which is the chronic state of unforgiveness, and got all the way to the point in the Lord’s Prayer where it talks about forgiving others as a precondition to us being forgiven by G-d, and the whole thing came apart. I mean, the whole room rose up. When I asked what the problem was, almost all of them, to a man (well, it was a men’s group, after all!) protested that they felt that their salvation was being challenged; and they all went into fear. No matter how I approached it, they could not deal with it. If their salvation was going to be conditional upon their ability to forgive, then they didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t get invited back.
When Skip talks about backing up that path of the wrong choices, which is the wrong reactions to the challenges and unknowns of my life, until I get to the original fork, he is describing exactly what I have had to learn to do. I am not going to be delivered of fear, say, unless and until I am willing to face, and re-choose, every wrong belief, and every reaction based on those successive beliefs, until I make it back to the bottom fracture of trust that sent me into that fear. After all, I I am afraid in all the places I do not trust.
I can cast out a spirit of fear all day long; I can claim salvation all the day long; I can blame the devil and invoke the blood until the going down of the sun, but until I become willing to face – and lament – the fact that I am the one who is angry because trust got broken and betrayed, and that the only right thing to do with that anger is to choose to hesed and to hen; to literally extend a fresh chance to that relationship: in fact, until I choose to act like my Saviour acted toward me, and come to the altar hand-in-hand with my brother, like He did with me, in His eyes, I don’t even exist.
Existence, I have become convinced, must be a collective term. We need each other to even do the stuff. If I cannot allow you to exist – which bitterness does not allow, for it is murder in my heart – then I have, in effect, bound myself with cursed chains to the corpse I killed, which is a death sentence for me, too. In the ancient world, where this was a common form of torture, no one lasted over a few days. Bitterness is a killer. We destroy each other with our unforgiveness, but at the same time, we destroy ourselves. No salvation can come in between such a self-imposed sentence.
Thanks for sharing Laurita. You may not have been invited back, but some of the seeds planted may germinate. Regardless, these men are now held accountable for the level of knowledge you brought to them. Bless you for bringing the hard word of Truth and exposing the lie. It is difficult to face being wrong, more difficult to admit it, and even more difficult to begin living the Truth. This facet of human pride keeps us in the form (illusion) of godliness but totally powerless, and this is against everything we are told we are in Messiah. Stay the fight, you are running the good race!
Have you any British blood in you, Michael? 🙂
John, why yes I do have some English/Irish ancestry. Thanks for asking, but was it the dry wit or the bad teeth that gave me away?
I recently visited your website and was very impressed with your mathematical abilities and insights; so, I too, am curious: is there any German blood in your lineage? No matter, the good news is that we have both can share the same cup of blood and bread of body of Yeshua, our Messiah (I am not yet learned enough to state that we already share the same blood and body as He due to our new birth, or that even we shall in the Olam ha-ba. Maybe Skip will address that someday, if he hasn’t already). Shalom my (blood?) brother. Michael
This is a page from my life experience for sure. For a lot of reasons too many to go into, I learned early in life to search for, accept and lean on the reality of a Savior who loved me. Maybe because there was no one else I would ask Him questions…make small talk and listen for answers…which might come 2 weeks or months later….there was no one else. One day about 20 years ago I shocked myself at how angry I’d gotten when I was cut off in traffic. I’d never done that before! “Wow.” I asked, “Why did I react like that?! I’m shocked.” As was often the case it was about 2 weeks later while driving down the same busy street coming upon a line of traffic I clearly heard (as though not a moment had passed between my question two weeks ago and now), “Because you feel held back.” Whoa. It was like a curtain had been pulled back from the hallway between my heart and mind and light came in. That is EXACTLY how I feel in the deepest part of me – I was in total awe. I’d like to say that ended the days of my road rage but it did not….I DID try harder..remembering my truth but if the perfect storm came together so did I. Years past with victories and defeats. Gradually, over time I began to accept HIS ACCEPTANCE of me – I began learning how much it meant to Him for my life to be fulfilling and purposeful and how much He really loved me….each of us as individuals. One day…certainly after a length of time that I should have now conquered that anger at silly drivers…one poor unsuspecting soul crossed the line. Without a thought I glared over at him and shook my head at “his stupidity”. In an instant, without a second in between He asked very simply, “Why do you keep bowing to that idol?” WHAAAAT?!! I know EXACTLY how a balloon feels when all the air is let out-humbled doesn’t even begin to cover it. “I’m bowing to an idol?!” Suddenly it was all very clear…that thing I must have considered too important to let go of..had become a god…and each time I had given in to the anger I was worshipping that idol. The reality set me free. I want to serve or worship NO OTHER gods then the One who gave everything for my life, even His own Life. In reality I had given worship to something that hurt me, hurt my family, hurt strangers, made me look stupid, and under the right conditions could have gotten me killed these days. How stupid is that? I’m so grateful to understand and be released. It has made me look at many other things in my life and ask myself…are you worshipping that wound, that pain, that fear? God help me – keep me from stupid – You are Life and all that You are I want to be covered with!
Choose Life!
Warning! The following scribble may be far too simple for some!
What is, (sumdumguy inquired), the wisest thing any man may do? It is (to this simple man’s mind) to obey God. The ten commandments (remember?), not the (sorry Ted) ten suggestions. When God speaks, we had ought to listen attentively and to do what He says to do. The author of Hebrews, has stated it this way: “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” The name of the game is: (how often have I thought this!) “Pay Attention!”
Adam did not do this, neither did Eve and what did it cost them? Yes, there is a cost or consequence to sin!) So long, Paradise! Not to mention the regret (even weeping or nashing of teeth?) of these two, the long days spent remembering the former days on the “other side” of the guardian angel with the flaming sword now posted at the doorway to Eden.
“To obey, or not to obey,” (with apologies to W. Shakespeare), THAT is the question! And what were the words our Savior said? “If you love Me, [demonstrate your love! and] keep My commandments!” (John 14.15)