"SOME
HIDDEN SPIRITUAL TRUTHS ABOUT SIN"
By Dr. John Williams,
New York
Founder/President: INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHURCH
MANAGEMENT
(Email:iicm@aol.com)
IICM offers accredited Bible Correspondence Courses:
Bachelor of Ministry, Master of Ministry, Doctor of
Ministry
and Doctor of Divinity)
A. INTRODUCTION
Sin is the most dreadful thing. It is like spiritual
cancer. Sin is satanic, in the sense, that sin is
committed under the influence of evil spirits. Satan
cannot make a person commit sin, but he can
certainly influence him. At the same time, people
commit sin exercising their free will. Sin is a
deliberate and a willful act. When a person commits
a sin, he becomes a slave to that sin. Satan is a
deceptive, enticing, lying, tormenting and
destructive spirit. Satan is the arch- enemy of God
and he is always trying his best to defeat the plans
of God. Further he is jealous of men because God
created men even above the angels. Satan lied to
Adam and Eve and deceived them in the Garden of Eden
by influencing them to commit sin and brought about
the curse of death, sickness, poverty, etc., on
mankind. The Bible warns us severely of the wages of
sin, which is death.
Sin is not just a weakness, habit, hang-up, problem,
mistake, inappropriate act, wrongful act, something
done under sudden and grave provocation, or an
instinctive reaction. Sin is a deliberate , willful,
intentional, pre-meditated, conscious, planned,
wrongful, inexcusable act and an act committed by a
man against his moral conscience!
Some strange and shocking facts about sin are as
follows:
The world pretends like that there is no such thing
as sin, and that we do not have to pay any penalty
for it
The word sin is neither recognized nor used by the
legislators, judiciary, academicians, journalists,
philosophers, psychologists or doctors.
Even though salvation is sought by almost all
religions, no research work is being done in any
university, and no course is offered on the subject
of sin and salvation
The religion tries to work their own ways to merit
and earn one's salvation, through some act of
sacrifice or goodness
Dealing with the issue of sin and salvation:
Sin and salvation are real issues of life whether we
believe it or not
Any intelligent man should know that we cannot
violate God's laws and work out our own salvation.
Man cannot make a sacrifice or pay some compensation
and be exonerated from his guilt and sin.
For violating God's laws, one has to seek and find
the remedy that God has provided for us
The bible is the most authentic, authoritative and
accepted book on the subject of sin and salvation.
B. WHAT IS SIN?
Sin is something spiritual!
Sin may involve a physical act
Sin may be done in an intelligent way
Sin is an immoral act
Sin may be an anti-social act
Sin could be related to a psychological problem
Sin is generally wrong even legally
Sin is something against ones own moral conscience
Sin is something which is not correct
philosophically
Sin is something generally forbidden by the
religions
There are several explanations and definitions given
in the Bible about sin. Some of them are given
below:
1. All unrighteousness is sin (I John 5:17)
Anything that is not right is sin. In other words
everything that is wrong is sin. God has endowed
every man with a moral conscience to discern between
right and the wrong. Further, the Bible answers
every question that one might have as to what is sin
and what is not sin.
2. Transgression of law is sin (I John 3:4)
The Bible has covered all the Laws of God both in
the Old and in the New Testament. No one has any
excuse for not knowing the Laws of God. The Bible
says that people are willingly ignorant of the
truth. The Bible lists two kinds of laws:- Mandatory
Laws and Prohibitory Laws (the do’s and
the don’ts). God’s Laws require
us to do certain things and at the same time they
require us to refrain from doing certain things. God
requires us to serve Him, love Him and love our
neighbors, win souls, go and preach the gospel, make
disciples, give tithes, forgive those who trespass
against us, live by faith etc. On the other hand,
God’s laws prohibit certain kinds of
behavior and actions such as lying, backbiting,
being proud, envying, being jealous, being covetous,
hatred, stealing, murder, adultery, etc.
3. What is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23)
God expects us to put our whole trust in Him and to
live by faith. Of course God has also given us a
measure of faith. God does not expect or require us
to do something that we are not capable of doing.
Many people conveniently choose not to believe God
and His Word so that they may continue to live in
their own wicked way as they please. John 3:16 says
that God so loved the world that He gave His only
Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. John 3:18 says
that, he that believeth on Him is not condemned but
he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. John 3:19 says that the reason why
people are condemned is that after the light is come
to this world, people have loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds are evil.
4. Not doing good when one knows to do good, is sin
(James 4:17)
The Bible says that to whom much is given, much is
also expected (Luke 12:48). God expects us to be
good stewards of everything that He has blessed us
with. Many know these truths but they do not do it,
which means they are committing sin.
5. What separates man from God is sin (Isaiah 59:2)
God created man to love and to have fellowship with
Him. In the modern day in which we are living,
because of the complexities of life, so many things
come between us and God. If we love or give more
importance to these things, it would amount to sin.
What may come between us and God may be television,
newspaper, paperback books, entertainment, sports,
hobbies, recreation, education, job, house, friends,
music, etc. We have to make sure that our love for
God, relationship with God, commitment to God, etc.,
are not affected in any way because of our
involvement in so many things. The examples listed
above may not be wrong, evil or sin by themselves,
but they may become sins when we overindulge
ourselves in them and neglect God and the things of
God.
6. A multitude of words is sin (Proverbs 10:19)
Many may be guilty of this sin, because several
other sins are also committed through
one’s speech. For example gossip,
backbiting, boasting, lying, blasphemy, swearing,
etc., are committed through speech. Jesus said that
our communication should be yea, yea and nay, nay,
for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil
(Matthew 5:37). James 3:2 says that if any man
offend not in word, he is a perfect man. James 3:8
says that no man can control the tongue which is an
unruly evil full of deadly poison. Proverbs 21:23
says that whoso keepeth his tongue keepeth his soul.
James 1:26 says that if we do not bridle our tongue,
we will deceive our own hearts and our religion also
will be in vain.
7. A foolish thought is sin (Proverbs 24:9)
Generally people commit sins by acts, words and
thoughts. Before a sin is committed, it is first
conceived in the mind. Matthew 15:19 says that lust
when conceived brings forth sin. We may even say
that it is sin to be foolish. Psalm 5:5 says that
the foolish shall not stand in the sight of God.
Ecclesiastes 2:4 says that fools walk in darkness.
Proverbs 4:19 says that, fools mock at sin. It is
foolish not to be ready for the coming of the Lord
(Matthew 25); and to hear the Word and not do it
(Proverbs 24:9)
8. Despising the neighbor is a sin (Proverbs14:21)
Hating anyone is a sin. Jesus commanded us to love
Him and our neighbors. If any one disobeys this
great commandment, it will constitute a sin. We have
already seen that transgression of the Law is sin.
Our God is a loving God and He has shed abroad in
our hearts His love (Romans 5:5). Therefore we have
the capacity to love and to grow in love.
9. Lust becomes sin when it is conceived (James
1:15)
The Bible says in I John 2:6 that the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes are not of the
Father, but of this world. Galatians 5:19 lists
several works of the flesh including adultery,
fornication, uncleanness and lasciviousness. In the
next verse it is written that those who do such
things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
10. Whatever the bible calls a sin is a sin
In Galatians 5:20-21 a few other serious sins are
also listed, which are idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, envyings , murders, drunkenness and
revellings. It will be very difficult to make a
complete list of all the sins mentioned in the
Bible. In II Timothy 3:1-5, several sins of the last
days are listed as, being lovers of themselves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural
affection, truce breakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are
good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God and having a form
of godliness but denying the power of God. In this
passage we are admonished to turn away from such
people.
C. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SIN?
Because it is Satan that influences people to sin,
he follows a pattern in influencing them. We can
find a set of characteristics in all sins, which are
discussed below:
1. Sin is deceptive (Rom. 7:11, Titus 3:3, II Tim.
3:13, Heb 3:13)
Satan uses subtle methods to deceive the sinners. If
anyone can see clearly the consequences of a sin,
they would not commit that sin. The seriousness and
consequences of sin are not apparent. The sinner is
not aware of the fact that he is going to be hooked
to it. The pleasure or the benefit resulting from
that act of sin is only momentary or temporary. A
time will come in the life of every sinner when he
will regret for committing that sin.
2. Sin is a shameful act (Proverb 14:34)
Most of the sins are committed in secret because
they are shameful acts, whether it is stealing or
any other immoral act. Eventually when they get
caught, it becomes a big scandal.
3. Sin is destructive (James 1:15, Romans 7:11)
When a person continues to sin, it slowly destroys
and kills his body, mind, spirit, reputation, etc.
The Bible says that Satan steals, kills and destroys
(John 10:10).
4. Sin will expose the sinner (Numbers 32:23, II
Theses. 2:3)
The Bible says that the sin will find the sinner
out. The sinner will get caught eventually. The
question is how long he can continue to sin.
5. Sin has a penalty (Romans 5:12)
There is a penalty for sin, which is death and no
one can escape it. In addition to that, every one
who commits sin may have to pay a price during this
life. The Bible says that, what a man sows that
shall he also reap, and if he sows to his flesh, he
shall reap corruption (Galatians 6:7-8).
6. Sin gives a guilt feeling to the sinner (Genesis
3:8)
When a person commits a sin, it puts a guilt feeling
on the inside. It creates a sense of fear, which
disturbs the peace of the individual. Adam and Eve
went through this experience. When Judas betrayed
Jesus, he went through the same experience.
7. Sin is a willful act (Genesis 4:8, Hebrews 10:26)
Even though Satan entices, deceives and lies, man
commits sin knowingly, deliberately and
intentionally, exercising his free will. In other
words man has the ability to control every one of
his actions, and therefore he is fully responsible
for it, and no one can be blamed for it.
8. Sin is enticing and alluring (Genesis 3:6,
Proverbs 9:17)
Generally sin is very attractive to the flesh. Satan
has his own way of enticing men to commit sins and
they become victims. Genesis 3:6 says that the fruit
was pleasant to the eyes and Proverbs 9:17 says that
stolen waters are sweet.
9. Sin puts the sinner into a bondage (II Peter
2:19)
When a person commits a sin he becomes a servant of
that sin (John 8:34) and as a result he is forced to
commit the same sin over and over again (Romans
6:16). A person that steals, murders, lies etc. has
a tendency to repeat the same sin over and over
again.
10. Sin is inexcusable (Romans 1:20, Romans 2:1)
As man has the God given ability to know the
difference between the right and the wrong, he has
no excuse for committing any sin. He cannot plead
ignorance. As we have seen already, every act of sin
committed is done willfully and deliberately, and
therefore he is liable to face its consequences. We
can find real satisfaction in life, only in God and
in spiritual things.
It is important to know that Satan and his
followers, numbering one third of the angelic force
in heaven, are engaged in an organized effort to
defeat the plan of God, by influencing men to commit
acts of sin, which are forbidden by God, so that
they will be condemned by God.
11. Sin gives momentary pleasure
The motivation for committing any act of sin, is the
momentary pleasure or some other benefit that the
sinner gets. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces
of silver. David killed Uriah to marry his wife
Bethsheba. Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree
in the middle of the garden, because Satan [in the
form of a serpent] deceived Eve by telling her that
she would become wise after eating the forbidden
fruit. In the bible it says that it was attractive
to her eyes as well.
12. Sin has a tendency to grow
When a person commits a sin, he does not stop with
that act. Usually he has a tendency to indulge in
that sin over and over again. An occasional smoker
becomes a chain smoker and a social drinker becomes
an alcoholic. This is because the spirit that
influences the sinner, continues to work in that
individual, until he is destroyed.
13. Sin is unprofitable
No one can derive any real benefit by committing
sins. After committing a sin over and over again,
spending money, time and energy, they realize that
it is a total waste and regret for doing it. As a
matter of fact, a person who commits a sin goes
through some misery and torment because of the
feeling of guilt, until he repents for it and is
forgiven by God.
14. Sin does not give satisfaction:
As we have seen already, sin is very deceptive. The
sins of this world can never give satisfaction to
people no matter to what extent they indulge in it
and how many times they repeat it. After sin is
committed, the sinner has a feeling of guilt and
emptiness. He will never have the feeling of
satisfaction or fullness.
D. WHY DO PEOPLE SIN?
A person who has a good understanding and a full
revelation about sin and its serious consequences,
will not sin. Satan operates in two ways. Either he
keeps the people blind to the spiritual truths or
deceives them through lies or temptations. So people
commit sins and become the victims of Satan. Some of
the reasons why people commit sins are discussed
below:
1. Because of deception
In most cases, the people who commit sins are
deceived by Satan. Satan entices, lies and deceives
people. If people know the whole truth about sin,
they would not indulge in it for any reason
whatsoever.
2. Because of ignorance
The Bible says in John 8:32, "that ye shall
know the truth and the truth shall make you
free." It is very important that everyone has a
full revelation about sin and its implications.
Because sin is something spiritual, no book in this
world in any discipline deals with this subject. The
Bible is the only book that deals with the subject
of sin. It is the prayer of the writer of this book
that every reader will be truly enlightened on the
subject of sin, so that they will not be deceived by
the subtle ways of Satan and fall into sin.
3. Because of attraction
Every sin is enticing and alluring to the
prospective sinner, in a particular situation. What
people do not realize is that, there is an organized
effort by Satan and his evil forces to entice
everyone to sin and follow Satan rather than God.
There is something attractive about sin to everyone.
Romans 7:11 says that sin, taking occasion by the
commandment, deceives and slays the sinner. Titus
3:3 says, "For we ourselves also were sometimes
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts
and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful,
and hating one another". II Timothy 3:13 says
that evil men and seducers shall wax worse,
deceiving, and being deceived. Hebrew 3:13 says,
"Exhort one another daily ....lest any of you
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin".
E. WHAT HAS JESUS DONE TO SAVE US FROM SIN?
The real and the only remedy for sin is Jesus
Christ. The Bible says that Jesus came into this
world to seek and to save the sinner (Luke 19:10).
The Bible says that the blood of Jesus Christ has
power to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John
1:9). Jesus died on the cross of Calvary and shed
His blood as an atonement for our sins.
The fact that Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to
this world to save mankind from the penalty of sin,
can be seen very clearly in the Bible. This truth is
stated in the Bible in so many ways that no one can
question it. Some of the expressions used in the
Bible to prove that Jesus came to this world to save
sinners are stated below:-
- - - purged our sins (Isaiah 6:7)
- - - Washed with His blood (Revelation 1:5)
- - - Covered our sins (Psalm 32:1)
- - - Bore our sins (Hebrew 9:28)
- - - Forgave all trespasses (Colossians 2:13)
- - - Took away the sins (John 1:29)
- - - Reproved the world of sin (John 16:8)
- - - Delivered us (I Thessalonians 1:10)
- - - Sin will not have dominion (Romans 6:14)
- - - Put away the sins (Hebrews 9:26)
- - - Sin will not reign (Romans 6:12)
- - - Shed his blood for the remission of sin
(Matthew 26:28)
- - - Pardoned abundantly (Isaiah 55:7)
- - - Saved the world (John 3:16)
- - - Blotted out sins (Isaiah 44:22)
- - - Cleansed all unrighteousness (I John 1:9)
- - - Wounded for transgressions (Isaiah 53 :5)
- - - Bruised for iniquities (Isaiah 53:5)
- - - Gave Himself for our sins (Galatians 1:4)
- - - Redeemed us from all iniquity (Titus 2:14)
- - - Purchased with His own blood (Acts 2:28)
- - - Sanctified with His blood (Hebrew 13:12
- - - Suffered for our sins (I Peter 3 :18)
- - - Died for our sins (I Corinthians 15:3)
F. HOW CAN WE ESCAPE THE PENALTY OF SIN?
The penalties for sin are: curse, reproach, shame,
guilt, fear, torment, death, hell, and eternal
separation from God.
Even though sin is a dreadful thing and the wages of
sin is death as stated in the Bible, Jesus came into
this world and took away the sins of this world so
that our sins may be forgiven. In order to have our
sins forgiven and to escape the punishment for sins,
we must do the following:
Realize and acknowledge that we are sinners
Hate and forsake sin
Renounce Satan
Reconcile with God
Repent for our sins
Confess our sins
Receive forgiveness
Give a thanksgiving offering
I Corinthians 15:34 says, "Awake to
righteousness and sin not". Isaiah 55:7 says,
"Let the wicked forsake his way and the
unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return
unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and
to our God, for He will abundantly pardon". I
John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In John 8:11
Jesus said. "Neither do I condemn thee, go and
sin no more". Romans 6:12 says, "Let not
sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye
should obey it in the lusts thereof".
The scriptural ways to deal with sin are as follows:
By reproof
By correction
By counsel
By exhortation
By admonition
By rebuke
By confession
By repentance
By conviction
By renouncing sin and satan
By turning away from sin
By deliverance
By being washed by the blood of Jesus
G. CONCLUSION
Sin will put us in a bondage; take away our peace
and torment us; expose our secret sins to the world
and put us to shame; deceive us; destroy our body,
mind, spirit and put eventually in the fire of hell?
Therefore, it is very important that we truly repent
for our sins and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Only
Jesus Christ, the son of the Living God, has the
power to forgive our sins because He was sinless and
He gave himself for us, as a perfect sacrifice. John
3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave
His only son that whosoever believeth in Him, should
not perish but have everlasting life. Acts 4:12 says
that neither is there salvation in any other; for
there is none other name under heaven given among
men, whereby we must be saved. In the future also,
we must be very cautious so that we will not be
deceived by Satan when we are tempted by him, to
commit any kind of sin. Beware of sin!
Source:
https://www.manavai.com/n_articles_p13.htm
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