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Sin and Grace
by Phil Maxwell August 1998
One of the least popular issues in the world, even amongst Christians, is the subject
of sin. Sin is a subject we need to know and understand, though, because one of Satan's
strongest ploys is to corrupt our recognition of it. At the root of this is the common
natural tendency to be self-righteous, which is to say, justify ourselves. This creates a
fertile ground in our hearts and minds for Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren, to
corrupt our minds in regards to sin.
From the very beginning, Satan has endeavored to convince people that what Yahweh has
defined as sin isn't. He convinced Eve to defy Yahweh's commandment by eating the fruit.
She was deceived into thinking it wasn't really sin to do so, and the devil continues to
this day planting the same lie in the minds of people.
There are sins of the heart and sinful actions that come forth from sinful hearts. In
contrast to Moses' law, which dealt primarily, but not exclusively with sinful actions,
Yahshua highlighted sinful hearts. He didn't nullify or dismiss the reality of sinful
actions, but outlined a broader definition of sin than what the Pharisees and scribes
taught. Neither their nor anyone's outward righteousness was an acceptable substitute for
the righteousness of the heart which Yahweh has promised to the faithful. Moses' law had
it to where sinful actions were dealt with according to earthly judges and earthly
consequences, up to and including death, but none of that accomplished yielding righteous
hearts that truly loved Yahweh above all, and their fellow man as themselves.
With the introduction of the law of Christ, came a spiritual standard of both
righteousness and judgment, supplanting the earthly standards institutionalized and
corrupted by the Jews. Addressing an audience that honestly didn't consider themselves
sinners, Yahshua exposed the sinfulness of their hearts and declared them to be everything
from hypocrites to children of the devil. Yahshua taught that there does not have to be
any definable, condemnable sinful actions in order for there to be sin, as sin was shown
to be a matter of the heart, where Yahweh's focus has always been. By Yahshua's standards,
even the Pharisees, who were considered to represent the epitome of righteousness, were
found lacking.
It is interesting to note that these children of the devil, who ultimately went so far as
to murder the Messiah, were commendably disciplined in outwardly representing
righteousness. Though it might be very interesting to pursue how those who were completely
subject to the will of their father the devil could be so given to conformance with
Yahweh's law, perhaps this should wait for another time.
In contrasting the law of Moses and the law of Christ, we see can see that the old law
drew a narrow focus on sin and provided external remedies accordingly. It didn't bring the
righteousness of Yahweh, but rather served as a schoolmaster to show the futility of
trying to attain righteous by external standards. Yahshua introduced a broader definition
of sin, leaving no doubt as to the universal guilt of all, and also provided for remedies
through His own sacrifice.
Contrary to common thinking, Yahshua's teachings do not provide a basis for excusing sin.
Murder is murder still, and so is adultery, but Yahshua's standards of judgment convict
many more of these sins than what the law of Moses did. However, Yahshua's remedies are
much more palatable than those under Moses' law. There are no longer any cumbersome
sacrifices to offer, and sinners are no longer subject to penalties that included death
for the two sins I listed. There is now no reason for sinners to justify themselves, for
whatever costs are involved in accepting Yahweh's judgment of sin are fully paid for to
the truly repentant. Under the old law, an adulterer might have cause to defend
him/herself, since the only remedy found in that law was their death, but under Yahshua's
law, we have grace.
So, we might ask, what reason could there be for self-justification now? Truly, there is
no good reason. Even in the limited basis for judging sin found in the old law, the
possibility still existed for one to get away with sin undetected. This is not so under
the law of Christ, as His judgment will catch up to all sinners eventually. There will be
no escape found in denial. Furthermore, Yahshua's judgment of sin will be based upon
truth, not contrived definitions of what is or isn't sin. The devil is still busy deluding
people into denying the reality of judgment in their minds, as well as believing that sin
is in the eye of the beholder, definable only by subjective reasoning rather than by the
Creator.
Thus, reviling comes forth whenever sin is called what it is. Satan will not yield to
Yahweh's judgment, and neither will those who are taken captive to him at his will.
Yahweh's word defines sin, and His servants declare it. The true recognition of sin is the
necessary first step in the redemption available to all through Yahshua, as the excusing
of it is Satan's first stronghold in the minds of the disobedient. Some grace may be found
by those who have been deceived into believing unrighteousness is not sin, but woe to
those who have caused them to so stumble. The day of Christ is at hand, and our righteous
judge, Yahshua, will expose the shame of those who justify themselves, who despise the
truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness.
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