SIN

In my last blog “Substitutes” I pointed out what I believe is one of the fundamental doctrines of christianity, which is built on shifting sands. It is built on shifting sands because of misunderstandings about sin. How do the scriptures define sin?

1 John 3:4 states that “everyone who commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” This means that every transgression of God’s law, whether by action or inaction, is considered sin and lawlessness. The Greek word “anomia,” translated as “lawlessness,” signifies a disregard for God and His laws.

Lawlessness is sin.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

24 “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!”

When YHVH gave his Ten Commandments to Moses on mount Sinai he also gave a set of commands and ordinances for the people of the covenant to follow. If you wanted to be a party to that covenant then you were required to obey His Law. It is very simple. Obey YHVH’s law you are a member of the party and are a beneficiary of the promises of the covenant. Do not obey the terms and conditions of the covenant (the Law of Moses) and you are outside of the covenant and are not entitled to its benefits. You are either obedient to the Law or you are not. If you are lawless or a law breaker then that means you are sinful.

I have heard all my life that it is impossible to obey YHVH’s law. Paul said,

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

I have to point out to you that this verse in Romans is a lie.

Luke 1:5 During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 

Yeshua said concerning his own coming,

Matthew 13:16“ But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Did you catch that? “many righteous people”.

So, Believe Yeshua and understand that some people are righteous under the law or believe Paul and surrender to sin believing it is inevitable. 

Even though it is possible to live righteously most of us will not do it. Does that mean most of us will not receive the promises of the covenant? No, Our Father is a loving Father and is always ready to forgive us and restore us to righteousness when we fail, it has always been like that. YHVH has said over and over if you will repent and turn from your sin He is faithful to forgive you. John the Baptist came baptizing for the forgiveness of sins. His message was “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. 

Mark 2:1 Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. 2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the experts in the law were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: 7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Now immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – he said to the paralytic – 11 “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 12 And immediately the man stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

YHVH is able to forgive your sins. He was always able and willing to forgive your sins. No sacrifice was needed. No blood had to be shed. No statement of faith. Just repentance and “go and sin no more”. 

A church with a powerful heirarchy that uses access to sacraments to supposedly control who gets into heaven is a man made church. Access to salvation is open to all who will repent and obey YHVH’s Law. No shedding of blood is necessary. 

Even in The Temple under the Levitical priesthood, there were grain, bread, oil and incense offerings. Not all offerings required blood even then.

Isaiah 1:11“ Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?”

says the Lord.

“I am stuffed with burnt sacrifices

of rams and the fat from steers.

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats

I do not want.

12 When you enter my presence,

do you actually think I want this –

animals trampling on my courtyards?

13 Do not bring any more meaningless offerings;

I consider your incense detestable!

You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,

but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!

14 I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies;

they are a burden

that I am tired of carrying.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,

I look the other way;

when you offer your many prayers,

I do not listen,

because your hands are covered with blood.

16 Wash! Cleanse yourselves!

Remove your sinful deeds

from my sight.

Stop sinning!

17 Learn to do what is right!

Promote justice!

Give the oppressed reason to celebrate!

Take up the cause of the orphan!

Defend the rights of the widow!

18 Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become white like wool.

19 If you have a willing attitude and obey,

then you will again eat the good crops of the land.

What YHVH wants is for you to repent and obey his Law.

No one else’s righteousness or sacrifice can save you. That is unjust and wishful thinking on the part of people that refuse to stop sinning.

Yeshua’s mission was to bring about the kingdom of YHVH if the Jews would turn from their error of following man made traditions and return to the instructions YHVH gave them in the Torah them then the kingdom would have been established then and there. Yeshua who was The Prophet of Deuteronomy 18, would have been their king and Messiah. They failed to recognize the time of their visitation.

Yeshua gave a parable,

Matthew 21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.

This is what he came for. Yes, he died because the sin of Israel. He did not die as a substitute for you. Forgiveness was and is freely available. No blood is necessary. Neither is any statement of faith in the death burial and resurrection of Yeshua. The demons believe and tremble but it does them no good. They are disobedient to YHVH. Belief likewise will do you no good. Repent! For the kingdom of YHVH is at hand!