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Monday, February 6, 2012

thoughts on sin and living in the world



Hebrews 10:1-2 "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins." 


We have been purged of sin, in Christ by the Blood of Jesus. We should have no more consciousness of sin because our Father has is not conscience of sin. Does that mean we live without sin? Romans 6:2 "For he this is dead is freed from sin." Romans 6:3 "Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life." 

We are not capable of a sacrifice for sin. Jesus has done that. Once. For all. We can only accept His death in order to receive His life. Is this a sin-less life? No. Jesus sacrificed His sin-less life so that we may receive from Him a sin-free life. Sin is in the world and as long as we are in the world we must deal with sin. As Jesus said, John 16:33, "In the world you shall have tribulation ..." We are "in" the world, we are no longer "of" the world. 

Eph 2:12 "That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (13) but now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ." Phil 2:15 "That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Col 2:20 "Wherefore if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances after the commandments and doctrines of men?"

Does that mean we are no longer subject to the law? Yes. And No. The laws of society have a purpose. So that people may live peaceably. And as Paul tells us, Romans 12:18, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." But more importantly, if you live in the love of God and walk in his word and Spirit you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:16) and will live within the boundaries of the laws of the land and free from the prosecution of the law as well as live free from the  persecution of sin. 

Sin is around us. We will find times when we slip or aren't listening to the Spirit as closely as we ought. We will not be without sin, but we are free from its condemnation.  John tells us, 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  We won't be sin-less, but we are sin-free.