Not an Excuse

When speaking about life under the Law Paul said:

Romans 7:16-17,

16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Psalm 51:5,

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin, my mother conceived me.

Every human being is the offspring of Adam and Eve after they sinned. Sin dwelled in them after they partook of the fruit and has dwelled in every human since that day.

So if we say have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves. If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar [sin dwells in us to this day]. But if we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous, and He will forgive us AND will cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

In 1 John chapter 3 the same person who tells us that if we say have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, is now saying —

1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. [I recall Jesus saying we are to abide in Him.]

7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

So we see that we are born with sin dwelling within us, and when we are told not to covet, we inherently covet. But that is not the end. For Jesus made it possible for us to receive the Holy Spirit, and in and through Him we are able to overcome sin by our faith in Jesus.

God gives us a way of escape from every temptation common to man. Those who follow Jesus learn obedience by submitting to the Father’s discipline, and take the way of escape. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

So Paul was right when he said, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and of death, Romans 8:2.

Galatians 5:16,

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will NOT carry out the desire of the flesh.

Jesus is a Savior, not an Excuse.

Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Published by Jon David Banks