1 JOHN 3:4–9
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness
(1 John 3:4).
Even though sin is something with which we are all acquainted, we don’t always know how to define it. Is it a psychological abnormality, a social condition, a physical aberration? We tend to minimize the sinfulness of sin out of self defense. Our tendency is to shine the best light possible on sin, especially our own. Instead of confessing, we make excuses. But to say “I made a mistake” is not enough. You can make a mistake without committing a moral transgression. However, if you say, “I sinned,” the moral implications and the moral transgressions are undeniable.
David is a good example of one who truly confessed his sin. When confronted by Nathan, he did not deny it. He confessed, not that he had made a mistake but that he had sinned grievously, and not only that he had sinned, but that he had sinned against God. “Against You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Ps. 51:4). But notice from the account of Nathan’s confrontation that David did not realize the seriousness of his sin until it was exposed (2 Sam. 12:1–12). We must not deny the true nature of sin or we will never deal with it adequately.
Sin is not a neurosis, it is not a societal failure, it is not necessary to man’s humanness, to his finitude, to his limited nature. Some people think that we sin because we are metaphysically imperfect, that we transgress because we are human. Scripture, however, does not define sin this way. 1 John 3:4 says sin is “lawlessness.” Romans 4:15 tells us that “where there is no law there is no transgression.” The answer, therefore, to Question 14 in the Shorter Catechism “What is sin?” is “sin is the transgression of God’s holy law, either by omission of what is required or by commission of what is forbidden.”
After proclaiming His Law from Mt. Sinai, God said, “O, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deut. 5:29). We, of course, are unable to keep God’s commands because we are sinners. Only by God’s grace can we overcome the rebellion that is in our hearts, live to obey His holy law, and be conformed to Christ’s image.
CORAM DEO
1 Chronicles 6–7
John 8:21–36
Make a list of sins that you have been wrestling with lately. Be honest—God knows you’ve failed, so don’t deny it. Using a concordance, find passages that deal with your sins. Read them carefully and memorize one while confessing your sins and praying for the strength from God to overcome them.
For further study: Rom. 4:13–15; 7:7–25 • Gal. 5:19–24 • James 2:8–13
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