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Sin, Trespass, and the Mind

The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?

“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good with the sling that […]

Sin, Trespass, and the Mind2016-10-12T06:02:44-07:00

Applying “The Truth” to our Lives

1 John 1:5-10 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, “God is light, and darkness is not in Him. If perhaps we should say, “We have fellowship with Him.”, and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth. However, if perhaps we should walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another of the same kind, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If perhaps we should say that we have no sin, we cause ourselves to wander and the truth is not in us.  If perhaps we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous in order that He should forgive our sins and should cleans us from all unrighteousness. If perhaps we say, “We are in a state of having never sinned.”, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

The desire to produce sin is a constant struggle in the life of every believer. We all face those temptations that are just so hard to resist. We may struggle with these desires, and sometimes even put up a good fight, but ultimately we given in and get entangled with things that we know God does not wants us to be involved with in our lives. This often leads to a life of shame before God. We promise we will not do it again only to end up back on our knees for the same problem.

However, the Christian life does not need to be a life of shame and failure. to have victory over these desires, we need to understand where they come from […]

Applying “The Truth” to our Lives2016-10-12T06:02:45-07:00

The Complete Thing- 1 Corinthians 13:10

The Complete Thing

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 The love never falls, but whether prophecy, it will be caused to be idle1, whether languages,2 they will cause themselves to cease3, whether knowledge, it will be caused to be idle. For out from a part we experientially know and out from a part we prophecy, but when the complete thing comes, then what is out from a part will be caused to be idle. When I was a baby4, I spoke as a baby, I thought as a baby. When I became a man, I made the things of the baby idle. For now I see through a mirror obscurely, but then face to face. Now I experientially know out from a part, but then I will be fully experientially know just as I am fully known.

Paul speaks of a day when the Church will no longer require the use of the Spiritual gifts of prophecy, languages5, and knowledge. When the full Word of God comes, He will stop giving revelation; therefore, prophecy will become idle. Languages, or better known as speaking in tongues, will cause themselves to stop existing because the purpose for speaking in another language ceases to exist. Speaking in another language was a sign to the Jews. It is no longer active since the Jewish nation has fully rejected Jesus and the Church6.  Paul explains what knowledge he is referring to further down in the context where he states that the knowledge comes from only a partial revelation. Paul did not have the full cannon of Scripture at this time. He only had access to the Old Testament. Although he was involved […]

The Complete Thing- 1 Corinthians 13:102018-10-28T13:26:19-07:00

Stewardship and Dispensations: The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία

Stewardship and Dispensations:

The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία

The sixty-six books of the Bible span thousands of years of human history and beyond. They begin before God created man and end with the creation of new heavens and a new earth where righteousness settles down and feels at ease[1]. Within the pages of the Bible, we see changes in God’s relationship and standard for mankind and the failure of mankind to live up to God’s expectation, which ultimately brings judgment. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was not allowed to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil[2]. Upon eating the fruit from this tree, his spirit was separated from God[3], he became subject to physical death, and he was expelled from the garden[4]. Having been expelled from the garden, God’s expectation for humans was for them to properly govern the manner of their lives by the knowledge of good and evil, now that they possessed it. However, again, men failed, and God judged the earth by bringing a flood[5]. After the flood, God instructed Noah that men are to govern themselves and that capital punishment is to be implemented[6]. Again, men fail to follow God’s instruction, reject God, and seek their own way. Therefore, God brought judgment and forced man to separate and spread across the earth[7]. This judgment brought about multiple languages and the division of the continents, which caused man to spread out across the earth[8].  Having scattered man across the face of the earth, God then approaches Abram and ultimately offers him four covenants[9]. These covenants included a promise of land that Abraham and his descendants […]

Stewardship and Dispensations: The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία2024-09-08T17:47:28-07:00

1 Peter

1 Peter

Peter an Apostle belonging to Jesus Christ, to the elect strangers of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia dispersed according to the foreknowledge of God even the Father, by the sanctification of the Spirit because of obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace is to you and may possibly peace be multiplied.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is well-spoken of, who birthed us again according to His great mercy into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ out from the dead, into an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance, which is kept in the heaven for you, the ones who God’s natural ability is guarding through faith into a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, in which you rejoice, since it is necessary for a little while to suffer in various trials, in order that the approval of your faith – more precious than gold even gold that has been approved by fire –  should be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love, in whom now not seeing but you are believing, rejoicing with an inexpressible joy. And you will rejoice when you are in a state of having been glorified, having receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of the soul.

Concerning which salvation the prophets sought out and diligently searched, the ones who prophesied concerning the grace unto you, searching into what person or what time the Spirit from Christ by them declared, having before testified of the suffering unto Christ and the things concerning the glories to follow, to whom it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they were serving in these things now announced to you through those who declare the good news to you by the Holy Spirit, having been sent from heaven, into which angels desire to stoop to look.

Therefore, gird up the loins of your understanding (workings of your mind), being clear […]

1 Peter2018-11-09T13:59:53-08:00
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