Sin as defined by “The American Heritage Dictionary” is 1) A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate. 2. Theology. A condition of estrangement from God as a result of breaking His law. 3. Any offense, fault or error.
“The New Bible Dictionary” goes into far greater detail in
three and a half pages covering terminology, origin, consequences, imputation
(attributing sin to a source), depravity, inability, liability, and the
conquest of sin. I wish each of you could read this. It gives a thorough
understanding of the total destructiveness of sin, God’s response to it, and Jesus’
victory over it at the cross.
For 26 years of my life, I never thought I was a sinner but
then when I realized that I was, I was overwhelmed with guilt. I had started to
read the New Testament and realized there was no way I could do all that God
required – His requirements were beyond human ability to obey. How can a person,
whose very existence was tainted with rebellion, who possessed the seeds of sin
passed down to every generation since Adam, ever live up to the holiness that
God requires? I took my angst to my minister.
As a sat before this man of God, I expressed the frustration
of a woman who knew beyond all doubt that she was unworthy of God’s love because
deep in my heart I knew I was a rebel who was weak and helpless to do all He
required.
Reverend Worman listened patiently to my problem and then he
shocked me by his response. He slapped his knee and said, “Praise God, you’ve
got it!”
I was so taken back that I just stared at him.
He continued, and as I recall it said something like this.
“Jill, if we could do all required of us in the law, Jesus would not have had
to come to die for our sins. That is one big lesson from the Old Testament. God
set down laws to show us the way to please Him, but He knew that, although we might
strive to do all written there, because we’re fallen creatures, we’d never be
able to live up to His requirements. So being a loving God, who cares for His
creation, He made a way to satisfy the obligations of the law. 2 Corinthians
5:21 explains it like this. ‘For He (The Father) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for
us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’
Jill, the moment you turned your life over to God, He gave
you the righteousness of Christ. Never stop striving to do all written in the
Scriptures but know that you’ll fall short. When you do, apply 1 John 1:1:9 ‘If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.’”
I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my
shoulders. I WAS forgiven, the price of my sin had been paid for and He loves
me, even when I don’t measure up.
The lyrics to Amazing Love sum up my feelings:
I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken,
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again.
Amazing love how can it be
That you my King should die for me
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honor you, in all I do to honor you.
