Jesus separated church and state. He never advocated governmental interference in anything.
How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New? 5b
Last time we examined the first homicide, that of Cain against Abel. We also looked at the deleterious effects of ‘anger’ as it was first spoken of in the Bible at this point. (See part 5).
Okay, it is now time to delve into the second new Word of God, introduced during the struggle between Cain and Abel. And that word is sin – the NUMBER ONE source of all humankind’s conflicts, misery, and suffering, and it is the major barrier to reaching all the human potential that God created them to have, as well as to having a right relationship with Him.
After Adam and Eve committed the ‘original sin’, we find that the rest of the entire Bible is focused upon how to remove sin and the need for a righteous relationship with Christ to accomplish that.
So, what is sin? It is translated from the Hebrew chattah, meaning ‘offense’, and from the Greek hamartano, denoting ‘to miss the mark’. The Bible also uses other words for ‘sin.’ The Hebrew masar, meaning ‘to set apart’, and the Greek paraptoma, describing a ‘lapse’ or ‘deviation.’
Another biblical expression for ‘sin’ is the word ‘iniquity,’ translated from the Hebrew avon, which means ‘moral rebellion’, and from the Greek adikia – aka ‘injustice’ or ‘wrongness’ (of character, of life, or of an action).
Finally, we have the concurrent sin descriptive, ‘transgression’, derived from the Hebrew pesha, defined as ‘rebellion’, and again from the Greek paraptoma, meaning the same.
So, if we put all of God’s descriptive(s) together, (and He is the ultimate authority), we can have a clarified elucidation of the essentials of sin:
Sin is an act (a way of living) that you commit that causes you to miss the mark that God has set out for you to reach, i.e., your highest and best life. It is an act of rebellion against God, a lapse in your moral character, a deviation from God’s word, a perpetrated injustice that offends God – forcing you to be set apart from Him and His love.
Very heavy stuff. Definitely not what God has planned for you. He wants you to be eternally connected to Him, wrapped in His complete love.
Going back to the definition of sin, what does it mean to ‘miss the mark’? Thankfully, Jehovah never leaves us guessing. He first gave us the mark to hit in the Ten Commandments. Then, Christ distilled the Ten into two ‘great commandments’:
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Mt. 22:37 – 40. NLT
Jesus is saying that everything that God teaches us in the entirety of His Word revolves around these behaviors: loving God, loving yourself, and loving everybody else. If you made that love triangle the wellspring from which you lived your life, you would never want to sin in the first place.
Yet, we all, from time to time, forget to live our life solely from love, don’t we?
-for there is no one who does not sin- 1 Kings 8:46 CSB
However, there is one time-dependent exception to the accountability of sin’s consequences:
Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Rm. 5:13 NLT
Meaning that we all carry the taint of Adam’s ‘original sin’, but we must first be able to come to the realization that we must have that sin and all the subsequent sins that we commit, removed.
Before God set forth the Ten Commandments, the people had no moral yardstick. In a similar fashion, infants cannot grasp right from wrong. Therefore, it makes no sense to baptize them, because they must understand why they are doing so. Any sinner is not charged with the sins that they commit until they possess the conscious comprehension of their wrong-doing, and where their responsibility lies.
Another important thing to know is that Satan cannot make us sin. We choose with our free will whether we will transgress the Word of God. And God lets us know clearly what the consequence of our decision brings:
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors…” Dt. 30:19, 20. NLT
“But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed.” Dt. 30:17, 18. NLT
Jehovah gave us life, put us upon this earth, and commanded us to position ourselves to receive His abundant love. God left us ‘ground rules’ with an assurance that if we adhere to them, we will live a good life and be able to live in eternal bliss with Him when that temporal life is done.
Conversely, breaking His laws would lead to a potential death with a highly undesirable eternal outcome of condemnation.
We must run from sin because it has such a devious quality. The perpetrator often begins committing what he / she thinks are ‘innocent sins’, (there is no such thing); e.g., cheating on a test, stealing a piece of candy in a store, telling a little ‘white lie,’ or having a coffee with a friend’s spouse.
And if we don’t see any immediate consequences, e.g., our transgression isn’t discovered, we think we are pulling a ‘fast one’ on God.
Perhaps then, we might indulge in a greater sin that seems to bring a greater thrill, e.g., like stealing a car, or having an affair. Yet all sin is like cancer:
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Jas. 1:14, 15. NLT
Sin is an act. It is not who you are. You are God’s perfect creation. However, that does not minimize the seriousness of sin.
Our struggle with sin is a life-long process, due to our predilection to think that happiness comes from the possession of external baubles.
When we invite Jehovah to live within us, we are flooded with pure love and goodness, and we become sensitized to what isn’t. That is, we can feel the presence of sin.
The problem that we have though, is that the old desires we indulged in, in our old life, are still buried in our flesh. And we tend to forget that those indulgences didn’t work out for us. Thus, we are inclined to re-commit them.
Why can that be such a tragedy? Because sin is deadly! First and foremost, it separates you from Jehovah:
It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. Is. 59:2 NLT
When you are separated from God, you are ignorant with regards to His will. Adrift, left to your own devices, you struggle with feelings of defeat, despair, and even dread, (fearing that He might seek revenge).
Jehovah is pure righteousness. Therefore, He cannot commune with sin. When you sin, you tie His hands, sever your love-connection, and force deafness upon Him with regards to your prayers.
The second deadly aspect of sin is that it is satanically sourced; and he certainly does not have your best interests in mind:
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. Jn. 10:10 AMP
…when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. 1 Jn. 3:8 NLT
Then, sinning becomes a habit. Not good:
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Rm. 6:16 NLT
Sin leads to death if it’s not dealt with – both spiritually and physically. Christ said that the same consequences apply if you lead others to sin:
…if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. Mt. 18:6 NLT
How do you know when you are sinning? God provides you with a list (all expressions of breaking the Ten Commandments):
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Gal. 5:19 – 26. NLT
Now, we have no excuse…
So, how do we get out of this mess?
- Don’t hang around with people who will not give up their sin. It rubs off on you. (Moses warned the people of fraternizing with sinful people during the exodus):
“Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.” Nm. 16:26 NLT
- Don’t check in with that voice in your head that entices you to act against God’s will.
- Most importantly if you have sinned, go to God, and confess with a repentant heart:
…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chr. 7:14 NLT
‘Repent’ is translated from the Hebrew nachum, meaning ‘sorry’, and shub, ‘to turn back’, and from the Greek metaneo, ‘to think differently’. Thus, God is telling us to set our pride aside and humbly confess our sin – followed by repentance, demonstrating a genuine sorrow for our transgressions, and doing our best to keep from repeating them.
Our loving God is not a ‘hot head’. He only condemns the willful, unrepentant sinners. Otherwise, He is the ultimate forgiver. Oh, Jehovah may slap your wrists a little, but that is out of love. He is only trying to nudge you out of your destructive behavior so that He can come to your rescue:
As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent. Rv. 3:19 CSB
Jehovah is always on your side, aware that without His cleansing forgiveness, your sin will lead to death. Regardless of what you’ve done, He wants to make it right:
“Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed [against Me] and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live!” Eze. 18:31, 32. AMP
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” Is. 1:18 NLT
Why does God go to such great lengths to save you?
Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Mi. 7:18 NLT
Because He loves you…
What can we do to minimize the incidence of sin in our lives?
- Avoid acting in destructive ways in stressful situations, i.e., get your emotions in check and then think about how to respond most effectively:
Tremble [with anger or fear], and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still [reflect on your sin and repent of your rebellion]. Ps. 4:4 AMP
- Send love to everyone. If you’re loving, you can’t be judging:
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Pt. 4:8 NLT
- Forgive everyone:
“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.” Mt. 6:14 CSB
- Alert others when they sin, (without judgment). What they do with that is up to them:
But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. Eze. 33:9 NLT
- We should help those who have sinned, and desire to help in their restitution:
…if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. Gal. 6:1 NLT
We have seen that in addition to the Old Testament, we lean on the New Covenant as well, because for Christians, it is there where the final solution to the dissolution of our sins lies – at the cross.
As we will learn in time, Jehovah saves us from our sins through the precious cleansing blood-sacrifice of His Son, coupled with our faith in the same. Jesus tells us Himself:
“…you will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am the One [I claim to be], you will die in your sins.” Jn. 8:24 AMP
We all fall from time to time; but God always has an outstretched hand, to lift you up, and a heart that welcomes your confession and repentance, and paired with your faith in Jesus, – the Son cheerfully turns to the Father and says, “It’s alright, I have this one covered.”
How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New? 5
Last time, we looked at how Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God’s commandment for giving more credence to Satan’s lies over His truth – leading to the ‘original sin’ that led to their infestation and to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden (see Part 4). Now we will examine some of the detrimental aspects of that sin as it was passed down to our progenitors’ first two offspring:
- The first homicide, anger, and sin:
Chapter 4 of Genesis first introduces us to the parties involved in this atrocity:
Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!” Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift – the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.
The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. Gn. 4:1 – 5. NLT
What do we see? First, Eve recognized that Jehovah was instrumental in the creation of Cain. She’s excited, looking for her firstborn to be the prophetic manifestation of a messiah who would deliver her people from sin by killing the devil.[1]
That Cain and Abel both brought sacrificial offerings to God, also demonstrates a belief in a monotheistic God and shows their faith in sacrifice and prayer, as being proper components of worship.
So, why is Cain angry? The Scripture does not reveal how he knew that Abel’s offering was accepted, and his was not. However, what we can discern is that Abel brought the ‘best portions of his firstborn lambs.’
We can infer, then, that Cain did not prioritize bringing the ‘best’ of his crops. Thus, Cain’s intent for his fulfilling his sacrificial obligation was off base – that perhaps he did not present the finest of his ‘first fruits’.
Cain is angry, but God is not. He appeals to Cain:
“Why are you so angry?” The LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.
But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Emphasis mine.) Gn. 4:6, 7. NLT
Jehovah does not love Abel more that Cain. He doesn’t play favorites.[2]
God never asks us to do something that we cannot do. Sin first tempts us. Jehovah is telling us here that we can overcome that temptation. (This, by the way, is the very first mention of the word sin in the Bible – more on that coming up). Does Cain take the higher road? Let’s see:
Cain talked with Abel his brother [about what God had said]. And then they were [alone, working] in the field, Cain attacked Abel his brother and killed him. Gn. 4:8 AMP
The Bible does not tell us what Cain said to Abel. Instead of just correcting his own error, Cain failed miserably. Why? He gave into sin – just like all of humanity. He let the temptation in his jealousy ramp up his emotions, inviting its cousins as well: anger, and then rage.
Just as with Adam and Eve, God loves Cain despite what he’s done. Similarly, He also gives Cain an opportunity to confess and repent:
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother?” And he [lied and] said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Gn. 4:9 AMP
Well, that’s a flat out lie. He could have confessed. There were no admonitions proscribed against murder, and up to now, there were none. However, Cain wouldn’t lie unless innately he knew it was wrong. It means he possessed an inborn knowledge of morality.[3] Yet, Cain turned a deaf ear – no confession or repentance. Jehovah responds:
“What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice].
And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it shall not longer yield its strength [it will resist producing good crops] for you; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast].” Gn. 4:9 – 12. AMP
God’s response indeed reveals that Cain is his brother’s keeper, a task he has neglected and shunned. (Note that the Hebrew says ‘your brother’s bloods’– inferring a further aspect of Cain’s crime, that of denying the earth of God’s intended descendants from Abel).
Why does God not kill Cain outright? If you think about it, it is only premeditated murder that is punished by death. We can’t deduce Cain’s motivation from the Scripture. It appears to be more of an on-the-spot emotional response.
Nevertheless, Cain responds with abject fear:
My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold you have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, a sevenfold vengeance [that is, punishment seven times worse” shall be taken on him [by Me].” And the LORD set a [protective] mark (sign) on Cain, so that no one who found (met) him would kill him. Gn. 4:13 – 15. AMP
Cain was now attempting to confess his transgression and admit his guilt. In yet another demonstration of God’s mercy and lovingkindness, our gracious God puts a protective sign over Cain, obvious to all others, that it is from Jehovah Himself. He loves all humankind despite their sins, but they must clean up that mess with Him, through confession and repentance.
Before we close this chapter in history, we must examine two things that were introduced in God’s Word for the first time in the biblical historical timeline. The first is anger.
Anger is a natural human response – part of the emotional array that we inherit from our Heavenly Template. Yes, God gets angry too, but His righteous anger is triggered only by injustice; and that’s the only way that He accepts angry behavior from His children:
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Ps. 30:5 NLT
…for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:13 NLT
But He, the source of compassion and lovingkindness, forgave their wickedness and did not destroy them; Many times He restrained His anger and did not stir up all His wrath. Ps. 78:38 AMP
If we follow our Father in His heavenly example, we see that our anger is to be slow-growing, short-lived and filled with compassion and forgiveness.
Yet, as we have seen, since the fall of Adam and Eve, we have an ungodly component in our soul and flesh that desires to follow the worldly examples. Worldly anger, like its close cousins: pride, jealousy, and envy, are all forms of fear:
Envy is the fear of being ‘less than’, believing others to be better than you.
Jealousy is like envy, both being born out of a lust for something someone else has, while holding them in disdain for their apparent good fortune.
Exercising pride is where you lift yourself above another, effectively oppressing them.
Anger is the motherlode of all fears – the fear of life itself.
Anger is an unsuccessful strategy of oppression, a defense mechanism against the pain that the angry one is feeling from their life experience – all because they refuse to grab ahold of life by the rudder and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. In addition, they are not inviting God to help them in the parts of their lives that they cannot control.
It is an emotional offensive play, that is, in reality, a defensive tactic to intimidate someone whom they feel is trying to invalidate their own beliefs. These opinions are always rooted in some interpretation (meaning) that they’ve attached to some event in their past.
Anger is a form of ‘closing down’, by ‘striking out’. It creates barriers to communication and relationship. Worse, it’s addictive and feeds upon itself.
The roots of unrighteous anger include:
1) Not liking something, i.e., your preferences are manifesting.
2) Wanting life to be different than it is but being paralyzed by a fear of change.
3) Seeing others as ‘the enemy’ for not sharing your preferences.
4) Defending yourself against potential rejection, afraid the past will repeat itself.
5) Fearing being ‘found out’ for some past mistake or having your false persona being exposed.
6) Feeling that someone is trying to control you – especially if you see yourself as a ‘victim’.
There is nothing good about unrighteous anger:
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. Ps. 37:8 NLT
For anger kills a fool, and jealousy slays the gullible. Job 5:2 CSB
Our tirades drive everyone away, even those we want to hold close – leaving us with more shame and guilt, and ultimately, loneliness. Worse, it does nothing to relieve our pain.
The danger that indulging in anger brings is elevation to violence – that you direct towards others and yourself. How can you expect to embrace any form of happiness?
Anger makes you think that you are powerful, but it eviscerates your health – leading to anxiety, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer.
Instead, we must put on the mindset of God:
And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Eph. 4:26, 27. NLT
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Pr. 15:1 NLT
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Eph. 4:31 NLT
Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, and it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment]. Pr. 19:11 AMP
The long and short of it is, that if we want to uproot anger from our lives, we must practice living in the opposite way, i.e., living a life of peace:
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal. 5:22, 23. AMP
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Rm. 12:18 CSB
Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Cor. 13:11 NLT
Ultimately, we can choose anger and die, or choose peace and live:
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Mt. 5:9 NLT
[1] Gn. 3:15
[2] Rm. 2:11
[3] Jer. 31:33