Seriousness of Sin

[resistingrexmundi]

THE SERIOUSNESS OF SIN


I would like to take a moment to discuss what I believe to be the crux of misunderstanding between muslims and Christians. And that is our view of sin and consequently our views of God in relation to sin. What needs to be understood about God is His completeness in ALL aspects of His character. The two characteristics of God that come into play most often in relation to sin is Justice and Mercy.

Before we delve into these two subjects let us first define sin. Sin in its initial state is a willingness in our hearts to disobey God. The acts of sin that we see with our eyes are merely physical manifestations of that sin. Jesus Himself explained this.

Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Sin even if not acted upon is still sin and stands at odds with a Holy God. It is out of God's love for us that He wished to keep us seperate from sin and be holy as He is Holy. But just one sin is enough to eternally seperate us from His presence. Which is precisely why God placed such a steep penalty on sin. The very first recorded sin is where we see the steep penalty placed on sin.


Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Later Paul went on to write about this very issue and the effects it has left on mankind.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The account of Genesis shows the immediacy of this sinful predicament. To cover the shame of Adam and Eve an animal was used to clothe them. This shows a foreshadowing of the payment of sin.

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

The idea is that when we sin a forfeit of our life results. In order to make atonement for our sin a life must be given in place of our own. God instituted the practice of animal sacrafices to make this appropriation for sin. In other words a life for a life.

Blood was seen as necassary for the appropriation of sin. For it is in the blood that the life is found and so the life in the blood was the substitute for our own life when we sin.

Gen 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul. 

Lev 17:14 For [it is] the life of all flesh; the blood of it [is] for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh [is] the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. 

Deu 12:23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood [is] the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. 

But this blood from the bulls and sheep were not sufficient for our sins. They were just coverings for our shame and did not eradicate the sin itself. It is only in the blood of Jesus that this perfect appropriation is found.

Jhn 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 

Jhn 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 

This was such an important aspect that God gave very specific instructions on how this sacrafice should take place. However this practice was foreshadowed before God's specific instructions as we have seen already and can see again later.

GEN 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

All of these sacrafices, and especially the Abrahamic account, were foreshadowings of Jesus' ultimate sacrafice. What needs to be brought to light in these accounts is that these sacrafices were considered coverings for sin but did not do away with sin. Only a perfect sacrafice can do that. A perfect sacrafice found in Jesus Christ.

2Cr 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The seperation that occurs between man and God at the occurence of sin was such an egregious act that God placed a penalty on it so high that it would discourage man from transgressing and falling out of eternal life. God's Just nature requires this penalty. God is Holy and therefore cannot lie or transgress against His own Word. The payment has to be paid. It is this Justice that makes our predicament so serious.

A common phrase used by muslims is, "God can just forgive my sins. Noone needs to die for me." But this notion goes against the Just nature of God. If God just waived everyone's sins without any appropriation He would be making Himself a liar. But there is an appropriation for our sins that has been made and it is that sacrafice that is needed if anyone hopes to regain that relationship. That is where God's Mercy is made manifest.

God knew in his infinite wisdom and foreknowledge that man would fall to sin and would be unable to rectify the situation themselves. It is in His eternal Mercy that God came down Himself and subjected Himself to the same limitations of the flesh to be the perfect sacrafice that all of man needed to reconcile itself with God.

Dan 9:24 ¶ Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

God foretold of His sacrafice through the prophets and psalms.

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn. 

Psa 22:1 ¶ [[To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.]] My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou so] far from helping me, [and from] the words of my roaring?

Psa 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying],

Psa 22:8 He trusted on the LORD [that] he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Psa 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

What greater mercy could be shown by God than to sacrafice Himself as a human to pay for the debt that we could not pay ourselves? This way satisfies both aspects of God's nature. His Justice and His Mercy. A perfect unity not seen in anything or anyone else in all of history.

[Peter]

Great post!

A few may be scratching their heads over the following verses from the OP

Jhn 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  

This excerpt from Jim Tetlow
http://islamchristianforum.com/index.php?topic=70.0

Metaphors and Similes

Throughout the Bible, context determines meaning. Bible-believing Christians know to take the Bible literally unless the context demands a symbolic interpretation. Before exploring Jesus' words in John chapter 6 and elsewhere, let's review a few examples of symbolism in the Scriptures. All scholars would agree that the following verses are metaphorical. An explanation follows each verse.

    Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good (Ps 34:8).

        (Try and experience God's promises to find if they are true.)

    "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

        (For those who receive the gift of salvation, Christ's Spirit shall dwell in their souls assuring them of everlasting life.)

    Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll (Ezekiel 3:1, 2).

        (Receive into your heart, internalize, and obey God's Word.)

It is apparent from searching the entire council of God that the Lord often uses metaphors and symbolic language to paint images for the reader. When the Bible says God hides us under His wings, we know that God is not a bird with feathers. However, the Bible should always be interpreted literally unless the context demands a symbolic explanation. So what does the context of John's Gospel and the other Gospels demand?

John Chapter 6

If we read the entire sixth chapter of John's Gospel, we not only get the context, but also some startling insights into what Jesus meant when He said we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. John chapter 6, begins with the account of Jesus feeding five thousand, followed by the account of Jesus walking on water. Starting in verse 22, we find that on the following day, people were seeking Jesus for the wrong reasons, which we understand from Jesus' words in verses 26 and 27: "you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for food which perishes, but for food which endures to everlasting life."

These verses begin to frame the context of the verses that follow, specifically, that Jesus emphasized the need for them to seek eternal life. Jesus goes on to explain to them how to obtain eternal life, and in verse 28, when the people ask Jesus "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus replies (verse 29) "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Here Jesus specifies that there is only one work that pleases God, namely, belief in Jesus. Jesus re-emphasizes this in verse 35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." Notice the imperative is to "come to Me" and "believe in Me." Jesus repeats the thrust of His message in verse 40 where He states - "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

The Bread of Life

Jesus could not be more clear - by coming to Him and trusting in Him we will receive eternal life. At this point in the chapter, the Jews complained about Him because He said: "I am the bread which came down from heaven." (verse 41). Jesus responds to their murmuring in verses 42 through 58, where he states that He is indeed the "living bread" and that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood to obtain eternal life. However, let's remember the context of this statement. First, Jesus contrasts Himself with the manna that rained down on their fathers and sustained them for their journey, but their fathers are now dead. While Jesus offers Himself as the living bread, which, if they eat, will cause them to live forever.

Jesus is not the perishable manna that their descendants ate in the wilderness, He is the eternal bread of life that lives forever. Only by partaking in His everlasting life can we hope to live with Him forever. This contrast strengthens His main message, which is recorded in verse 47 where Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life." Notice, Jesus said that as soon as we believe in Him we have, present tense, eternal life. It is not something we aim at or hope we might attain in the future, but rather, something we receive immediately upon believing.

When Jesus said these words, He was in the synagogue in Capernaum (verse 59), and He had neither bread nor wine. Therefore Jesus was either commanding cannibalism or He was speaking figuratively. If He was speaking literally, then He would be directly contradicting God the Father: "you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." (Genesis 9:4). Therefore, because Jesus Himself said, "the Scripture cannot be broken." (John 10:35), He must be speaking metaphorically. And that is exactly how He explains His own words in the subsequent verses.

The Flesh Profits Nothing

After this, in verse 60, we find that many of His disciples said - "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" Jesus was aware of their complaints and He responded in verses 61 through 64 saying - "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Wait a minute, the flesh profits nothing! I thought Jesus said we must eat His flesh? Yet, if the flesh profits nothing, Jesus must be speaking in spiritual terms. And that is exactly what He says - "The words that I speak to you are spirit."

Jesus uses the exact same Greek word for flesh ("sarx") as He did in the preceding verses. Therefore we must conclude that eating His literal flesh profits nothing! If the Lord Himself sets the context of the dialogue, we would do well to hear Him. He said that the words that He speaks are spirit and that the flesh profits nothing.

If that isn't clear enough, Peter's words allow no room for doubt. Immediately following the dialogue with the Jews, in which some disciples went away, Jesus said to the twelve apostles - "Do you also want to go away?" (verse 67). Peter's response is profound. His reply to Jesus is recorded in verse 68 - "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Amazing! Peter did not say we have come to believe that we must eat Your flesh to live. He said that we know You are the Christ, and we have come to believe in You as the Christ.

This is the confession of faith that leads to eternal life, not eating Jesus' flesh and drinking His blood. It also agrees with the totality of Scripture. Here is a brief sampling:

    If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10: 9).

    What must I do to be saved?…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 16: 30, 31).

    He who believes in the Son has everlasting life (John 3: 36).

Spiritual Sense

In John chapter 6, Jesus clearly contrasted the temporary benefits of the physical manna with the eternal benefits of life in the Spirit. This theme is repeated throughout the Word of God. All through the Bible, the limited and temporary benefits of the flesh are contrasted with the infinite and eternal benefits of the spirit. Consuming manna, even manna from heaven, has limited value. However, receiving Christ's life, by placing our trust and hope in Him, has infinite value. Romans chapter 8 explains this truth:

    There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. …For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. …So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (Romans 8:1, 5, 6, 8, 9).

Jesus' Seven "I AM" Statements

In addition to Jesus' teaching in John chapter 6, we get additional insight into His message by reading John's entire Gospel, and we begin to fully understand what Jesus meant when He said "I am the bread of life." In John's Gospel, Jesus makes seven "I am" statements. These seven are listed below.

    * John 6:35 I am the bread of life
    * John 8:12 I am the light of the world
    * John 10:9 I am the door
    * John 10:11 I am the good shepherd
    * John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life
    * John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life
    * John 15:5 I am the vine

Believers should love these seven "I am" statements. Not only is Jesus claiming to be God, but He is defining who God is. Back in the Book of Exodus, Moses asks God what His name is. [12] God responds to Moses by saying, "My name is I AM". God is the self-existent One. This I AM in the Hebrew is the name of God, the YHWH where we get "Yahweh" and "Jehovah."

And in John's Gospel, Jesus expounds and explains who God is. If your soul is hungering, Jesus would say: I am the bread of life. If you're seeking illumination and understanding, Jesus would say: I am the light of the world. Are you looking for the entrance into abundant life? Jesus would say: I am the door. Do you need guidance and protection? Jesus would say: I am the good shepherd. Are you seeking eternal life? Jesus would say: I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus knows your needs better than you do. Whatever your need, Jesus would say: I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the vine. If you abide in Me, I will supply all your needs.

What Jesus is saying in John chapter 6 and throughout the Gospel of John is: I am all you need. I created you and I know and understand what you need to be fully satisfied and it is Me. Jesus is our all in all. No matter what we think we need, Jesus, alone can supply our true need. By studying the entire Gospel of John, we see clearly that Jesus is not proclaiming Himself to be literal bread, any more than He is proclaiming Himself to be a literal vine or gate. Rather, He is affirming that as our God and Creator, He, and He alone, is all we need. Understanding the whole counsel of God is crucial.

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