WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL? Part 2

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Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL?   Part 2

Genesis 15:18 In the same day IAUE made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

In our last post we examined the fact that unto Peter was committed the gospel to the circumcision (Jews); and unto Paul was committed the gospel to the uncircumcision (Gentiles).  The essence of their gospel messages was not different. Their target audiences were different.  The only difference in the messages was the mystery of the gospel that was revealed initially unto Paul.  Because the revelation of the mystery sent Paul to a different target audience (the church had been preaching the gospel exclusively to the Hebrews of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin for approximately 25 years), Paul went to the leadership in Jerusalem and shared his insight into the mystery to seek their consensus and blessing to continue to take his gospel to the Gentiles.

We must ask ourselves the question:  Why was the early church preaching the gospel exclusively to the Jews?  Eleven of the original apostles who spent more than three years at the side of Yahushua, being taught of him, learning from him directly, were focused only on sharing the good news with their fellow Jews.  From a contemporary perspective that would seem quite selfish, and undermining the purpose of the gospel; but from their perspective, they were obeying the command of Yahushua their Master.  How is this?

Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would come and would “confirm the covenant for one week,” but would be cut off in the middle of the week. (Daniel 9:26-27). This is a little known fact in the church, today.  Yahushua’s 3½ year ministry was focused on confirming the covenant of Abraham.  Literally, “confirming” (gavare) means to strengthen, to demonstrate its prevailing power/authority. Messiah was strengthening in the hearts of the people the accords of the Abrahamic covenant and its reliability.  He wasn’t preaching a “new covenant.”  Only at the end of his days on earth, just prior to his death, burial and resurrection, did he express that the bread and the wine of the Passover meal was representative of his body and his blood of the New Covenant. 

Remember, John preceded Yahushua to prepare the way of the Messiah and to declare his appearance to all Israel.  His baptism was a baptism of repentance, of turning one’s life from unrighteous living with a view to participation in the righteous kingdom of Messiah.  Exactly what kingdom was that?

Genesis 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

“Shiloh” was a prophetic term for the Messiah.  The promise of the Messiah and his reign of peace and righteousness were guaranteed through the tribe of Judah, and specifically through the bloodline of David.  The children of Jacob/Israel would “bow down before” this Messiah of the tribe of Judah. This is where the conundrum begins that is solved by the mystery of the gospel.  To the apostles and disciples in Acts 2, the target audience of the gospel had to be the Jew…the children of Jacob, specifically of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; (and, for the record, those were the only Hebrews that had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost).  In their minds, it DID NOT and COULD NOT apply to the ten tribes of the House of Israel.

Let’s pause and deal with some history at this point.  

When the Israelites demanded to have a king, they were given Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin.  After Saul came King David of the tribe of Judah.  The promise of the coming Messiah was refreshed when David took the throne; and all of the Hebrew people KNEW that unto David’s bloodline was promised the throne until the coming of the eternal reign of the Messiah. After David, his son Solomon reigned; and after Solomon, his son Rehoboam took the throne and ruled the people harshly and stupidly, oppressing his people to obtain higher taxes from them.  In retaliation against this oppression, Jeroboam, of the tribe of Joseph’s son Ephraim, opposed the king and initiated a rebellion that literally tore the kingdom of Israel in two.  Ten tribes moved north of Jerusalem and set up their own kingdom, calling their nation Israel.  Those that remained in Jerusalem called their nation, Judah. To record this event was what I consider the saddest verses in the Scripture.

1 Kings 12:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

“What portion have we in David” is equated with the “inheritance in the son of Jesse.”  This specifically refers to the promise of Messiah coming through the bloodline of the house of David.  This promise and this hope of the coming great kingdom of IAUE’s Messiah was denounced and rejected by ten tribes.  They refused to be of the children of Jacob who would bow down to Judah (See Genesis 49:8-10, above).

Despite the fact that Jeroboam immediately set up golden calf worship as the national religion of the northern kingdom of Israel, IAUE persisted over the next 200 years in sending His prophets to the kings and the peoples of Israel to preach repentance and judgment to them. The people were also reminded of the feast days in Jerusalem and were invited to attend; but they would have nothing more to do with IAUE.  Their persistence in their faithless behavior and their worship of pagan gods forced the hand of IAUE.           

Jeremiah 3:6 IAUE said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

In this chapter, Israel is five times called “backsliding Israel,” and Judah is four times called “treacherous Judah.”  Backsliding Israel, the ten tribes of the House of Israel, were divorced from IAUE.  They were “put away.”  No longer would they be recognized as His people.  No longer would they be the wife of IAUE.  As a result, IAUE raised up Assyria to destroy them (circa 722 B.C.), and to scatter them among the nations, forcing them to marry peoples of other nationalities and ethnicities.  This was a tactic of Assria to prevent the rise of a nationalistic fervor that would fuel rebellion and resistance among the peoples they conquered.  At the time of Acts 2, there were reportedly millions of these half-breed Hebrews in the outlying areas of Palestine; but they knew they could not come to Jerusalem to worship IAUE; and the Jews knew the ten tribes were eternally defiled and no longer to be considered their brethren. 

Animosity and hatred ran rampant between the Jews and these half-breeds; so when the birth of the church age began in Acts 2, none of the apostles even considered that the gospel was a message to be preached to the divorced tribes of Israel.  They had become aliens to the covenants of Elohim.  These were people who knew the Torah. They knew the law of divorce.

Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before IAUE: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which IAUE they Elohim giveth thee for an inheritance.

The ten tribes of Israel had been given a writ of divorcement from IAUE.  He put her away because of her adultery; and she continued to play the harlot with other gods.  She could not come back to her original husband. It was the law. Israel had become a stranger.  The faithless tribes had been scattered among the nations.  They could not come home.

Judah was also unfaithful, but they had not rejected IAUE altogether; nor had they forsaken His promise in David of the coming Messiah.  For their rebellion, He raised up the Babylonians to destroy their nation and to take them captive for 70 years; but THEY CAME BACK TO JERUSALEM.  They restored the walls of Jerusalem.  They rebuilt the temple.  They found the scrolls and publicly read the Torah; and they repented of their unfaithful behavior.  Consequently, some 500+ years later, when John came baptizing with the baptism of repentance and preparing the way for his cousin, Yahushua the Messiah; the Jews sensed that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.  In fact, that was John’s message:  Repent!  For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  That is also what Yahushua began to preach; and it is what he told his disciples to proclaim after he was ascended to His Father, and the Holy Spirit was sent to them.

It was absolutely logical to the apostles and disciples that this was the time of preparation of the soon coming kingdom of their Messiah; and that their mission was to preach the gospel to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin only, to get them to recognize their Messiah and to prepare their hearts unto obedience to their King.  This was going to be THEIR kingdom…not the kingdom of the divorced tribes of Israel.

…but Paul had a revelation!  He had a mystery revealed to him…and it changed the world.

Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL? Part 1

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Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL?   Part 1

Ephesians 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Today, we embark on a mission.  We will pursue the unveiling of a mystery that was given to the Apostle Paul; a mystery that for nearly two millennia has not even been considered by Christendom.  What passes for the gospel, today, bears little resemblance to the Scriptures.  Contemporary Christianity propagates a message that is the amalgamation of tradition and tenets of false religions. Messiah told the Pharisees that by their tradition, they made the word of Elohim of no effect (Mark 7:13). Once we understand the mystery of the gospel, we will read the Scriptures, especially the New Testament Scriptures, with an entirely different understanding; and it will transform our appreciation for the love of IAUE.

Romans 2:16  In the day when Elohim shall judge the secrets of men by Yahushua Messiah according to my gospel.

Romans 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Yahushua Messiah, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember that Yahushua Messiah of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

Paul dared to refer to the message he preached as “his gospel,” as separated from what others might be preaching.  To the Galatians, he said:

Galatians 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Later, in that same letter, he said:

Galatians 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

7 …when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

Now, clearly, there were not two different gospels; or, according to what Paul told the Galatians, the preachers of “the other gospel” would be accursed.  No, there were two “target audiences” of the one gospel. In this passage, we see Paul explaining to the leadership in Jerusalem his understanding of the mystery of the gospel, and how that affected the message to his “target audience.” Until this time, more than twenty years after the beginning of “the church age,” the apostles and the other leadership of the church of Yahushua Messiah preached without any revelation of the mystery of the gospel; as a result, the church was almost entirely Yehudim (Hebrews of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) in its population.  They didn’t realize that the gospel was more than just a continuation of the baptism of John, bringing the Jews unto repentance and preparing their hearts for the Kingdom of IAUE.

We do see in Acts 10, Peter being led of the Spirit to preach to the household of Cornelius, a Roman centurion; and that, in Acts 11, the leadership in Jerusalem acknowledged that repentance unto salvation had been made available to the gentiles; but this did not move them to begin preaching to the gentiles.

Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified Elohim, saying, Then hath Elohim also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

Today, the population of the church is predominantly from Gentile peoples; and non-Jews the principle target audience throughout the world.  Is this the mystery of the gospel, that non-Jews are granted repentance unto life?  No, it is not.  This reality is the result of tradition, not an understanding of the mystery.  To understand the mystery of the gospel, we are going to have to start from the beginning of IAUE’s covenant relationship with man, for that is where the mystery begins.  When this revelation is opened up for us to behold, we will say with Paul:

Romans 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Q&A – WHAT IS SIN? Part 2

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Q&A – WHAT IS SIN?   Part 2

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees were a political sect of the Jews that were meticulous keepers of every “jot and tittle” of the law; and yet they were the ones that could not comprehend the fact that the long-awaited promised Messiah was standing right in front of them.  The very next verse in this passage begins the first of five times that Yahushua says, “You have heard it said…but I say unto you.”  Five times, the Master tells them what the letter of the law (the Torah) said; but then goes on to explain what the spirit of the law was.  The Pharisees kept the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law.  They could refrain from committing adultery, but they could not refrain from looking at a woman with the desire to commit adultery.  They could refrain from killing someone; but they could not keep from hating that person, etc.

2 Corinthians 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

In this portion of the “sermon on the mount, among other things, ”Yahushua was explaining the difference between obeying IAUE’s laws and obeying IAUE.  Anyone can choose to abide by the law, in the same way a person can choose not to exceed the posted speed limit on the roadway. It does not keep a person from wanting to speed.  You see, the law by itself becomes about us, not about IAUE.  If I abide by the speed limit, but I want to speed, then I am not delighted that the Father has set that speed limit for the good of myself and others; and take joy and comfort in the knowledge that exceeding that speed is not in the best interest of myself and of those around me.  Such is the case for every aspect of the Torah. If the Pharisees saw the law as an expression of the love of IAUE, they would have understood the spirit of the law.

The proof of this is demonstrated in the testimony of the Scriptures about the Pharisees.  These meticulous law-keepers were intent on everyone knowing they kept the law more carefully than others.  They insisted on wearing clothing that showed their law-keeping as they broadened their phylacteries; and they prayed in public to be seen and heard of men; they insured the coins they tossed into the treasury of the temple made noise so others would take notice of their giving, etc.  They were on display for their law-keeping; and Yahushua assured them they that “they had their reward” in the praise and awe of their fellow-man; but they had no treasure with IAUE; and were only storing up wrath in the day of the wrath and vengeance of IAUE.  They were whited sepulchers (white-washed burial tombs), pretty on the outside but full of dead men’s bones on the inside.

How does this answer our question, “What is sin?”  It helps us to understand that when the Scripture says that Yahushua came to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), it was referring to rescuing his people from something that alienated them from IAUE.  Sin, as man thinks of sin, is not the things that make them feel guilty. That notion is all about self and has no view of the offense their words and deeds are to IAUE; consequently, there is no mourning or grieving over the wickedness of their hearts before a holy Creator.

Matthew 3:6  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Do not think they silently prayed to IAUE to confess their sins.  No, the context here suggests they declared publicly the reason why they were in need of repentance and the baptism of John.  Can you imagine a church service in the USA, where a pastor would require someone coming to “accept Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour” to confess publicly to the congregation their sins and to openly grieve over the wickedness of their heart and life before IAUE?  (That would very likely “out” the people in the congregation with whom they were committing sin.)  Instead, what we see often is, “I want every head bowed and every eye closed.  I will do nothing to embarrass you.  If you want to receive Christ today as your personal Lord and Saviour, just quietly lift your hand, then bring it back down.”  Voila, conversion via abject anonymity.  No repentance.  No confession of sins.  No grieving. Nothing is allowed that would assault the sensibilities of the flesh.  In the book of Acts, the new believer was immediately and publicly baptized.  The very act of baptism was a public declaration that they were unclean and needed to be cleansed of law-breaking.  It was definitely a blow to pride; but then, pride is not permitted entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The gospel was a self-crushing message. It obliterated one’s ability to have Messiah on the one hand and hold to sin on the other hand. We can only serve one master.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Here we see sin being called “the transgression of the law;” but we have already seen in the Scripture that keeping the law is not enough.  Messiah said our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees; and they were meticulous keepers of the law.  David broke the law when he led his men into the holy place to eat the showbread that only the Levites could eat.  The entire nation of Israel broke the law when they marched around the city of Jericho on the Sabbath day.  The woman with the issue of blood broke the law when she, an unclean person, walked among the crowd and touched the hem of Yahushua’s garment; and yet in each of these occasions, they were rewarded for their act.

Here we also see that Messiah coming to “save us from our sins” means he came to “take away our sins.”  If one’s sins are taken away, the result is “doing righteousness.”  Now, we begin to understand what sin really is; because a tree is known by its fruit. If righteous acts are the fruit of the life of one who has had his sins taken away, then sin is unrighteousness.  So, if sin is the transgression of the law, why isn’t keeping the law enough?

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified (made righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Yahushua Messiah, even we have believed in Yahushua Messiah, that we might be justified (made righteous) by the faith of Messiah, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (made righteous).

Keeping the law as an end in itself is only about self.  It is about how we are perceived by others.  It is not about how we are perceived by IAUE.  The kind of law-keeping that pleases IAUE must come from the heart that honors the love and integrity of IAUE’s commandments; and that is only achieved by what Yahushua did on our behalf.

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

This verse describes the process of Yahushua taking away our sins in order to replace unrighteousness with his own righteousness; but this post is not about the doctrine of righteousness.  It is about defining sin.  By now, I think we can see that the Scripture characterizes sin as that which is unrighteous; and that it is absolutely possible to keep the law and keep being unrighteous at the same time.

What is the word “sin” in the Greek?  It is “hamartia,” and it literally means “to miss the mark.”  It was a word called out by the spotter in an archery competition when the archer failed to hit the bullseye of the target.  In short, you failed.  You missed accomplishing the objective.  What is it we are expected to do, that we are obligated to do?  It is the will of IAUE.  We have seen however that it is not doing His words only; but obeying the intent behind His words.  It is not just refraining from doing or not doing something; but it includes the reason behind doing or not doing. Sin is violating the moral purity of the will of IAUE.

Luke 1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

In Zacharias’ prophecy at the naming of his son, John (Yohannes), he describes the condition of the people of IAUE once they have been “saved from their sins,” after the Messiah has “taken away their sins.”  They are delivered from all of the enemies which prevented them from serving IAUE in holiness and righteousness.  It is a condition that is separated from unrighteousness, separated from violating the moral purity of IAUE’s nature as seen in Him personally, and as seen in His words and His commandments to man.

Sin is any word, thought or deed that bears the nature of unrighteousness. It is anything that “misses the mark” of righteousness.  Righteousness is defined as the moral purity of IAUE. It is demonstrated by the joyous obedience to the good and perfect and acceptable will of IAUE that proceeds forth from a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  

Romans 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 Elohim forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Q&A – WHAT IS SIN? Part 1

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Q&A – WHAT IS SIN?   Part 1

Matthew 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Yahushua: for he shall save his people from their sins.

All my life, I have heard preachers and so-called evangelists giving their “invitation” for people to “accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.”  Nowhere in the Scriptures is the gospel presented as an invitation. It is a command. Nowhere in the Scriptures is it suggested that anyone should “accept Christ” much less to accept him as a “personal Lord and Savior.”  This is traditional nonsense, the origin of which very likely cannot even be traced; and yet, the church ignores the book of Acts and presses on with passing down this traditional idea from generation to generation.

One of the intrinsic elements of this “invitation” to accept Christ as one’s personal Lord and Savior is the need for the person to say that they are “sorry for their sins;” and to ask Jesus to forgive them of their sins.  To this I would suggest one read:

2 Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The word for “sorry” and “sorrow” and “sorrowed” in this passage is all the same word (lupeo) and it means “to be pained, to grieve.” Have you ever known or seen anyone who, in response to an invitation to accept the Messiah, actually grieved over their sins?   It is always just a verbal formula they are lead to say when they are praying “the magic prayer.”  There is never even an explanation as to what sin actually is; so how can they comprehend what it is they are telling Messiah they are sorry for having committed?

Most people will admit that they have sinned; but what do they mean?  Realistically, sin, to a typical person, is whatever they have done that, afterwards, made them feel guilty. In other words, to most people, sin is defined as the violation of their own sensibilities. It is all about them and has nothing to do with Elohim.  If I grow up in a culture where it is a learned trait to deceive others in order to make a deal, then such guile and craftiness will be honored as a prized skill; and not something that would cause one to feel guilty, and surely not grief or sorrow.

Matthew 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Yahushua: for he shall save his people from their sins.

This is the first time the word “sin” is used in the New Testament. This verse defines the very mission of the Messiah.  He shall “save” his people from their “sins.”  The Greek word translated “save” here is “sozo” (pronounced “sode-zo”); and in this context it means to rescue or deliver one from the danger and grave consequences of something…here, it is to be delivered from sins.  Common sense would tell you that IAUE did not send His Son to make his appearance into the world as a child, grow up, be killed and rise from the dead to separate man from the things he has done that make him feel guilty.  That would just give mankind a new starting point to begin the rest of their life doing more things that make them feel guilty…to continue living their self-centered life.

So, what is sin?  Let’s look at the first time this word appears in the Scripture.

Genesis 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to IAUE.

4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. IAUE looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 

5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then IAUE said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Abel did what was right before IAUE.  Cain did not do what was right. This is a very important “first usage” of this word for it demonstrates a significant distinction between “sin” and “a sin.”  Let me explain.  “A sin” is a singular act, one of many acts that are “not right” before IAUE. “Sin,” however, is anthropomorphized in this verse. It is depicted as a living entity that is “crouching at your door” desiring to have the mastery over your life. The Hebrew word for “crouching” (ravats) is a word that describes the posture of an animal that is lying on its stomach with its legs curled up underneath, like a horse does when it lies down.  In this verse “sin” is postured this way “at your door,” or literally, at the entry way into your life.  In the very next verse, Cain kills his brother.

The apostle Paul confirms this idea in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 7:7  …I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 

9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 

10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 

11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

A wrong act on our part is behavior resulting from a choice we make.  It is “a sin.”  Our wrongful behaviour did not “sieze an opportunity”  It did not “deceive us.” That which seized the opportunity to deceive us was a force working upon us to MAKE the choice to do wrong. It was an enemy crouching at the entrance to our heart to bend us to its will. IAUE told Cain that he was responsible to not permit sin to rule over him.  He must rule over it.

Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Elohim, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Elohim.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Elohim forbid.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

This is a very enlightening passage of Scripture.  Here we see Paul expressing that sin (that thing that is crouching at the entrance to your life) wants to reign, to have the rule over your mortal life.  Sin wants you to obey it.  This is not referring to a wrong act, or acts.  It is an evil spiritual entity.  Paul goes on to instruct the Romans not to yield their bodies unto sin but to Elohim.  Elohim is a living being.  Paul is not contrasting serving a wrongful act, or a “principle” of wrong with serving the Creator. He is contrasting two would-be masters of our life; both of which desire our implicit obedience.  Because of the grace of IAUE, sin (the evil thing crouching at your door) shall not have dominion (rule, domination) over you.  Why is this?  If you remember from our last post, grace is the power IAUE gives to us that enables us effortlessly to do His will.  Because grace is acting upon our lives, we are rendering our mortal bodies as instruments of righteousness to serve the will of IAUE.  This keeps sin at the door, crouching, and not pouncing.  He is given no passage to lead us into servitude to him.

                     

John 8:34  Yahushua answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin (the wrong act) is the servant of sin (the evil entity crouching at the door).

If we humble ourselves to submit in faith to the Master Yahushua Messiah, our life becomes all about Yahushua in us; and the Father pours out his grace upon us and we are empowered to do His will.  If we stand up from that humble posture and make life about us, then sin enters through the doorway and our service to him is manifested by our committing sin. It is really quite that simple.  When life is about “us” it leads us to commit sin.  When life is about Messiah, it leads us to obedience to IAUE.  James tells us this.

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Man can only be tempted when some desire inside of him is titillated…when something moves him to make life about what he wants. When he acts on that desire, it produces sin, a wrongful act. Notice that the tempter is called “sin” (the entity, not the wrongful act), and he will work that self-centered desire in you until it results in your death; all the while enjoying his dominion over you.

So, we have distinguished the difference between “sin” and “a sin.”  We still have not actually defined what “a sin” is.  We will do that in our next post.