What is sin? The Biblical definition of sin is as follows:
1 John 3:4
4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
((First of all, let’s define what transgress means. Transgress means to break, violate, go beyond a limit or bound, or offend. So..we can say, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth(break) also the law: for sin is the transgression(violation) of the law.
((We all have been born into sin. We all have been willful sinners, without hardly any restraint. Now that we are trying to be like Christ, we have to change. We can be no longer look upon as willful sinners. Don’t get me wrong, we will not be totally sinless when coming into the knowledge of Christ, yet it should be most of time, sinning out of ignorance. So..we can boldly say that sin cannot exist without the law. What laws are we not to break? Let’s continue.
Matthew 22:36-49
36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
((Okay, now we know that the commandments are within the law. Note: we can’t have the commandments without the law. Let’s continue.))
37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38. This is the first and great commandment.
39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
((Remember: Jesus said in verse 37, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind. Let’s find out how to do that.)
The 10 Commandments:
Exodus 20:1-17
1. And God spake all these words, saying,
2. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
((No other Gods))
4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
((We shouldn’t make any graven image, or anything from heaven, on earth, or anything that live in the water. A cross is a image, it doesn’t validate a person as being a Christian or Saint. What’s the difference between a person wearing a cross, a Buddha emblem, or a star around their neck or walking around with a rabbits foot, rock, marble, or carved wooden image for so called good luck or protection in their pocket? None. There’s no difference, all of them are physical things, objects, or graven images. We don’t put faith in images, animal parts, or statues, ect., only in God the Father through Jesus. Neither the apostles, nor any disciples wore a cross after Jesus death and resurrection.))
5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
((We shouldn’t bow down ourselves to any image, whether it’s made of wood, stone, or metal. No crosses, painted pictures of Jesus, Mother Mary’s, Buddha, Rocks, animals, nothing. God’s is a jealous God.))
6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
((He shows mercy unto those who love him and keep his commandments. So if you want mercy and forgiveness from the Lord, you have to be keeping his commandments.))
7. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
((Is the sabbath day, Saturday or Sunday? Let’s find out.))
9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
((Look at your calendar. Six days shall we labour and work, but the Seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord. There’s only one Sabbath, and that’s the Lord’s sabbath, which is the 7th day of the week, which mankind has labeled, Saturday. Man’s work week starts on Monday, the 2nd day of the week, God’s work week starts on the 1st day(Sunday). Some of us have to work on Saturday, but if we don’t have to , we shouldn’t. God will not count that against us if it’s mandatory, because most of us don’t have our own businesses, and say so within our jobs, therefore we continue working and making a living for ourselves until something better comes along, or until a better work schedule is at our access, so that we can keep the Sabbath. Mind you, once done working, if we have to, we should observe the Sabbath the remainder of the day. The Seventh Day Sabbath(Saturday) is God’s day of worship. Sunday worship is a tradition of man, not a commandment from God.))
11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
((The Lord, blessed and hallowed(esteemed) the 7 day(Saturday). He did not bless and hallow the 1st day(which man has labeled Sunday).
((These next commandments shows us how to love our neighbor. Remember what we read a little while ago in Matthew 22: 39, Jesus said, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” He was referring to the commandments. They read.))
12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13. Thou shalt not kill.
14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15. Thou shalt not steal.
16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
((When we obey the last 5 commandments, we’re showing love towards our neighbor. Question: If our neighbor caught us doing any of these things to them, would they believe that we loved them, cared for them, even were considerate of them and their feelings? Now that we know that the commandments are within the law. Also, we know that the law points out what sin is. Thirdly, we understand that sin is still present in this world, therefore the law has to be present as well.
Grace and Peace!