Noun Sins and Verb Sins #1593

20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:20–23, NKJV)

I received an interesting question about sin recently: “Could you explain the difference between the noun sin and the verb sins?” The grammatical answer is a noun identifies the sin (its nature, content, etc.), while the verb describes the active practice of that sin. Covetousness, for instance, is a noun identified as greedy desire to have more. It resides in and springs from the heart, presenting itself in greedy, covetous conduct. For example, when Achan saw the spoils of Jericho he said, “I coveted them and took them” (Joshua 7:20-21). Sin exists in the heart, and it presents itself in our actions. We cannot only think of sin as something practiced. It is also something held in the heart. Jesus confirmed this when He said to look at a woman to lust after her is to commit adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Lust in the heart is sin, and lust that presents itself in the act of adultery is sin. Whether sin is identified as a noun, or its action is discussed as a verb, its wages is death (Romans 6:23). Salvation from sin, whether “noun” or “verb,” is through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17; Acts 2:37-41).

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“Adulteries and Fornications” #1578

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matthew 15:19, NKJV)

Jesus identifies sin even though men and women refuse to do so. Such is the case with “adulteries” and “fornications.” The world often calls adulteries “love affairs,” but God calls it sin that He judges (Romans 7:2-3; Hebrews 13:4). Fornication is the general term for all forms of sexual immorality, including premarital and extramarital sex, homosexuality, bestiality and incest (1 Corinthians 6:9; Jude 7). In many (if not most) cases, the world calls fornication good, but God calls it sin. It is a work of the flesh that prevents one from inheriting the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19, 21). The world (that does not know God) demands we accept their sinful conduct. But, the word of God is clear that we cannot approve of sin in any form, including sexual sins (Ephesians 5:5-11). Sin does not disappear simply because people refuse to identify it as such. Jesus died for adulterers and fornicators – for all sinners (Romans 5:8). We ask our religious neighbors who are acknowledging such sinful conduct as acceptable, “Why did Jesus die?” He died for our sins. If there is no such thing as sin (like adulteries and fornications), then Jesus died in vain. We must identify and repent of every sin, including these (2 Corinthians 12:20-21). The wages of sin is eternal death, but God forgives sins and gives eternal life in Christ Jesus the Lord (Romans 6:23).

Evil Thoughts #1576

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matthew 15:19, NKJV)

All sin proceeds from the heart. So, Jesus teaches us to cleanse our hearts to be pure (Matthew 15:1-9, 18). It is not coincidental the Lord begins this catalog of sins come from the heart with “evil thoughts.” Evil thoughts are the reasonings and contemplations that lead to sinful conduct. The heart considers evil before committing evil. It is this contemplation of evil in the heart that is condemned here. We are not to entertain the thought of evil, much less do the evil we contemplate. This is not the way the world thinks about sin. Many people say, “No harm, no foul,” as if only doing the evil is wrong. But, the Son of God said evil thoughts harm us and our standing with God. For instance, Jesus said to look at a woman to lust after her is to already commit adultery with her in one’s heart (Matthew 5:28). It is the pure in heart who shall see God (Matthew 5:8). So, purify the thoughts of your heart of every lust, covetousness, deceit, bitterness, vengeance, partiality and all other evil thinking that leads to sinful conduct (James 4:8). We must singularly devote our thoughts to the things of God.

Life in Christ Jesus #1561

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:2–4, NKJV)

The “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” is “the law of God,” it is “the gospel of His Son” (Romans 7:25; 1:9). Life is in Christ Jesus, and the gospel is the “law of faith” by which we are justified (Romans 3:26-27). The law that gives life is set in contrast with “the law of sin and death” – the rule that sin causes death (v. 1; Romans 6:23). The Law of Moses identified sin but could not save sinners (Romans 3:20, 23; 7:10-12). The Son of God became flesh, lived without sin and condemned sin by His life and His death (Philippians 2:5-8; Roman 5:6-11). In Christ, spiritual life is granted to all who “walk according to the Spirit” (who live in and by the gospel, Romans 1:16-17; 5:1-2; 6:1-14). We are not sinners because we are humans, we are sinners because we commit sin (Romans 5:12). Now, by the gospel, we are saved from our sins and choose to serve righteousness instead of sin (Romans 6:15-18).

Dead or Alive? #1556

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:1–3, NKJV)

God alone brings to life the sinner who is spiritually dead (Colossians 2:12-13). Before we were saved in Christ (“made alive”) we were “by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” How were “the others” children of wrath? To answer that question is to answer how we were also children of wrath. The answer given is this: The world walks in disobedience to God. Their nature, their habit and course of conduct, is living in sin. The world is under the sway of Satan and, because of its sin, under God’s wrath. Like them, we also conducted ourselves in fleshly lusts, fulfilling sinful desires. We chose to sin, and sin caused our spiritual death. We are not born sinners – we choose to walk “according to the course of this world.” We come under God’s wrath when we sin. Only the sacrifice of Jesus appeases God’s wrath and saves us from eternal death (1 John 2:2; 4:10). God makes us alive – gives us “newness of life” – when we are baptized with Christ and die to sin (Romans 6:4). This is when God makes dead sinners alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5-6).

Sin’s Death, Shame and Fear #1549

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:6–10, NKJV)

Sin intruded upon the idyll setting of Eden’s fellowship between God and mankind, bringing death, shame and fear. Committing sin produced knowledge of their nakedness, prompting Adam and Eve’s attempt to lessen their shame with fig leaf coverings. Their sin also caused them to experience fear for the first time. Hearing God’s voice heightened their sense of shame, and being afraid because they were naked, Adam and Eve hid themselves. Their leave coverings had not remedied their nakedness, nor did it remove the shame of their sin. Sin causes shame and fear as it separates us from God. Thank God, we do not have to live in the shame, fear and death of our sins. God provides forgiveness of our sins in His Son, Jesus (1 John 5:11-13). In Christ there is life instead of death, fellowship instead of shame, and faith instead of fear.

“God, be merciful to me a sinner” #1502

13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:13–14, NKJV)

The depth of our sins magnifies the depth of God’s mercy. The Pharisee in this parable depicts “some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 18:9). The Pharisee justified himself in comparison to others. He considered himself to be superior spiritually – “not like other men” (Luke 18:11-12). When we cannot see our own sins we are unable to show compassion to others, much less receive God’s merciful forgiveness for our sins. God is ready, willing and able to show us mercy when we, in anguish over our sins, turn to Him for relief (Psalm 51:17). The tax collector was crushed over his sin. Even so today, a sinner who is “cut to the heart” over his sins receives God’s mercy when he repents and is baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:37-38). The contrite heart turns to God for compassionate forgiveness and receives it. It is precisely when we understand our own need for mercy that we are able to show mercy to others. The merciful do not elevate themselves above others, for they know their own need for mercy. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The self-righteous do not give or receive mercy.