Christian Truth

From: The Christian Shepherd: 1997

• 2 min. read • grade level: 6

The object of these outlines is to bring before the reader truth that is fast being let slip.

Introduction

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16‑17)).

By it we are born again (1 Peter 1:23²³Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23)).

By it our souls are fed and we grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2²As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2)).

By it we are able to discern good and evil (1 John 4:6⁶We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6)).

It is the standard by which all teaching must be judged. “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17¹⁷Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)).

Sin? What Is It?

Sin is lawlessness. This is the correct translation of 1 John 3:4⁴Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4).

Man’s proper place is subjection to the will of God, so sin is the act of an independent will.

“Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23²³And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)). That is, faith brings us into the presence of God and we walk consciously there.

“The thought of foolishness is sin” (Prov. 24:9⁹The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. (Proverbs 24:9)). That is, our thoughts tell what we are in nature (Mark 7:21²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, (Mark 7:21)).

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23²³For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). That is a summing up of all that the Apostle had been saying previously. Sin is measured by the true nature of God, and that is why it says that all have “come short of the glory of God.”

“To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17¹⁷Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)). That is the active principle of obedience in the new man. To obey it not is to give place to the old man (Eph. 4:22²²That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (Ephesians 4:22)).

The Word of God speaks of “sin” the nature we have as children of Adam (Psa. 51:5⁵Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5)). The fruit is the result. In Romans 6-8⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ¹⁶Know 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? ¹⁷But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. ¹⁸Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. ¹⁹I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. ²⁰For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. ²¹What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²²But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. ²³For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? ²For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. ³So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. ⁴Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. ⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. ⁸But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. ⁹For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ¹⁰And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. ¹¹For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. ¹²Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. ¹³Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. ¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ¹⁶If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ²¹I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ²⁵I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. ¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ⁵For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (Romans 6:5‑8), we have deliverance from its power through the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus through faith.

Peace

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1¹Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).

The last verse of Romans 4 would show us that this is faith in what God has done in delivering Christ for our offenses and raising Him for our justification.

Ephesians 2:14¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Ephesians 2:14) tells us, “He is our peace.” Colossians 1:20²⁰And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20) tells us that He has made peace through the blood of His cross.

It is the fruit of simply believing that God has provided in Christ a perfect atonement for sin. The work was done at the cross, and His resurrection is the witness of God’s acceptance of the work His own Son has completed.

H. E. Hayhoe (Present Truth for Christians)

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