Theological Meaning of Sin

·          According to the bible, “ The sting of death is sin”  (1Co 15:56) and from that verse it can be said that sin is the sting of death.

·         Sting means “to pierce” and death means “lack of spiritual life”- So then, we are pierce by sin and it affect our whole being which bring us in the state of lack of spiritual life.  

·         “Sting of death” is simply means the “little sin” in the “little members” of the body (eye, hand, tongue) that can cause a saved person to become spiritually dead (Jam 1:15) and can put him in the danger of the fire of hell (Mar 9:43-49).

·         It can be said also that the sting which is sin penetrated deeply and became planted and rooted in the inner being causing us or tends us to do the "sin I hate to do but I do".

·         Ingrained bad habits are caused by the sting which is sin deeply ingrained in our whole being, in particular is in the mind.

·         The sting or the sin that brings spiritual death dwell and lives in the members of our body making us to craves the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

·         The “little sin” in the “little members” has gained its power through the law and to overcome the power of sin in the members we must surpass the law.

·          Since the sin dwells and lives in the members of the body (from birth Psa 51:5) many claimed   they are truly saved or always saved are slave of sin -“sin I hate to do but I do”.

·         Sin is the breaking of the law but by surpassing them (The Ten Commandments) the sting with its ill effect shall be remove slowly but surely.

·         The Law (“Now I tell you” that Jesus said in Mat 5:21-48) is perfect to convert (renew, reform, change) the soul (mind). Psa 19:7

A saved person must “work out his own salvation” (Php 2:12) by surpassing the law (Mat 5:20-48), and through the “Law Now” renewing of the mind will be achieve. When the mind is continuously renewing the body will achieve to carry out “little by little” the desires of the Spirit until the misdeeds of the body and the desires of the flesh are totally destroy.

Surpassing the law is the keeping and practicing of the “law now” until the mind of the saved person becomes completely renew and until the body achieve to carry out without struggles the desires of the Spirit.   

 

Both mind and body must be saved completely. See The Paradox of the Biblical Salvation.

Apostle Law #4

Surpassing the Law is a process of “works for a while” wherein a saved person is passing through on the judgment of God to the sin.

As what earthly father do to his son is what God our Father that is in heaven do to us. God let us to experience his judgment by the so called chastisement of God. The way God discipline us so we can learn to obey his will is by chastising us. And God chastisement or his punishment is not pleasurable. But God do it in his own pleasure. Read Heb 12:6-11

God chastise to impute deep in our being his will for us. Do you know what are God’s will? There’s nothing else except the Law which is the Ten Commandments. It contains his will, his perfect will actually for everyone. God’s will for us is not to get angry (anger is the same as murder), not to look with a lust (lustful look is the same as adultery), not to steal (even if it is small of value), not to tell a lie (even to speak with exaggeration- also form of lying) and others that included in the Law that Jesus said, “Now I tell you”. God hate those sins. And when we keep on sinning, God judge us. Read 1Cor 11:31-32

Apostle law #4 is about the “training” or the “works” we must enter upon until we become so “well practice” in surpassing the Law or until the Law “Now I tell you” turn to be a part of our daily practical Christian living. In the meantime during that training God will let us personally experience his punishments as what like the earthly good father punish (chastise, discipline) his son.

When God chastise us (through problems, sufferings, hardship, and difficulty of many kinds) we must submit even if it is painful on our part. Though God chastise, it gives a positive indication that we should be encourage and confident to continue. Because on that case, we are indeed belonging to be a God’s son and God really loves us (Heb 12:6). So let us press on.

Consequently, after we “practice thereby” or “works for a while” (in surpassing the law) we can now personally experience and say the sweet psalm of David, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want…thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psa 23:1-6). God will not put away his chastisement, but this time His chastisement (His rod) is not anymore displeasing but pleasurable and provides us comfort.

Apostle Law #2

“In spiritual realm, we are righteous, holy, perfect, justified, new creation and so on, it is because of the sacrificial works of Christ but in the natural realm or in reality, we are slave to the sin living in the parts of our body (hands, eyes and tongue as well as in the whole body) wherein we must overcome all of it completely”.

Our whole being is consisting of the unseen and that can be seen. One is the spiritual being which cannot be seen. We have no problem in our spiritual being because it was already given complete solution through Christ. By his sacrificial works our spiritual position remained the same, we are holy and righteous in God’s sight even though we sin many times. All of our sin from the past, present and in the future was already paid by Jesus blood.

While on the other side of our being which can be seen problem is not yet resolve. Our physical being or the so called our physical being- the body which is also called the flesh is something a Christian should give himself with much concerns. Because there in the body dwelling sin is actively manifest by the eye, hand and tongue. In those parts of the body sin is alive and kicking. Sin of omission (sin that we should not do such as murder -anger adultery -lustful look, stealing -robbing God , lying -exaggeration is also a form of lying and others sin prohibits by the Ten Commandments) and also the sin of commission (such as not reading the bible, praying and others that we should do but we neglect to do) are the sin dwelling in the parts of the body that must be overcome completely.

Like the Apostle Paul, anyone who is in Christ will experience an inward struggling with sin. He said,” For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For 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. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (Rom 7:15-20)

And the Lord Jesus warns that if the eyes and hand causes you to sin it is better to pluck it out or to cut it out that part from your body. It is better, Jesus said, to throw it out those parts of the body so that not your whole body be thrown in hell (Mat 5:29-30). In general, the whole body itself causes us to sin, it makes us lazy to do the things of God and makes us to crave more on its desires such as the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

Keep in mind, no “Flesh” and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50). It really means that our body has nothing good lives in there as what Apostle Paul had seen (Rom 7:18).

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither 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. (Rom 6:12-13)

In order that the sin will not reign in our mortal body, we must keep on practicing the Law that Jesus said, “But now I tell you…” (Mat 5:28,32,34,39,44). By keep on practicing the (spiritual) Law which is the Ten Commandments it will form a new pattern in your brain. Once the pattern is formed, it becomes an automatic behavioral response. As you develop new spiritual habits, they will begin to replace worldly and lustful habits that basically of long ago was formed in the mind.

It is all about the Ten Commandments the Lord told and establish by the Apostles in the New Testament which is the only way to transform the mind into the mind of Christ. It is the perfect way because the Law is perfect to renew the mind that will certainly put to death the misdeeds of the members of body.

The body (desires) which is the “flesh” must put to death.

How Exactly the Apostle Paul Surpass the Law

Concerning the Law, the Apostle Paul makes his point clear that he did not make void the Law through faith, in fact he establish it (Rom 3:31). It is very clear also that Jesus did not nullify the Law. He actually brought out the Law with its full meaning and real intention. Our Lord himself when he came on earth had exactly surpassed the Law. (Mat 5:17-20).

Surpass means “be more excellent” (Strong Dictionary).

How Paul surpassed the Law:

1. He practice what he preach.
This is a very primary important reminder to all who called themselves preacher of the Word of God. Do practice what you preach because if not, you might be in danger of fire of hell. To preach without applying to himself what he preach is lying. And liar goes to hell (Rev 21:9). (Paul surpassed the 9th commandment - Read Rom 2:19-23.)

2. He did not use and abuse his power (to get money).

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? (1Co 9:11)If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. (1Co 9:12)


Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. (1Co 9:14-15)

What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. (1Co 9:18)


(Paul surpassed the 10th commandment)


3. He surpassed all of the 10 Commandments

Definitely, Paul surpassed the Law. He personally gave an instruction to Timothy of how he going to properly choose and appoint leaders in the Church. (1 Tim Chapter 3). Paul told Timothy that leaders should not be an adulterer, murderer, liar, thief and so on. Doubtless, Paul and Timothy keep the Ten Commandments and surpass them.

All Christians needs not just to obey and keep the Law but to surpass them and that is the real context and essence concerning the Law. And that is the Ten Commandments not we heard of long ago but what the Lord Jesus had tell “NOW”.