Laws, Rules and Religions Cause Sin

[Robert Pate]

Who were Jesus's enemies? Was it the prostitutes, the thieves or the outcast? No, it was the religious law keeping Pharisees. They hated him so much that they finally had him crucified. The ones that loved and accepted Jesus were the prostitutes, the thieves and the outcast. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being a wine bibber and a friend of sinners, Luke 7:34. At least the sinners were not trying to kill him.

If you want to know what Jesus thought about the religious law keeping Pharisees read the 23rd chapter of Matthew. He called them hypocrites seven times, besides a bunch of other things. The worse being "serpents" Matthew 23:33. The Pharisees were super religionist, they even tithed down to the mint in their gardens, Matthew 23:23.

Every time I have to go to a Catholic church, I can count on seeing a life size statue of the crucified Christ hanging on the wall. Jesus is not on the cross, he is in heaven as the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" Revelation 19:16. Worse yet, at Christmas time here are all of those manger scenes. Jesus is not in a manger. Why doesn't someone show Jesus sitting on a throne as a King? It appears to me that the Spirit of anti-Christ is alive and well.

Paul said, "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (Lust) for without the law sin was dead" Romans 7:8.

It was the law that caused Paul to lust. This is why Jesus abolished the law for Christians, Ephesians 2:15. Where there is no law, there is no sin, Romans 4:15. Knowing this, why would anyone want to follow the law? There is something in human nature when told not to do something we want to do it. God told Eve, "Don't eat of the tree in the midst of the garden." What did Eve do? She had to go look at it. Before God said don't eat of the tree no one paid any attention to the tree. But now God said, "Don't eat of the tree".

I had a teenage friend that had a lot of success with the girls that went to the Baptist church. I asked him one day what his secret was. He said, those girls are being told so much not to do it that they can't wait to do it. A classic example of human nature. If you are bound by laws, rules and religion you will sin. I didn't say that, Paul did. Paul also said, "For he that is dead is freed from sin" Romans 6:7. So, how do we become dead to the law? We become dead to the law when we stop being religious and believe that we have been crucified with Christ.

When Jesus died on the cross, we spiritually died with him. Our old sinful nature was crucified with Christ, Galatians 2:20. This is not make-believe stuff. We have been crucified with Christ. If we have been crucified with Christ then we are dead to the law. If we have been crucified with Christ, then we don't have to obey our old sinful nature. When tempted to sin you can now say, "I am dead to that". What is our spiritual position in Christ? This is our spiritual position, "For you are dead (crucified with Christ) and your life is hid with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3.

 

[Robert Pate]

Christian obedience is not motivated by laws, rules or religion. Christian obedience is motivated by love.

A good son does not need instructions. He knows what is required of him and lives accordingly. He loves his father and would never do anything to shame him or disgrace him. Jesus said of his Father. "I always do those things that please him".

 

[Bob Estey]

Who were Jesus's enemies? Was it the prostitutes, the thieves or the outcast? No, it was the religious law keeping Pharisees. They hated him so much that they finally had him crucified. The ones that loved and accepted Jesus were the prostitutes, the thieves and the outcast. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being a wine bibber and a friend of sinners, Luke 7:34. At least the sinners were not trying to kill him.

If you want to know what Jesus thought about the religious law keeping Pharisees read the 23rd chapter of Matthew. He called them hypocrites seven times, besides a bunch of other things. The worse being "serpents" Matthew 23:33. The Pharisees were super religionist, they even tithed down to the mint in their gardens, Matthew 23:23.

Every time I have to go to a Catholic church, I can count on seeing a life size statue of the crucified Christ hanging on the wall. Jesus is not on the cross, he is in heaven as the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" Revelation 19:16. Worse yet, at Christmas time here are all of those manger scenes. Jesus is not in a manger. Why doesn't someone show Jesus sitting on a throne as a King? It appears to me that the Spirit of anti-Christ is alive and well.

Paul said, "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (Lust) for without the law sin was dead" Romans 7:8.

It was the law that caused Paul to lust. This is why Jesus abolished the law for Christians, Ephesians 2:15. Where there is no law, there is no sin, Romans 4:15. Knowing this, why would anyone want to follow the law? There is something in human nature when told not to do something we want to do it. God told Eve, "Don't eat of the tree in the midst of the garden." What did Eve do? She had to go look at it. Before God said don't eat of the tree no one paid any attention to the tree. But now God said, "Don't eat of the tree".

I had a teenage friend that had a lot of success with the girls that went to the Baptist church. I asked him one day what his secret was. He said, those girls are being told so much not to do it that they can't wait to do it. A classic example of human nature. If you are bound by laws, rules and religion you will sin. I didn't say that, Paul did. Paul also said, "For he that is dead is freed from sin" Romans 6:7. So, how do we become dead to the law? We become dead to the law when we stop being religious and believe that we have been crucified with Christ.

When Jesus died on the cross, we spiritually died with him. Our old sinful nature was crucified with Christ, Galatians 2:20. This is not make-believe stuff. We have been crucified with Christ. If we have been crucified with Christ then we are dead to the law. If we have been crucified with Christ, then we don't have to obey our old sinful nature. When tempted to sin you can now say, "I am dead to that". What is our spiritual position in Christ? This is our spiritual position, "For you are dead (crucified with Christ) and your life is hid with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3.

The purpose of the commandments is to keep us out of trouble. If you rob a bank, you go to prison, so don't do it.

 

[Robert Pate]

The purpose of the commandments is to keep us out of trouble. If you rob a bank, you go to prison, so don't do it.

If you need to be told what to do it may be that you are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Christians are not Pharisees. The Holy Spirit is the Christians guide and keeper, John 16:13.

 

[Bob Estey]

If you need to be told what to do it may be that you are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Christians are not Pharisees. The Holy Spirit is the Christians guide and keeper, John 16:13.

I think we all need the Lord's guidance.

 

[Robert Pate]

I think we all need the Lord's guidance.

Christians have the Lord's guidance, but he won't impose himself on anyone.

 

[Bob Estey]

Christians have the Lord's guidance, but he won't impose himself on anyone.

We have the Lord's guidance if we pay attention.

 

[Robert Pate]

We have the Lord's guidance if we pay attention.

There is always the "We". Jesus said that he would never leave us or forsake us. Nothing about paying attention.

 

[Bob Estey]

There is always the "We". Jesus said that he would never leave us or forsake us. Nothing about paying attention.

If you rob a bank, you will go to prison. Jesus will stay with you, but you'll still be in prison.

 

[Robert Pate]

If you rob a bank, you will go to prison. Jesus will stay with you, but you'll still be in prison.

If you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, you will not rob a bank.

 

[Bob Estey]

If you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, you will not rob a bank.

If you obey the Holy Spirit.

 

[Godslittleservant]

What is sin according to the word is it not a transgression of the law? Are we not under the law of Christ? Is there not still things we must not do if we want to be a child of God?

That is why the command to love is so important if we love as Jesus did we will be able to abstain from sin. If we can manage to keep this one command it will get us through them all.

 

[MatthewG]

What is sin according to the word is it not a transgression of the law? Are we not under the law of Christ? Is there not still things we must not do if we want to be a child of God?

That is why the command to love is so important if we love as Jesus did we will be able to abstain from sin. If we can manage to keep this one command it will get us through them all.

Amen! Wouldn't transgression be when you are bitter, or angry at your neighbor, which leads to being disciplined by your adoptive Father, who is now Yahava, or the LORD, or God as some say?

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

It was the law that caused Paul to lust. This is why Jesus abolished the law for Christians, Ephesians 2:15. Where there is no law, there is no sin, Romans 4:15. Knowing this, why would anyone want to follow the law?

The Law of God is pure, righteous and moral.
God does not cause us to sin. Our fallen nature is bent towards SIN.
The Law just shows us what sin is. Jesus fulfilled the Law; where no one was able to keep it, He did perfectly.
"Where there is no law, there is no sin" doesn't mean God's righteousness and attributes of holiness didn't always exist. It just is a statement that implies if a man is not strictly aware of what is right and wrong, then he is not aware that he is doing anything wrong. It doesn't mean that he isn't. All those people who died in the FLOOD just followed their inclinations to do whatever they wanted without restraint. They had no LAW. Nevertheless, they were evil in God's eyes and Noah's too.
Not all were evil though. Many of Adam's descendants had faith in God. Enoch walked with the Lord, was faithful and was taken up to heaven. Noah's father, Lamech, died five years before the Flood. His grandfather Methuselah died the same year of the Flood, just prior to. Actually Adam lived to see many of his descendants up to hundred years or so before Noah was born.

You ask, "Why would anyone follow the LAW?" God commanded the Chosen Nation to live by the Law. They were the example, the test case for mankind to see the miracles, blessings and judgments of God. They represented mankind. They received, they worshipped, they were blessed and judged when they disobeyed. So anyone of us could have not done better. So we all learned the Law is good, but is not a way to salvation, since mankind cannot keep it perfectly, only Christ was able to.

. If we have been crucified with Christ then we are dead to the law. If we have been crucified with Christ, then we don't have to obey our old sinful nature.

Exactly. We don't have to, it doesn't have power over us. However, the fleshly ways were so familiar and loved, we sometimes return to them, backslide and sin. But it is not sin unto death.
We still need to confess our sins and render our old self dead. In Heaven, it is a done deal, we are saved; but our bodies have not yet been redeemed, we still carry this dead fleshly body around with us and sin dwells in the members of our flesh. My Pastor used to put itnthis way: "We live in thalready but not yet realm". This is why the Bible directs us to walk in the Spirit, not the flesh. Evidently we can still walk in the flesh; otherwise these verses would be irrelevant.
We are under Grace, not the Law, which means that our salvation is not determined by our keeping the Law. It doesn't mean we don't try to.
We don't practice sin and learn to say no to lies, theft, adultery, coveting, murder, dishonoring parents, idolatry, not putting God first. Sin is STILL ALL WRONG.
Did you take a pen from work? Did you tell somebody something that was not true about your neighbor? Here's one that will rub most liberal Christians the wrong way: Did you abort a fetus?

When tempted to sin you can now say, "I am dead to that"

Yes, we mortify our old ways and as we mature spiritually it becomes easier to say NO to those former temptations. But don't be deceived into thinking that the newly born again Christian readily relinquished all his former ways. No he typically holds unto some. "Lord, I'll relinquish this, that and many other bad habits ... but I must hold unto to this and that ..."

 

[Robert Pate]

The Law of God is pure, righteous and moral.
God does not cause us to sin. Our fallen nature is bent towards SIN.
The Law just shows us what sin is. Jesus fulfilled the Law; where no one was able to keep it, He did perfectly.
"Where there is no law, there is no sin" doesn't mean God's righteousness and attributes of holiness didn't always exist. It just is a statement that implies if a man is not strictly aware of what is right and wrong, then he is not aware that he is doing anything wrong. It doesn't mean that he isn't. All those people who died in the FLOOD just followed their inclinations to do whatever they wanted without restraint. They had no LAW. Nevertheless, they were evil in God's eyes and Noah's too.
Not all were evil though. Many of Adam's descendants had faith in God. Enoch walked with the Lord, was faithful and was taken up to heaven. Noah's father, Lamech, died five years before the Flood. His grandfather Methuselah died the same year of the Flood, just prior to. Actually Adam lived to see many of his descendants up to hundred years or so before Noah was born.

You ask, "Why would anyone follow the LAW?" God commanded the Chosen Nation to live by the Law. They were the example, the test case for mankind to see the miracles, blessings and judgments of God. They represented mankind. They received, they worshipped, they were blessed and judged when they disobeyed. So anyone of us could have not done better. So we all learned the Law is good, but is not a way to salvation, since mankind cannot keep it perfectly, only Christ was able to.

Exactly. We don't have to, it doesn't have power over us. However, the fleshly ways were so familiar and loved, we sometimes return to them, backslide and sin. But it is not sin unto death.
We still need to confess our sins and render our old self dead. In Heaven, it is a done deal, we are saved; but our bodies have not yet been redeemed, we still carry this dead fleshly body around with us and sin dwells in the members of our flesh. My Pastor used to put itnthis way: "We live in thalready but not yet realm". This is why the Bible directs us to walk in the Spirit, not the flesh. Evidently we can still walk in the flesh; otherwise these verses would be irrelevant.
We are under Grace, not the Law, which means that our salvation is not determined by our keeping the Law. It doesn't mean we don't try to.
We don't practice sin and learn to say no to lies, theft, adultery, coveting, murder, dishonoring parents, idolatry, not putting God first. Sin is STILL ALL WRONG.
Did you take a pen from work? Did you tell somebody something that was not true about your neighbor? Here's one that will rub most liberal Christians the wrong way: Did you abort a fetus?

Yes, we mortify our old ways and as we mature spiritually it becomes easier to say NO to those former temptations. But don't be deceived into thinking that the newly born again Christian readily relinquished all his former ways. No he typically holds unto some. "Lord, I'll relinquish this, that and many other bad habits ... but I must hold unto to this and that ..."

You are a breath of fresh air.