The most unwelcome guest

[InSpiritInTruth]

[SIZE=medium]Doing good or doing evil, we all make choices every day, even in the way we think. Sin[/SIZE] is like an unwelcome guest knocking at the door of our heart wanting to be let in and entertained. The Lord told Cain in [SIZE=medium]Genesis 4:7[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his[/SIZE] desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

[SIZE=medium]His desire is the lusts of the flesh[/SIZE], and he the Lord is referring to is the Devil. Jesus shows this in [SIZE=medium]John 8:44[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] “Ye are of your father the [/SIZE]devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

[SIZE=medium]So basically you have 2 choices, do good, which is the Father in heaven desire, or will; or you can do evil, which is of the father of this worlds desire[/SIZE].

[SIZE=medium]Sin before its conceived starts out with an evil[/SIZE] thought; this is how we are first tempted. To be tempted by evil is not in of itself sin, because Jesus was also tempted by the devil as we are. But for temptation to become sin, it, like the unwelcome guest knocking at the door must first be let in and entertained in the heart, and then it becomes sin.

[SIZE=medium]James shows this process in James 1:12-15 “ Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.13 [/SIZE]Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
[SIZE=medium]14 [/SIZE]But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.[SIZE=small]15 [/SIZE]Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

[SIZE=medium]So when an evil or lustful[/SIZE] thought knocks at the door of your heart, do not let it in, and do not by all means entertain this evil and most unwelcome guest.
[SIZE=medium]James 4:7[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.[/SIZE]

 

[heretoeternity]

What is sin? Apostle John says in 1st John "sin is transgression of God's law", the Ten commandments...

 

[iakov]

[SIZE=medium]So when an evil or lustful[/SIZE] thought knocks at the door of your heart, do not let it in, and do not by all means entertain this evil and most unwelcome guest.

Excellent advise.

 

[OzSpen]

What is sin? Apostle John says in 1st John "sin is transgression of God's law", the Ten commandments...

See, 'Is sin transgression of the law?' (Len Joson 2011).

Here, Joson explains that the word in 1 John 3:4, anomia, is not best translated 'transgression of the law'.

That's why the translation, 'Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law' (1 John 3:4 KJV) should be replaced by 'Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness' (1 John 3:4 ESV).

 

[iakov]

See, 'Is sin transgression of the law?' (Len Joson 2011).

Here, Joson explains that the word in 1 John 3:4, anomia, is not best translated 'transgression of the law'.

That's why the translation, 'Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law' (1 John 3:4 KJV) should be replaced by 'Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness' (1 John 3:4 ESV).

I like that word, "practice." Before believing in Jesus I practiced sin and got to be very good at it. Having believed, now I practice righteousness and hope to become an expert!

 

[OzSpen]

I like that word, "practice." Before believing in Jesus I practiced sin and got to be very good at it. Having believed, now I practice righteousness and hope to become an expert!

iakov,

The reason the ESV translates as 'practice of sinning', compared with with the KJV's 'committeth sin' is to accurately translate the Greek present tense participle. With 'committeth sin' in English, it gives the idea of committing an act of sin while the 'practice of sinning' more accurately translates the Greek word.

The reason is that we are dealing with the word, ποιων (transliterated into English as poiōn). The parsing of this word is that it is a present tense, active voice, participle. The present tense means continuous action so it deals with the person who is in the habit of committing sin.

If John wanted to convey 'committeth sin' as meaning committing an act of sin, he would have used the aorist tense of the participle that means point action.

Therefore, the English translation of the ESV, 'practice of sinning', is more accurate in conveying the meaning of the Greek verbal (participle) than 'committeth sin' (KJV).

What is a participle? A simple definition is:

A participle is considered a "verbal adjective". It is often a word that ends with an "-ing" in English (such as "speaking," "having," or "seeing"). It can be used as an adjective, in that it can modify a noun (or substitute as a noun), or it can be used as an adverb and further explain or define the action of a verb.
For example:
Adjectival use: "The coming One will come and will not delay." Heb 10:37
Adverbial use: "But speaking truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things." Eph 4:15 (source: 'Greek participles')

Here in 1 John 3:4, the participle defines the action of the verb, i.e. sinning.

Blessings in Jesus,
Oz