Questions On Sin

Answer First, let us start with the broader question of, "Why is any particular behavior wrong?" How do we decide what things are right and wrong? Doe we leave it up to each individual or to a certain group or to society in general? If we follow any of these courses, we will soon find that our moral standard changes depending on what the current opinion is. This has always been our problem, trying to direct our own steps apart from the Law of God. Jer. 10:23.

In order to know if anything is right or wrong, we must be willing to follow an objective standard that is outside of ourselves, the Bible. It is God who has created us and has given us a Law by which we should live. His commands are for our good and it is our purpose to submit to Him so that He may be honored by our lives. Eccl. 12:13-14.

When we violate His Law, it is wrong, sin. God is the one who decides what is wrong, since He is our Creator and possesses all wisdom and power. Psalm 51, especially verses 1-4, Romans 3:23, 1 John 3:4, James 2:1-13.

Therefore, when it comes to adultery, married people participating in sexual relations with someone besides their mate, God says it is wrong. Gen. 39:1-20, especially verse 9. It is better for us to refrain from these things, even if we suffer for them now because in the end, God will honor us. 1 Peter 4:12-19.

If we persist in setting our own standard of behavior, we will be separated from God and face eternal separation and punishment. Isa. 59:1-2, Rom. 6:23. To avoid this, we must initially turn from sin and become A Christian and then continue to confess and repent of our sins to remain a Christian. Acts 2:36-42, 1 John 1:5-2:2. Contact Gary

Question 2. I have heard in Evangelical circles that a sin is a sin and one is not greater than another. In my Sexual Ethics class, the Prof says that there is no Biblical foundation for this position. Would you explain about degrees of sin and indicate where in the Bible I might find a reference to this question?

Answer A sin is a sin is a sin. Isaiah wrote that our sins separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Paul explains in Romans 6:1-9 that in order to be cleansed from our sins, we must be "buried with [Christ] through baptism" (Rom. 6:4).

I guess I would ask your professor what sin is a lesser sin and what is a greater sin, and could he please provide a passage from the Bible to prove his point?

Certainly we may mistakenly believe that some sins are not as bad as others. For example, if I lie to my boss by telling her that I can't come to work because I am sick when I really am not, that's not nearly as bad as murdering someone, right? Or raping someone? A little lie that I might tell my boss certainly isn't as bad as raping someone, right?

The problem with this reasoning is that we confuse current consequences with eternal consequences. If I lie to my boss about being sick, she probably won't find out and it will never come up again. No harm, no foul some might say. But if I were to kill or rape someone, I would eventually be caught, tried, jailed, and possibly even executed. Wow, that's a lot worse, isn't it? At least, from a human perspective.

But when we go to the Bible, we find that God has a different attitude about sin. There are many passages like Isaiah 59 that teach that sin--any sin--separates us from the Lord. From a salvation perspective, no where does the Bible teach that some sins are worse than others. In fact, we find some interesting groupings of sins when we study this topic. For example, Paul wrote in Galations 5:19-21,

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleaness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Paul says that just like a murderer won't get into heaven, neither will someone who tells lies. Neither the adulterer nor the person who can't control his temper (see "outbursts of wrath" in verse 20) will see Heaven. Revelation 21:8 has a similar list of sins that we might not equate on a mortal level of consequense, but that God does equate.

So does the Bible teach that some sins are not as bad as others? No. Men have convinced themselves of that because we see a difference in the consequences imposed on lawbreakers here. However, the Bible plainly teaches that we will each be held accountable for the sin that we commit (Ezekial 18:20), whether it be lying to someone or killing someone or any other sin. Contact Michael

Question 3. What is temptation?

Answer There are two words in the Greek which both mean "to test." 1. dokimazo a) Means to test someone or something for the purpose of approving it. i) Various ways the word is translated: a) "Pass the examination" b) "Approve" c) "Sanction" ii) Contains within the word the idea of proving whether it is worthy to be received or not. a) In classical Greek it is used of putting money to test. iii) Implies the trial itself was made in the expectation and hope the person or thing would "pass" the test. 2. peirazo a) First meant "to pierce, search, attempt" b) Came to mean "to try or test intentionally and with the purpose of discovering what good or evil, what power or weakness, was in a person or thing. i) Since men often broke down under the test, its predominant sense came to mean putting to test with the intention and hope the person would break down. Thus it was used constantly of Satan testing man in hope he would break down. a) Dokimazo is used generally of God and never of Satan. b) Peirazo is occasionally used of God, but only in the sense of testing what good or evil might be in a person. 3. Different uses: a) "Prove" i) Luke 14:19 "And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused." (dokimaxo) a) He went to examine the oxen not to find out the good points or bad points about the oxen, but he bought them expecting to find good, healthy stock as the seller had represented them to be. ii) John 6:5 "When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" John 6:6 "And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do." (peirazo) a) Jesus was testing Philip to discover what faith or lack of faith he had. b) "Try" i) 1 Corinthians 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." a) At the judgment our works won’t be tried to determine what good or evil was in them, but to put God’s approval upon them. (Dokimazo) ii) Revelation 2:2 "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:" (peirazo) a) The church at Ephesus was putting to test those claiming to be apostles in order to determine what good or evil there was in them, intending to accept them if found good and reject them if found they were evil. c) "Examine" i) 1 Corinthians 11:28 "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." (Dokimazo) a) One is to examine himself with the expectation and hope of being able to place his approval upon himself so he may partake of the Lord’s Supper. ii) 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (peirazo) a) They were to "examine" (peirazo) themselves to see if they were true believers or not, and it that examination showed that they were, then they could "prove" (Dokimazo) themselves (put their approval upon that fact). 4. James 1:2 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (peirazo);" James 1:3 "Knowing this, that the trying (Dokimazo) of your faith worketh patience." James 1:4 "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." a) We are to rejoice when receive temptations like those in (2 Cor. 13:5; John 6:6) so we can determine whether or not we are true believers so that being tried (approved) our faith builds patience. 5. James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (peirazo): for when he is tried (Dokimazo), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James 1:13 "Let no man say when he is tempted (peirazo), I am tempted (peirazo) of God: for God cannot be tempted (peirazo) with evil, neither tempteth (peirazo) he any man:" James 1:14 "But every man is tempted (peirazo) , when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." James 1:15 "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:16 "Do not err, my beloved brethren." James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." a) "Blessed is the man" is the one that has God’s approval. (Psalms 32:2 "Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.") The man that is blessed of God is the one that will not only take the Word of God and apply it to his life, but will also properly discern events that surround his life and allow God to remold and remake him on the inside. (Heb. 5:12-14). Or as James puts it in verse 12 he will "endure" the temptations like (2 Cor. 13:5; John 6:6) in order that God may place his approval upon him and he thereby can receive the crown of life as Paul did (2 Tim. 4:7-8). b) But there is another kind of temptation that God allows and that kind of temptation has as its purpose "the intention and hope the person would break down" and be lead away from God. That would be contrary to the very character of God. (Matt. 12:25). Actually what we are doing, when we fail, is the same thing Eve and others have done: we are blaming God. God allows these temptations, but has promised us (1 Corinthians 10:13) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." We are responsible for allowing our lust to lead us astray and not relying upon God "to deliver us from (the) evil (one)." (Matt. 6:13). Contact Danny

Question 4. Should specific sins be confessed publicly?

Answer In order to answer this question in a clear and orderly way, I will answer, from the Bible, several related questions which may help explain your question even more clearly. Confessing our sins is an important part of being a Christian. To begin, let's turn to some related questions on this subject.

1. What does it mean to confess our sins? To confess something means to speak the same thing as another. When it comes to our sins, it means that we say the same thing about our sins that God says. We say that they are wrong, are against Him and we are responsible for them based on our choices.

In order for our confession to mean something, it must be accompanied by various attitudes such as humility, repentance, honesty and trust that God will forgive us.

2CH 7:13 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
2CH 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

PRO 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

1JO 1:5 � And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
1JO 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
1JO 1:7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1JO 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Why do we need to confess our sins? Primaril6y, we need to confess our sins to God so that fellowship (shared relationship) might be restored with Him. It is sin, the violation of God's Law, that breaks this fellowship with Him. When we turn back to Him and away from sin, this relationship is restored again thanks to His mercy.

PSA 51:1 (For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him,) (after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions.
PSA 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
PSA 51:3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
PSA 51:4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge.

ISA 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
ISA 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

1JO 1:7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1JO 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Not only do we confess our sins to restore our broken relationship with God, but also we confess to others we have sinned against in order to restore our relationship with them. Sin, when committed against others, breaks our relationship with them also.

LUK 15:17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
LUK 15:18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;
LUK 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. "'
LUK 15:20 "And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him.
LUK 15:21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
LUK 15:22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
LUK 15:23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
LUK 15:24 for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' And they began to be merry.

3. To whom should we confess our sins? Since all sin that we commit is against God, we must always confess our sins before Him, looking to Him for His mercy. Then, if the sin we commit involves others, we must confess this not only to God but also to them so that our relationship with God and them might be restored. In other words, it is the scope of our sins that determine how wide our confession should be, private, semiprivate or public.

MAT 18:15 � "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
MAT 18:16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
MAT 18:17 "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.

ACT 19:18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
ACT 19:19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
ACT 19:20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

When we confess our sins to God in the proper way, we can be assured that He forgives us and also when we confess to other Christians, it is our obligation to forgive and pray for those who make such confessions.

EPH 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
EPH 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

JAM 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
JAM 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
JAM 5:18 And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

4. Finally, are there some specific sins that need to be publicly confessed? Yes, depending on how widely know that sin is. For example as we look at Acts 19:18-20 above. Then, if the sins are so numerous and have been committed for a long period of time, we have examples where a general confession for sin is accepted by God and should be accepted by others. Notice what the tax collector says in the following parable.

LUK 18:9 � And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
LUK 18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.
LUK 18:11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer.
LUK 18:12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'
LUK 18:13 "But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'
LUK 18:14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

Unlike the Catholic teaching, we are to confess our sins to God and to others that are involved. If it is public enough, then the whole congregation should be aware of it. We do not need or are we required to go to "authorized" priests to make confession and then in turn receive "absolution" (forgiveness) from them. Thankfully, there is only Christ and His blood between us and a loving merciful God if we humble ourselves and confess our sins before Him and others. Contact Gary

Question 5. Is it true that a sin is inherited?