We will sin, and will always sin, for we have a sinful nature
From our birth until the day we die, we will continue to sin; not because we’re imperfect, or that we are always tempted, but because we have a sinful (rebellious) nature. When we are not saved, we have a carnal mind, a mind bent on rebellion (Romans 8:6-7), and so are a slave to sin (Romans 6:16). Even when we’re saved, receiving a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:21), we will continue to commit sin so long as we have our carnal bodies (Romans 7:14-18).
God requires Moral Perfection.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5
This is not a hyperbolic statement; Jesus began afterward to restate the commandments, each one He refined which raised God’s standard of righteousness. For example, in the Old Testament (OT) to commit murder is to kill unjustly but Jesus included hatred as an act of murder (vs. 21-22); and with adultery He included lust towards the opposite sex (vs. 27-28).
Finally, when the rich man found out that he must sell all he had and sadly departed, Jesus said ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter into heaven’ (Matthew 19:16-26). dismayed, the future Apostles wondered “Who then can be saved”? And here, is the lesson Jesus tried to convey:
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. – Matthew 19
There are 613 Commandments
In the Bible, one not only has to keep the commandments without sinning, but one has to keep all of them. It is not just the Decalogue, the 10 commandments, but all 613 plus commandments.
It is often argued that Christian need only to follow the 10 Commandments to be saved, believing that the rest are mere civil and ceremonial laws, but that is not true; neither is just follow the two greatest commandments.
For example, Christians are not to mistreat orphans and the widows (Exodus 22:23-24), are not to practice divination and sorcery (Deuteronomy 13:1-4, 18:20-24), and to worship God in ways He does not approve of (Leviticus 10:1-2).
To break just one commandment is to violate all:
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. – James 2:10
The reason for this in my mind is simple, if you are capable of breaking a commandment, you are also capable of breaking all others. Even the ones dealing with heinous sins.
You might doubt that, after all, not everyone is like Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer. While that is true, it is only true because God prevented humanity from acting on our darkest imaginations. This is why He equaled hatred to murder and lust to adultery.
God will not forgive your sins by your acts of contrition, repentance, your many prayers, payment for indulgences, and compensation
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. – Isaiah 64
The context of this chapter was in dealing with Israel as they were in sin (vs. 5). And because of this, what righteousness they’ve done God considered their good works as a garment smeared or caked in dung.
Whether their deeds are done to compensate for their evil, or acts of penance through burnt offerings, either way their good works will not be considered in the day of judgment.
A Protestant Christian whose mission is to defend the Gospel, the fundamentals of the Faith, and to reach the lost for their salvation.
The Icon that I'm using conveys multiple purposes of a Christian believer.
The sword represents our mission to evangelize; not through force of arms, but through the truth of the word of God (Psalm 19:7-9). The shield represents our obligation to defend the truths of the scriptures and the confessions of the faith (1 Peter 3:15). Lastly, the wings represents the grace, love, gentleness, and care we must show and give to each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord, and everyone else around us - to the righteous and to the unrighteous - as God has loved us (Ephesians 2:2-3 & 1 John 4:19).
IMAGE SOURCE:
Sword Shield FreeImg.com https://freepngimg.com/png/32238-sword-shield/icon
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Agur's Observations 