Kurt Siodmak The healing power of sin. Force against force - Lester Sumrall
St. John Chrysostom
Do you see that we are talking about bodily death here? Therefore, about the resurrection of the body. If (the bodies) are not resurrected, how will death be swallowed up? And again: how is the power of sin law? That the sting of death is sin, which is even heavier than it, and that in it it has power, this is known; and how does the law constitute the power of sin? Without the law, sin was weak; it was committed, but could not be so condemned, because evil (before the law) although existed, was not revealed with such clarity. Therefore, the law contributed a lot, both to a greater knowledge of sin and to an increase in punishment. If, with the goal of limiting the sin, he made it more serious, then the fault lies not with the doctor, but with the one who used medicine poorly. So the coming of Christ served as a great burden for the Jews; but we do not blame him for this, but on the contrary we are still surprised at him, and condemn them all the more because they received harm from something that should have benefited them. That it was not (the law) itself that imparted power to sin, (it is evident from the fact that) Christ fulfilled everything, and yet was a stranger to sin. Look how through this (the apostle) proves the resurrection: if sin is the cause of death, and Christ, having come, destroyed sin and delivered us from it through baptism, and the law, the violation of which consists of sin, ceased with sin, then how after this doubt the resurrection? How strong will death be now? Law? But it has been discontinued. Sin? But it is destroyed.
Homilia 42 on 1 Corinthians.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law
Baptism removes the sting of death. For you descend into the water bearing sins. But the invocation of grace, which seals the soul, does not allow the terrible dragon to devour you. Having descended dead in sins, you rise up quickened by truth.
Catechetical words for the enlightened.
St. Feofan the Recluse
The sting of death is sin; the power of sin, the law
Death entered through sin. We were placed in paradise for immortal life. They have sinned and are condemned to death. Sin has stung us to death; he is a mortal, deadly sting. This truth is tangibly experienced by those who sin: both soul and body are upset and affected by sin, the soul in all its abilities, the body at the root of life; life becomes sluggish because of it. The power of sin is the law. From what? - From the action of conscience. God implanted conscience into our soul as a guiding, and then as His judging, condemning and punishing power. This is what is said about the word of God: passes until the division of soul and spirit, members and brains. This is what happens when, armed with the word of God uttering the law, she finds a person a transgressor of the law. It acts at this time as a corrosive and decomposing element. This is why sin turns out to be so strong that it causes death. The law clears the conscience; Enlightened by it, she watches more closely the actions of a person, and does not give him peace, since he is a violator of the law; and through this it disturbs the life of both soul and body and, frustrating it, leads to death. God intended it to be so. Conscience fulfills the law of God's truth.
For what purpose did the Apostle add these words? Doesn't he continue the question: Where is the sting, death? Where the hell is victory? Where is the sting of death, that is, sin? And where is the power of sin - the law? For then there will be neither sin nor law, because eternal righteousness and all-perfect holiness will reign. Nothing prevents you from looking at the matter this way. But it might be more straightforward to put it this way: transporting his thoughts to the contemplation of the glorious state after the resurrection, when the joy of life will abound everywhere, he admired that state and cried out: Where are you, death, sting? But he immediately remembered that that state was still ahead, although undoubtedly true; We, on the way to it, must fulfill the condition so that, having entered the realm of immortality, we begin to taste bliss, and not torment. At this thought, the sting of death led him to sin, and from here was born the urge to remind everyone: triumphing over death, sing: where is the sting of death? but do not forget that the sting of death is sin. For us, so far, triumph over death is victory over sin in ourselves. Be inspired by such a victory, so that later you can enter into joy, not horror, and into a state of triumph over death. The sting of death is sin: the destructive power of sin comes from the fact that it is a violation of the law, for which the truth of God punishes through conscience and takes away or diminishes life. Be guardians of the law and faithful executors of all its commands! This is a direct path to triumph over death.
With this understanding of the connection between the said words, the following thanksgiving and the further exhortation (in verse) stand in direct agreement.
The first letter to the Corinthians of the Holy Apostle Paul, interpreted by St. Theophan.
St. Ephraim Sirin
The sting of sin is the law, which was entrusted to Adam and his descendants in paradise itself (Gen. 2:16-.
Interpretation of the epistles of the divine Paul.
St. Maxim the Confessor
The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law
Death is actually a separation from God; the sting of death is sin, which Adam, having accepted into himself, became at one time expelled from the tree of life, and from paradise, and from God, which was necessarily followed by bodily death. Life is actually the One who said: I am the belly(John 14:6). This one, having been in death, raised the dead again to life.
Chapters about love.
St. Neil of Sinai
The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law
Your honest soul asks me what is written by the Apostle: "The Power of Sin, law Moiseev" (1 Cor. 15:56)? It is not that the Divine law causes falls, as some ignorant people poorly understood, and it is not that the law gives strength to sin. Let this not happen! Rather, it is characteristic of him to stop or destroy sins. On the contrary, after a strong reproof of the absurdity of those who do evil and after discovering what exactly is obscene, the Apostle stops the shameless lips of the Jews, who, to the point of madness, constantly boasted of Divine writings, but at the same time fearlessly committed every sin and dishonored the Lawgiver by breaking the law. For the Divine Apostle usually says this and similar things to the faces of those who boast and are proud of the law.
Letters on various topics. Monk Ermolai.
Blazh. Augustine
The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law
Health eliminates many of the patient’s desires. In exactly the same way that health eliminates such desires, immortality eliminates all others, since immortality is our health.
Sermons.
Then we will not only not submit to the desires of sin, but there will be no desires at all to which we are now commanded not to yield.
Messages.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, says the apostle. And this is absolutely fair. For through prohibition, the desire for unlawful action increases, when they do not love the truth so much that the desire to sin is overcome by love for it. And in order for the true truth to be loved and attracted to itself, this requires the assistance of divine grace.
About the city of God.
It should not be surprising that human weakness added strength to evil from the good law, because in fulfilling the law it relied on its own strength.
About abstinence.
Why the power of sin is the law, If the law is good(1 Tim. 1:8) ? Because the law, through goodness, brought death into effect, so that sinfulness would be fulfilled, that is, it would gain greater power through the transgression of the law. Why did we die to sin by the body of Christ if the law is good? Because we died to the condemnation of the law, for we were freed from what the law punishes and condemns... So, the same rule is law for those who fear it, and grace for those who love it.
About various issues.
Blazh. Theophylact of Bulgaria
The sting of death is sin
For through him she received strength, using him as if it were a weapon and a sting. For just as the scorpion itself is a small animal, but has power in its sting, so death received power through sin, otherwise it would have been ineffective. This can be seen in the example of the Lord Himself, since death did not find sin in Him, and it remained without any effect on Him.
And the power of sin is the law
Why? Because when there was no law, we sinned out of ignorance, and were not subject to such severe condemnation, and when the law revealed sin, it subjected us to great condemnation, since we know and sin, and made it strong, not according to its nature, but because of our carelessness, since we did not take advantage, as we should, of the law as a medicine, which is said at greater length and in more detail in the Epistle to the Romans. So, man, do not doubt the resurrection. You see that sin, which was the weapon of death, is destroyed, and the law, which accidentally became the power of sin, is abolished. When death is disarmed, it obviously no longer has power.
Interpretation of the first letter to the Corinthians of the Holy Apostle Paul.
Fulgentius of Russia
The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law
With this sting, the first man mortally wounded himself, so that death spread to his offspring.
About the incarnation of the Son of God.
Theodore of Mopsuestia
The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law
The apostle calls here by law or in general the law inherent in nature, or established [in particular, the law of Moses]. For he wants to say that then, along with death, sin is destroyed, and every law is abolished, since, having become incorruptible, we will be nourished by the grace of the Spirit.
Fragments.
The nature and essence of sin is seen in the Bible more as a personal alienation from God. Sin is relationship-based and manifests itself in a disobedient and rebellious spirit. This special variety evil. Sin is universal, but it resides in the human heart. It is both a state and an action. This is egoism rebelling in pride against the Creator.
A. Sin as rebellion against God
We clearly see by analyzing the origin of sin in heaven and Eden that sin began as a rebellion against God and His will. Lucifer's statement, “I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14) and the tempter's invitation to Eve to become like God (Gen. 3:5) indicate that sin is rebellion against God and His express will. The book of Genesis contains comprehensive evidence that sin is not so much an external action as an internal attitude of rejecting God, which was expressed in eating the forbidden fruit. The fact that Eve knew God's will but violated His command makes her disobedience an act of willful disobedience. Subsequently, Isaiah expressed a similar thought: “I raised and raised up sons, but they rebelled against Me” (Is. 1:2). In his majestic prayer, Daniel confessed Israel's sin: “We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have persisted, and have departed from thy commandments and thy statutes” (Dan. 9:5). Thus, the essence of sin is rebellion against God, refusal to obey Him (Rom. 8:7), and enmity against God (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21).
This principle is clearly seen in the Pentateuch in the case of the golden calf. God treated this event not as a mistake, but as a rebellion and commanded Israel the following: “Remember, do not forget how much you provoked the Lord your God in the wilderness... you rebelled against the Lord” (Deut. 9:7). In the same way, David's cry, as previously noted, shows that sin is an action directed against God: “I have sinned against You, You alone, and have done what is evil in Your sight” (Ps. 50:6). Such rebellion, containing hamartia (sin as failure) and anomie (sin as iniquity), defies God and deliberately transgresses His will (1 John 3:4). Consequently, the lawless one wants to be his own god, which means that the rebellion returns to its starting point.
B. Sin as Broken Relationships
The first scene recorded in Genesis after the Fall is of Adam and Eve hiding from God (Genesis 3:8–10). Sin as rebellion destroyed the relationship that bound God to Adam and Eve. Holiness and sin are incompatible. “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have turned His face away from you, so as not to hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Separation between God and people creates a state of guilt (Isa. 53:6; Jer. 2:22; Ezek. 22:4). Guilt in its emotional expression leads to loss of peace (Isa. 48:22), mental anguish (Mic. 7:1), and self-pity (Ezek. 20:43). The main symptom of this broken relationship with God is the inner restlessness that Isaiah speaks of: “But the wicked [rasha] are like a troubled sea, which cannot rest, and whose waters throw up silt and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked, says my God” (Isa. 57:20,21).
Paul adds another dimension to the relationship aspect by saying that a relationship with God requires one to live in faith. To Rome. 14:13–23 the apostle describes two ways of life: a life of faith, leading to works of faith, and a life without faith. Paul then offers a definition of sin that is critical to understanding it in relational terms: “Whatever is not of faith is sin” (v. 23).
The gap in relationships is not limited only to the vertical dimension, but also extends to horizontal connections. After the expulsion of Adam and (186) Eve from Eden gap horizontal connections manifested itself in the fact that Cain killed his brother Abel and boldly refused to admit his guilt for the committed act (Gen. 4: 8–10). The conversation between God and Cain regarding the murder of Abel is dual in nature: on the one hand, the idea of the moral responsibility of one person for another is affirmed; on the other hand, this responsibility is associated with the idea of man's constant accountability to God. Sin is an attempt to escape this responsibility and accountability. Consequently, a break in the vertical connection inevitably leads to a break in the horizontal connections. No matter how much someone would like to correct the latter and achieve harmony within human society, any such attempt will ultimately end in failure in the absence of the Divine dimension. This is why human history is a history of sin and broken relationships.
Wherever broken relationships prevail—between parent and child, between husband and wife, between pastor and congregation, between neighbors—sin lies with its banner of self-centeredness raised high to usurp authority, trample on the rights of others, and challenge the righteous plans of God.
Moreover, relationships destroyed by sin extend not only vertically and horizontally, but also inward. The human heart suffers because of sin, and because of this people cannot treat themselves or what surrounds them correctly.
In Isa. 53:6 affirms both the universality of sin (“we have all gone astray like sheep”) and its individual character (“we have turned every one to his own way”). The prophet sees sin both in its collective form (“alas, a sinful nation, laden with iniquities” [Isaiah 1:4]) and in its individual manifestation (“Woe is me! I am lost!” [Isaiah 6:5]). Sin has a destructive effect on the individual, so that the human heart is said to be “deceitful... and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9), and people in general are characterized as “a rebellious people, lying children” (Isa. 30:9 ) and morally unclean (see Isa. 64:6). Moreover, Paul states that sin has darkened man's understanding and led him to engage in unnatural acts that are unworthy of man's calling and dignity (Rom. 1:12–28).
The moral state of man is characterized by all kinds of wickedness: “they are full of all untruth, fornication, wickedness, greed, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, slanderers, slanderers, haters of God, offenders, self-praisers, proud, resourceful for evil, disobedient parents, foolish, treacherous, unloving, irreconcilable, unmerciful” (verses 29–31).
To this terrifying state of the individual, Paul in Rom. 7 adds the moral dilemma that every person faces: “For I do not understand what I am doing: because I do not do what I want, but what I hate, I do... the desire for good is in me, but I do not find it to do it. The good that I want I do not do, but the evil that I do not want I do” (verses 15-19).
Torn apart from within, the sinner discovers a contradiction within himself. The power of sin is so strong that a person is powerless to break free from its pressure and strive for the ideal. That is why the sinner exclaims: “Wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death? (Art. 24). Such abject helplessness is the end result of broken relationships.
B. Sin as a condition
The complexity of the biblical concept of sin becomes even clearer when sin is described as a condition. Sin not only pervades the entire person, but also finds its home in the human heart (Rom. 7:20). Like an enemy invading and occupying a country, sin takes over the mind and body of a person, becoming the dominant force. The control is so complete and the depravity so absolute that “no good thing dwells within the sinner” (v. 18). Thus, Paul shows that sin is not just an act, a moral failure, or even an unnatural force. Sin is a demonic force that invades and reigns in the human heart. He takes control of thoughts, emotions and actions. Paul uses expressions such as “the flesh” (Rom. 8:6) and “the law of sin” (v. 2), indicating that sin is a condition, that it is rooted in the human heart and from there controls human behavior. The flesh is not just a body, and the law of sin is not just a set of rules. The flesh is human nature alienated from God; the law of sin is the status of rebellion against God. It is this nature and status, the eternal rebellion against God and the desire to expel God from one's life, that characterizes sin as a condition.
What is the consequence of such complete occupation? The tragedy of a divided and confused personality: “The flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh: they oppose each other, so that you do not do what you would like” (Gal. 5:17).
Sin weakens man, the crown of God's creation, made in the image of God. Sin is no longer limited to a person's actions, but is depicted as a condition of a person that controls all his faculties (Rom. 7:20, 23). Wonderful gifts, such as the ability to think, make choices, create, persuade, are sacrificed to sin, so that in a person there is constant conflict between “ideal” and “reality”, between “duty” and actual behavior.
Paul is keenly aware of the war going on within him, a dichotomy of tragic proportions, whereby he delights in the law of God in his heart, but finds himself captive to the law of sin (verses 22, 23). He does what he does not want and is unable to do what he wants. A corrupt sinful nature gives rise to sinful actions. As Jesus said, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy” (Matthew 15:19).
D. Sin as a special type of evil
Sin is not only evil, but also a specific type of evil. Not all evil is sin. Disease and natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and (187) Floods are also a kind of evil, since they cause great damage and take life out of its normal course. Sin is not such an evil. This is a spiritual, moral, ethical evil. Moreover, sin is not just an isolated fact, but also an external reflection of internal rebellion. People are sinners not because they commit sin, they sin because they are sinners. Sin is an evil that affects vertical relationships with God, horizontal relationships with people and a person’s attitude towards himself. The above biblical terminology reveals the concept of sin in its specific manifestations. The word hattat does not simply mean evil, but a sinful act that does not correspond to the Divine standard (Lev. 5:5, 16; Ps. 50:6). The word avon contains the idea of “iniquity” before God (Gen. 4:13; 15:16), and it indicates that sin is crookedness (Lam. 3:9), lies, deceit (Ps. 35: 4) and emptiness (Prov. 22:8; Isa. 41:29). And New Testament words, such as hamartia, parabasis, anomia, adikia and others, define sin as a specific act committed by human will contrary to God's will and law.
Sin is not just an external calamity that takes humanity by surprise. This is the conscious rebellion of Adam and Eve against God, their free but wrong choice. The sin of our first parents was manifested in their distrust of the word of God, in their rejection of His authority, in their opposition of their will to God's will, and in their seeking to occupy a position which they were not entitled to occupy. Self-centeredness, pride, a rebellious spirit, defiance and resistance to God, and envy all show how specific the sin of our first parents was. Add to this the spiritual and moral dimension that is inevitably present in the rejection of Divine authority and the conscious choice of another authority (the great deceiver whom they listened to) - and the nature of sin, manifested in the rejection of God, becomes absolutely understandable and undeniable.
Specific sins can manifest themselves either in the commission of certain actions, or as a result of inaction (you will read about the latter below in paragraph “K”). This list is as exhaustive as human experience and as ugly as human behavior can be. As an example, just give Paul's list: “The works of the flesh are known; they are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, quarrels, envy, anger, dissensions, divisions, [temptations], heresies, hatred, murders, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and the like” (Gal. 5:19 –21). Other lists of sins can be found in Matt. 15:19; Mk. 7:21, 22; 1 Cor. 5:9–11; 6:9, 10; Eph. 4:25–31; 5:3–5; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10. In Matt. 12:31,32 speaks of one unforgivable sin: the sin against the Holy Spirit (see God VII.B.5).
D. Sin as inadequacy
The main terms for sin in the Old Testament (khattat) and in the New Testament (hamartia) mean “to miss the mark” or “to fall short of the expected standard.” In the moral dimension and in relation to sin, these words mean that a person does not correspond to Divine standards of behavior or the way of life required by God. This idea of nonconformity speaks not only of the violation of a particular law or set of laws, but also of an internal alienation from God. Moreover, New Testament represents sin (hamartia), in contrast to sins that understood evil as a mistake made by a person due to his ignorance or some shortcomings, as a spiritual and moral non-compliance with the norms of a personal God, before whom the sinner will be accountable. Thus, it is very clear from the biblical concept of sin that sin is not the result of ignorance, human shortcomings, mental deficiency or material limitations, but willful disregard, violation and non-conformity of God's law for human life. This emphasis cannot be overlooked if the Fall is taken seriously; for in Eden we see not just an imperfect couple, but two people fresh from the hands of their Creator, endowed with various virtues, crowned with moral and spiritual completeness, without any inclination or disposition to evil. Adam and Eve were children of God (Isa. 1:2) who, by their own conscious, rebellious choice, refused to live up to God's expectations.
Paul writes: “For all have sinned [hamarta-no] and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). This is a failure to meet the purpose which God in His love established for His creatures, and that purpose was eternal fellowship with God and His glorification (1 Cor. 11:7). God did not set a goal that could not be achieved. His expectations were quite reasonable. But when we reject His purposes and choose our own, when we reject His will for us and choose own desires, then we thereby establish our own standards and reject God’s. Any attempt to exalt one's own will over God's will and His law is a failure to meet His expectations, and therefore a sin.
E. Sin as lawlessness
“Whoever commits sin also commits iniquity; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). John summarizes the biblical idea that sin (hamartia) is “breaking the law” [anomia] or “lawlessness.” Linking the concepts of hamartia and anomie, the apostle emphasizes the dominant role of the law in defining sin. Sin is not just a person's bad action; it is rebellion against the Law of God. The law of God is a kind of imprint of God's character. He reveals to us God and His will for His creatures. God's character - His love, righteousness and holiness - is reflected in the Ten Commandments, they reveal the standards within which human life must flow and by which man will be judged. Living within the framework of this law means maintaining an ideal relationship with the Lawgiver. It is this principle that shows the seriousness of the demands that God made of Adam and Eve. Although (188) this law was not yet expressed in the form of the Ten Commandments; the requirements for Adam and Eve reflected the Divine norm for human life. The sin of our first parents was disobedience to this law. It was lawlessness.
Paul also connects sin with the law and states that where there is no law, there can be no sin (Rom. 5:13). Sin cannot be understood unless viewed in the context of a moral universe governed by the law of the Creator. That is why the seriousness and specificity of sin lies in the conscious choice to act contrary to the Law of God, in the indulgence of lawlessness, in the assertion that one can live independently of God. The enormity of sin as “iniquity” is further noted in 2 Thess. 2:7, 8, where Paul personifies it by calling the Antichrist “the lawless one.” Thus, those who sin have no place in their lives for the Lawgiver. Sin, being lawlessness, becomes atheism.
Law is not an arbitrary obligation imposed on humanity. Its significance derives from the nature of God and His relationship with humanity. God was not acting arbitrarily when He told Adam and Eve that their lives depended on unconditional obedience to the law He had laid down for them. The command not to eat the forbidden fruit came not from a strict master, but from a loving, merciful Creator, who wanted to build close relationships with His creations based on love in order to awaken reciprocal love in them.
Creation cannot ask: “Why are there any laws at all?” The creation must always remain a creation, and the Creator will always be the Creator. God is characterized by sovereignty, and creation is characterized by limitation. The law reflects this sovereignty of God and outlines the boundaries within which creation must live and act. If a creation goes beyond these limits, then the relationship between it and the Creator is severed. Prescribing these restrictions is not at all arbitrary, for it is necessary to preserve order and maintain relationships.
The proclamation of the law at Mount Sinai and the fact that God wrote that law with his own finger on tablets of stone is further proof that the principles of the law are as enduring as God Himself. Jesus spoke of the law and its eternal significance in light of relationships based on love for God and neighbor (Luke 10:27).
As a reflection of God's character, “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and righteous, and good” (Rom. 7:12) and is given for the happiness of people, even if they do not realize or understand it. His spiritual and moral principles are not just prohibitions, but also comprehensive, universal rules, which guarantee, if observed, a joyful relationship with God and between people. But violation of this law transfers people to the category of lawless and rebellious rebels. Therefore, sin is not simply a violation of the code, but a failure to maintain a normal relationship with God.
G. Sin as selfishness and pride
An important component of the nature of sin is egocentrism and selfishness. Sin, as was the case with Lucifer and our first parents, originates in selfishness. If love for God constitutes the essence of every virtue, if self-sacrifice for the sake of choosing God and remaining in Him is ultimate goal life, then it follows that self-love, which displaces the primacy of God in life, is sin.
The Fall in Heaven and Eden shows how the selfish desire to go beyond what is permitted to become like God led to the tragedy of sin. In fact, egocentrism can be considered the root from which the rest of evil grows. Greed, immorality, envy, arrogance - all this is a consequence of illegal self-love. Jesus consistently called for self-denial and saw selfishness as something the opposite of that, what God expects from man (Luke 17:33). Paul also understood that “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for they do not submit to the law of God, neither indeed can they” (Rom. 8:7).
At its core, egocentrism is enmity against God, it puts the self above all other relationships; therefore, he should not play any role in the spiritual and moral life of a Christian. Therefore, Paul instructs: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility of mind consider each other better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). He further states in Rom. 7 that the desire to keep one's self on the throne is the main obstacle to goodness, and only Jesus can remove it. Selfishness was an important component in Paul's concept of sin, so he used the strongest theological language and called for crucifying self so that the Christian could say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). The force of this argument is undeniable: to be self-centered is not to be Christ-centered. Thus, salvation is seen as a decisive shift of attention from self to Christ. What is important in Christian discipleship is the daily experience of bearing the cross and crucifying oneself: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2; cf. Luke 9). :23; Gal. 2:20).
The ally of egocentrism is pride. In fact, the essence of pride is a distorted and disproportionate view of oneself, which leads a person to neglect dependence on God and make a destructive attempt to achieve independence. Wasn't this the reason for the fall of Lucifer? (See Isa. 14:12–15) In turn, Satan infected Adam and Eve with unbridled pride and a desire to control their own lives, and ever since then human nature has been infected with the virus of pride (Rom. 1:21–23). Pride not only led to Lucifer's destruction, but continues to destroy men and women today, who can easily become proud and find themselves condemned with the devil (1 Tim. 3:6; cf. 2 Tim. 2:26). (189)
Pride leads the way to destruction (Prov. 11:2; 16:18; 29:23). This is a state that God hates (Prov. 8:13), and it is included in the list of vices that come from within and defile a person (see Mark 7:23). From Paul's point of view, pride and confidence in one's own righteousness are the root of unbelief. He insists that there is no place for boasting in the gospel (Rom. 3:27), that no one has cause to be proud of salvation (1 Cor. 1:26–31; Eph. 2:9), and that true love free from arrogance and conceit (1 Cor. 13:4). In fact, pride is so sinful that God scatters and opposes the proud. At the same time, He favors the meek and exalts them (see Proverbs 3:34; Luke 1:51–55; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
This condemnation of pride as a sin should not be interpreted to mean that proper self-esteem and self-respect have no place in Christianity. On the contrary, the commandment of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19) and Paul’s self-esteem: “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10) speak of the fact that in feeling There is nothing illegal about self-esteem and self-confidence. A person must strive for perfection and self-realization, and achieve the highest goals. God does not want His creatures to be satisfied with mediocre results. But when the human “I” asserts itself in such a way as to be independent of God, and tramples on its neighbors in order to achieve its goals, it crosses the permitted boundaries and plunges into sin. The difference between self-centeredness and selflessness is the difference between sinful pride and godly meekness.
H. Sin as an enslaving force
Sin is not only an act and a principle, but also an enslaving power. It not only divides, but also enslaves. Jesus said that “whoever commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Just as the nature of the fruit depends on the nature of the tree, our actions are also determined by the condition of our heart (Matt. 12:33–35). Sinful acts are just an external and visible expression of an internal illness that affects our emotions, thoughts, will and inner strength. “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who will recognize him? (Jer. 17:9). It is this internal depravity, this internal craving for sin that enslaves us.
In Romans, Paul vividly describes the power and iron grip of sin. He speaks of the reign of sin (Rom. 5:21). The word "reign" comes from the noun basileus, which means "king". Sin is the king, and people are his unfortunate subjects. Paul also says that without Christ we inevitably become “slaves to sin” (Rom. 6:6, 7). As master, sin exercises its power and dominion by reigning “in your mortal body, that you may obey it in its lusts” (v. 12). The enslaving power of sin is so deadly and powerful, and its retribution so inevitable (“the wages of sin is death”), that Paul convinces the sinner that his only refuge is to accept the “gift of God” - eternal life “in Christ Jesus the Lord ours” (v. 23).
Paul attaches great importance the enslaving aspect of sin in human life. The image of the slave owner, common in Paul's day, comes to his aid when he personifies the power of sin. To Rome. 6 Paul talks about sin as a power or ruler. Sin is not under our control, and we cannot sin for a while and then stop voluntarily committing sin. The Apostle considers sin to be the master, and all of us to be his slaves. Sin is the real power, and we are its subjects, so we do not rule over sin, but sin rules over us. How can we free ourselves from this slavery? We will not do this with our strength. Salvation is in Jesus: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom [litron] for many” (Matthew 20:28; cf. Mark 10:45).
The word litron refers to a certain amount of money intended for the ransom of slaves. The key message is clear: the enslaving power of sin has so deeply shackled the human race that “the Son of Man came... to give His life” as a ransom for many. The question of to whom the ransom was paid is not addressed here; Jesus speaks of the enormity of the enslaving power of sin and the cost of redemption. Paul makes the same point in his discussion of the atonement (Rom. 3:24–31; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7, 14; Col. 1:14). He seeks to show that through the atoning death of Christ the ransom for sin has been paid, and the new kingdom of righteousness has now supplanted the old kingdom of sin. Those who accepted the death of Jesus are no longer slaves to sin (see Rom. 6:6). Christ put an end to the reign of sin, its enslaving power was broken. Those who were once slaves to sin have now become instruments of God's righteousness, and sin should not have dominion over them (verses 13,14).
I. Sin as guilt and defilement
Since sin is an individual act, a violation of God's Law, it brings with it a feeling of guilt and deserved punishment. But since sin is also a principle rooted in human nature, it implies defilement. The Bible speaks of specific sinful acts in which a person is found guilty and worthy of punishment (Matt. 6:12; Rom. 3:9; Eph. 2:3). She also speaks of filth that corrupts human nature(Job 14:4; Ps. 50:4,9; Isa. 1:5; Eph. 4:20–22). This filth spoils the heart and makes it wicked more than anything (Jer. 17:9), darkens the mind (Eph. 4:18), makes thoughts sinful and vain (Gen. 6:5; Rom. 1:21), gives rise to slander ( Eph. 4:29), defiles the mind and conscience (Titus 1:15) and makes man dead“according to trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). This is how the carnal man is represented. But this does not mean that a person cannot have a healthy imagination, normal feelings, clear speech and a sober mind. This only means that an unrenewed person is internally unable to accept the saving knowledge of God.
To the idea of sin as guilt and defilement, the Bible also adds uncleanness. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were (190) salvation from “sin and uncleanness” is offered (Zech. 13:1). The entire Old Testament service in the sanctuary was associated with cleansing from personal and public iniquity, uncleanness and filthiness that took place in Israel. In the New Testament, Paul says that God gave people over “to the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, so that they defiled their own bodies” (Rom. 1:24). Again the apostle speaks of sexual sins as “uncleanness” and “lawlessness” and calls newly baptized members of the Church to turn from this uncleanness and lawlessness to righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:19). In 1 Thess. 4:7, 8 he admonishes new converts: “God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness,” and anyone who neglects this and does unclean things sins not only against people, but also against God and the Holy Spirit. Words such as uncleanness and iniquity, which indicate the seriousness of sin that defiles both the individual and the entire community, emphasize the high cost of sin. Sin not only causes division between God and men, but also hinders the process of reconciliation and redemption: “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7; see Sanctuary I.C. 2) .
K. Sin as neglect of duty
The biblical concept of sin includes both evil acts and omissions. The first aspect is clearly visible in Gen. 3, where Adam and Eve deliberately violated God's express command and rebelled against His will. This is true of almost any sin: breaking God's law, hostile action against God or neighbor, or broken relationships. The second aspect of sin—dereliction of duty—is shown in Gen. 4. This chapter describes both sin by action (killing Abel) and sin by omission. Cain's words that he is not his brother's keeper (Gen. 4:9) reveal to us the sin of omission that is so common in human history.
Men were created to maintain brotherly fellowship with one another, and where this fellowship is interrupted by sinful act or omission, sin reigns. That is why God at one time commanded: “O man! It has been told to you what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:8). Jesus in Matt. 25 expressed the same concern about how people fulfill their spiritual and moral duties towards their neighbors, and warned that failure to fulfill such duties could exclude a person from His Kingdom. “If anyone knows to do good,” writes James, “and does not do it, it is sin to him” (James 4:17).
L. Conclusions
According to the Bible, sin must be defined and understood in the context of the relationship between God and man. From the account of the creation of the world and the Fall to the simple definition that “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4), the entire Bible characterizes sin as a specific condition and action of man against God. Several clarifying definitions follow from this basic concept:
1. Sin is rebellion against God. Although God created people free, they were not completely independent, and they were not expected to shape their destiny independently of God. Humans were created to have a trusting relationship and communication with their Creator and to obey the standards He set. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God's revealed will, sin entered our world. Sin is primarily the opposition of one's will to the will of God (Deut. 9:7; Isa. 1:2; Rom. 8:7).
2. Sin is broken relationships. Sin separates people from God both as a state and as an action. It causes the rupture of fundamental relationships that God intended to be a blessing to His creatures. These relationships include communication within human society, as well as a correct understanding of one’s own role. Sin is the breaking of all relationships: vertical, horizontal and internal (Gen. 4:8–10; Isa. 53:6; 59:2; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:5–10).
3. Sin is a state of all human nature. He makes his home in the human heart and rules the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions of human life. The amazing abilities that the Creator endowed man with were in the power of sin, and this sin reigns in the human heart, pushing a person to sinful acts (Matthew 15:19; Rom. 7:15–20; 8:2, 6).
4. Sin is a special manifestation of evil that does not correspond to God's standards. It refers to specific actions performed according to human will and which are a violation of God's will and law. These actions can be directed against God as a person and against others. These actions are caused by sin reigning in the heart and are its external manifestation(Lev. 5:5, 16; Ps. 50:6; Gal. 5:19–21).
5. Sin is failure to meet God's expectations. Humans were created as children of God, a status that involves living up to God's ideal. But sin led people away from the moral, spiritual and social standard that God had set for them (Isa. 1:2; Rom. 3:23; 1 Cor. 11:7).
6. Sin is lawlessness. It is a violation of God's law, which was made absolutely clear to Adam and Eve and then given to humanity as a whole in the form of the Ten Commandments, which form the core of the moral law and are the expression of the divine character (Luke 10:27; Rom. 5:13; 2 Thess. 2:7, 8; 1 John 3:4).
7. Sin is selfishness and pride. It is rooted in the selfish desire of Lucifer and our first parents to become like God. Any self-affirmation that denies belonging to creation and dependence on God, encouraging a rational being to strive for equality with God, is a sin. Self-centeredness is enmity against God, expressed in pride and conceit (Prov. 11:2; 16:18; Luke 17:33; Rom. 1:21-23; 3:27; 8:7; Gal. 2:20 ; Phil. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:6). (191)
8. Sin is an enslaving force.“Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). The bondage and power of sin render sinners so helpless and alienated from righteousness that they themselves cannot free themselves from the tyranny and dominion of sin until they come to Christ, who has broken the enslaving power of sin and offers redemption to those under His power (Matt. 20:28; Rom. 3:24-31; 1 Cor.
9. Sin is guilt and defilement. As an individual act, sin carries guilt and punishment, but as a principle ruling in the heart, sin means defilement. Being vile and unclean, sin defiles the whole personality and character of a person, and only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from all sin (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 50:4, 9; Isa. 1:5; Zech. 13:1; Matthew 6:12; Rom. 3:9; 1 John 3-5; . D).
We cannot tire of repeating that to do right under the authority of grace is as easy as to do evil under sin. And it would be impossible to be saved from sin if grace had no more power than sin. But every Christian knows that there is salvation, and this is an immutable fact.
Our salvation is based on the fact that the power of grace is greater than the power of sin. And if grace is stronger than sin and a person is completely in its power, then, of course, he will do good without coercion, with ease, just as before, being in the slavery of sin, he easily did evil.
No one thinks it is hard to sin. The real problem is to do good. This happens because it is natural for a person to sin, because he is an absolute slave of sin. And while sin remains his master, it is not so much difficult, but simply impossible for him to do good. Judge for yourself - if a person came under the protection of another, more powerful force, wouldn’t it become easier for him to fulfill its will?
But grace is not just stronger than sin, it is infinitely more powerful than sin. And this inspires even more great hope and brings joy to the heart of every sinner in this world. “And when sin abounded, grace abounded all the more.” Rome. 5:20.
But is grace really stronger than sin? Let's think a little and ask ourselves a few questions. From whom does grace come? Of course, from God. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:3. And from whom is the sin? Of course, from Satan. Sin is from the devil, because the devil sinned first. It becomes absolutely clear that since the Lord is more powerful than Satan, grace is more powerful than sin. Therefore, it is quite obvious that to be under grace means to submit to the Lord, and the power of sin is the power of Satan. Therefore, it is quite clear that it is just as easy to serve God by His power as it is to serve the devil while in his power.
As sad as it may be, people often try to serve God while being in the power of Satan. But this is unrealistic. “So every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Grapes are not harvested from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles. The tree must become good, both roots and branches. It must become new. "You must be born again." “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation.” Gal. 6:15.
Let no one even try to serve the Lord otherwise than by His life-giving power, which makes man a new creation. His abounding grace, which condemns sin in the flesh and reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Only then will His service truly be in “newness of life,” and His yoke will be truly good and His burden light. Only then will serving God be filled with inexpressible and glorious joy.
Was it difficult for Jesus Christ to do good? Of course, you will answer “no” and you will be right. But why? After all, He was no different from us; the same flesh, the same blood flowed in His veins. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” “Therefore He had to become like the brethren in everything.” Heb. 2:17. "In everything." It is not said: “In everything except...”, but “in everything,” without exception. That's why He said, "I do nothing of Myself." After all, He was weak, weak, just like us.
So why was it easy for Him to do good? Because He never relied on Himself, but placed all His hopes only on God. He was completely dependent on His grace and served Him by His own power. Therefore God dwelt in Him and did works of righteousness. That's why it was easy for Him to do good. But since He lived in this world in which we live today, His life should become an example for us. Then God will put in us “both to will and to do according to His good pleasure,” just as He did in Christ.
Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth, and He desires that we should receive His power in abundance. “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” He desires to be strengthened by His Spirit in “ inner man“so that Christ can dwell in our hearts by faith and fill us with the “fullness of God.”
Truly, Christ participates in the Divine nature, but if we are children of the promise and not of the flesh, then according to the promise we also participate in the Divine nature. And whatever Jesus had, we can also have.
And all this so that we can live a new life; that they may be slaves only to righteousness; so that we could be free from sin and sin could no longer reign over us; so that we can glorify God on this earth; so that we can be like Jesus.
“To each of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ... until we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” “We beseech you that the grace of God may not be received by you in vain.”
Evgeny Khorolsky
You've probably often asked yourself the question, why don't many people want to accept Jesus into their lives?
Often not because there is little evidence of the truth of the Bible and not because they do not understand something in the stories of Christians. No. Remember something from the lives of many of them - they drink strong drinks, they smoke all kinds of potions, and sometimes they even use drugs. I will limit myself to this list only, although there are many similar things in their lives. All of the above “habits,” according to the Bible, are sins for which the punishment established is spiritual death. So, do you remember? - They drink alcohol
Now remember what is written in small letters on every bottle containing an alcoholic drink: “The Ministry of Health warns that alcohol is harmful to your health” - remember? Now remember what is written on every pack of cigarettes: “The Ministry of Health warns that smoking is harmful to your health” - remember that too, right? Then why not millions, but billions of people on earth smoke cigarettes? Then why do they drink alcohol, if medical research has long ago traced a direct connection between these “habits” and poor human health? Why do they smoke, if it has already been checked, and this can be checked again and again, - the result will not change, that smoking is harmful to human health? Why?
Have you asked yourself this question? If not, then try to do it and, honestly, without lying, answer yourself. I think you'll quickly understand what's going on here! If the connection between human health and so-called “bad habits” has already been proven, and people still, knowing this, harm their health - themselves (!) and the health of others, then how can we tell such people about the correctness of our arguments? How can one, without certain knowledge about the existence of this phenomenon or even a paradox in people’s lives, witness to them about Christ?
Since these people know that this is bad and do it badly, that they do it, then the conclusion suggests itself: either they don’t care (in their own words) what will happen to their health (although this is a controversial issue even for those who now think so, being quite healthy), or they are so naive that they think: maybe it will blow away!!!
So, we have identified two categories of people to which the majority of all people who have “ bad habits" There are, of course, more such categories, but we will focus on the “beliefs” of the vast majority of people. So, what are they (their “beliefs”)? We will not go deeper into thinking about what motivates each individual person to do bad things, for example, to smoke. We simply can't do this. But the knowledge from the Bible about sin and what we remembered above will be enough for us.
But first, let's identify the goal we will strive for by sorting all this out. If we do not see the purpose in our reflections, and reflections with God’s help - this is very important, then we will become like these same people for whom the truth is inaccessible. Why is it not available? They just don’t want to look for it, they don’t need it! You know, some of them say: “...to the Kingdom of God? - For what? “They don’t feed us badly here either!”
We must trace the relationship between these people's attitude towards alcohol or cigarettes, taking into account the fact that they know that it is bad. But, knowing that this will have a bad effect on their health in the future, they do it badly anyway. This will help us correctly interpret and understand their answers when witnessing to them about Christ.
So. Most people drink alcohol. Some of them even for no reason. Others with or without a reason - as necessary! And they all repeatedly read the warning from the Ministry of Health on bottles of alcohol. But the first category of people doesn’t care at all that they are warning someone! They simply have no time for it! They're thirsty, period! What will be there is in the future, or even tomorrow, they don’t care (of course we're talking about about worrying about how alcohol will affect their health in the future). The main thing is now! The main thing is the present moment! And now it would be nice to have a drink! You will drink? And you? What will you drink? And you? And you? You need to break away from reality, at least not for long! At least a little bit! You need to see everything differently, as if better! We need to remove the burden of responsibility that conscience places! You need to relax and not think about anything! Don't answer for anything! Do you think only heavy alcoholics think this way? - You're wrong! Almost everyone (from this category) thinks so equally!
You know, conscience, when a person is not drunk, it works! And you know, this is a very strong pressure tool! It presses so hard at times, it torments so much sometimes that only increased doses of alcohol can turn it off! But believe me. Even the most fallen man can still hear the voice of his conscience! Yes! It is audible and needs to be turned off from time to time! The voice of conscience speaks and a person remembers! He speaks very, very quietly. Sometimes even in the silence of the night you can barely hear him. But he keeps talking! And you know, a person has a good ear for conscience - even the deaf can hear it! The man hears him! Sometimes once a day, one moment, when you suddenly break away from the hustle and bustle, from business. Sometimes once a week, and sometimes once a month! But he hears the voice of conscience. And he doesn't like it! This is a terrible discomfort when a person remembers that he is even worse than his friend or acquaintance! Or that he did something bad a minute ago, a month or a year ago. This is a discomfort that many want to avoid. In his “little world” everything should be fine for a person. In this “little world” the main thing is the man himself. Everyone has a certain amount of egoism and it rarely deviates from the 100% level! Can you imagine?
Most people are 100% selfish. And do you know what prevents egoism in a person from ruling monarchically? The only thing stopping him is his conscience. And sometimes - Christians preaching about the Savior and Lord of the Universe. You know, what a shock it is, what a test of the strength of a person’s convictions, when Christians testify to the depravity and sinfulness in people’s lives, to the fact that this is not at all the purpose for which a person is born into the world. Conscience at this time says that this is really so and gives examples from own life man, bypassing all the barriers set by man. At this moment, the process of internal conviction in a person begins. The “war” for the human soul begins! This war hurts so much, it shreds a person’s inner world so much, it torments him so much that believe me, at this moment the person is even worse off than if he had fought on his own. This experience is even stronger than the experience after a good fight. Yes Yes! Even fractures and abrasions are not as terrible as this war. Inner world the person is very, very complex. It is on it that all the aspirations and aspirations of people rest, and all their actions are motivated. And when even part of this world (and its foundation - the worldview) collapses, Great changes occur within a person. This is change after spiritual warfare. Fractures will heal, wounds will heal, but scars and wounds from spiritual warfare will remain forever. Their memory will never be erased.
How strongly this is said, how powerful! Battle for the soul! You know that at this moment all the forces of hell are defending their fortress. A fortress called the soul! And only a person can control the outcome of this battle. You know, I love comparisons.
Have you heard about ex-Lucifer? Yes Yes! About that same thing! He is now Satan (the enemy)! Called to overshadow, a cherub walking among the fiery stones, he was second in the Universe after God himself, and the most-most among all created beings (Ezek. 28:12-19). He had such power that it is difficult to imagine. He still has it today. He is still as strong now as he was then - perhaps millions of years ago! With him another third of the angels are now demons (Rev. 12:7-9), each of whom is stronger than any person who has ever lived on earth. And he is not in hell now! He and all his demons live on earth, but did you think otherwise? (Eph. 6:12), has access to the Throne of God (Job 1:6-12), slander anyone who does the will of God, looking for any way to push a Christian away from the path of following Christ (1 Peter 5:8 ).
Remember Samson? What about Goliath? These were recognized strongmen of their time. There are no such people now strong people. A split second would be enough for any of the demons for Goliath to remain only a memory among the people, if the demon were free in his actions. Imagine what would happen if at least one demon was given freedom of action. Yes, in one second so many people on earth would die that it would be comparable to the consequences of a very powerful hydrogen bomb explosion (2 Samuel 24:15-17). Now imagine the power of what was once the most perfect created being - the power of Satan. Here there are completely different orders in the definition of power than the power of demons. This is the strength of one who, in his pride, even compared his strength to the power of God! If Satan were free to act, then in the very first second there would be nothing left of the earth. His goal is to instill terror: to steal, kill and destroy. Do you realize that he has no other purpose than to harm God? He wants to take away as many human souls as possible from Him. And at the same time, no specific person is important to him! He doesn't want a specific person to die! He wants to God's Kingdom no one hit! No one! He wants all people to die, all of them at once, and you know, if our Savior allowed him to do this, then before he could blink, everyone would be in hell. Every single one of them!
And now, after a modest comparison of the forces of the spiritual world, you can realize the power that a person faces when he clearly hears the voice of conscience and the voices of witnessing Christians. This is a huge, terrible force that a person must cope with at this moment. And many not only do not want to experience it, but in the early stages of the awakening of conscience they try to turn it off again and again. Some bypass Christians on a long journey, just so as not to experience the horror of these experiences, the horror of this battle again!
Have you probably observed the reaction of many people when they were given tracts or brochures on how to receive salvation, how to be reconciled with God? You've probably noticed a mood that's not very receptive to conscious perception. I noticed this more than once. But now we know why this is so. People loved darkness more than light! They have created a precarious peace in their little worlds, and under no circumstances do they want to go “outside.” They know it's bad, but they still do what's bad. Do you understand what this means?
This means that they look with their eyes and do not see, with their ears they listen and do not hear!!! The prince of this age has blinded the minds and hearts of many people. They can spend their whole lives in the silence of fairy tales and stories about the absence of hell! This is facilitated by the cults of modern times, including the cult of liberal individualism, consumerism, and increasingly strong pushes towards the total humanization of the worldview of modern man.
Stop and realize that consistency in action is a theoretical dream cultivated by humanities theorists. The concept of consistency in actions is absolutely alien to most! They know that eating is bad, but they still do it bad every day. And it's very, very bad that they do this. Do you see any consistency in the actions? In worldview? You can see today how strongly many people call for love, for goodness, they want to awaken a sleeping conscience, and immediately after these calls they get pretty drunk! And in between calls for goodness and peace, they smoke! And so on, and so on, and so on... You, I think, understand that there is not even elementary logic here! We see this absurdity every day in life. This paradox has an explanation in the Bible.
Now let's return to the source of our thinking. The second category of people. These are people who hope for chance! You know, I remember the speech of Mikhail Zadornov (humorist), when he spoke about the characteristics of the Russian people. One of the signs was - maybe! Maybe it will pass! Maybe! Can you imagine what it means to say maybe it will pass, you know, maybe, when it has long been known and printed in billions of copies that it won’t!? No and no! It won't pass!!! And these are not at all spiritual truths that need to be judged on a spiritual level, being in the spirit, being born-again Christians. No! This is something that has been tested on the physical level millions and billions of times, and that many are racing to try again and again in order to once again prove it in their own experience! Prove facts that have been proven for a long time. You know, thinking at the same time that maybe it will blow me away is very stupid! No one will ever say that they really think that everything will end well if they drink alcohol. Everyone or almost everyone realizes that there is harm from alcohol. But on a subconscious level, and especially at the moment when the glass is nearby, and there is fun all around - still the thought that harm will not happen to me, that this happens to everyone - yes, but this will not happen to me - This is a normal train of thought for such people! It’s as if the fact of the disastrous ending is forgotten. Why drink, at the same time hope for chance, and thereby adhere to such an obvious contradiction! There is no logic in this! Just as there is no logic in a whole life spent without God. We could put an end to this. But there are millions of such people! They are, to put it mildly, careless.
And this is what you can hear from their lips: “Can God really send so many people to hell?!!!” Here! You know, they have already answered this question for themselves. They decided within themselves that no! God will not send and will not allow so many people, and they in particular, to go to destruction.
Amazing way of thinking! God can't send so many people to hell! Naturally, they do not know the biblical truths about this. And that's why this thinking is so amazing! Jesus said that for every idle word people will give an answer on the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36). Even this will be enough for condemnation. Every word will judge them, and they will miserably fail the entire trial on the very first lines from the Books. Remember the books of God - Rev. 20:12? They will come to their senses quickly. They will curl up into a ball and remember at least something to justify themselves, but they will not have a Lawyer...
The lawyer will be against them! The lawyer will be with us. Our Savior is the mediator between God and man, who at the trial will intercede for everyone to whom the Blood of Christ is imputed. But what do those, of whom there are millions, think, and who are sure that perhaps God will not send them to hell? No joke, that's what they think. They won't listen to you if you just hint to them about their plight. They have already decided that God (if He exists) will not send them to hell. We need a stronger tool to break through this wall called maybe! And this tool exists! Still the same conscience. They have it too. They treat her like something strange. But still it works and exposes. They will take your brochure and listen to you! But they have already decided...
At times they realize that maybe there is maybe and that is nothing! And at the same time it becomes a little uneasy. And the brochure is nearby. And the words from it are already beginning to torment the soul, and the conscience begins its work. This is also the beginning of spiritual warfare. And when it begins, only the person himself can decide its outcome. Does he have the courage to do this? Will you have the courage to bring it to the right outcome? Before realizing the stupidity and sinfulness in which he had lived until then? Until repentance and reconciliation with God? At this moment, when the conscience has awakened, and there is nothing to drown it out, the person experiences a burden of guilt, discomfort, a little despair, irritation and anger. And there are only two ways out of this state. The path of repentance and the path of perseverance! The first is the awareness of one’s guilt before God, tears, prayer and unforgettable freedom, peace and grace - liberation from many years of guilt, from vanity, from dirt and darkness, promised by God. The second path is simpler - this is the path of sin, untruth, dirt, vanity, darkness, self-deception and, in the end, Great Disappointment. The second way is continued perseverance. Only two ways!
Maybe someone will say: well, I’ll put it off for now with repentance. I will repent tomorrow, in a month or at the end of my life. You know, it's very stupid to do this. Either you will repent or you will not repent! There is no third! The next five seconds are not at your disposal, not like the whole day or your whole life! Are you sure that you will wake up tomorrow? Do you know that you will be alive in three hours? Don't put off your reconciliation. God has you in the palm of your hand - all your thoughts are like words on paper!
God has already done everything for your positive decision. And He is waiting for this decision from you. He suffered for your sins, but you should have suffered! Postponing the deadline for your reconciliation with God is not logical.
Remember something from your life. When you were scheduled for a job interview, you were given a time, for example, tomorrow at 10.00. If you do not show up for your appointment at the scheduled time, you may lose your opportunity to get a job. What do you usually do? You say, maybe it will pass, right? Maybe if I come an hour later or after tomorrow, everything will be fine, right? Of course not! Don't say that! You are preparing for this meeting. You show enviable punctuality when the scheduled time arrives. Right? If yes, then many people make a mistake again. They rush to this interview more than to God, Who created them and on Whom, ultimately, the result of this interview will depend!
You are not harming Christians or me when you postpone the date of your reconciliation with God. No! You are harming your own life. Don't persist and give the victory to Satan again! He is not worthy of your life! In the eyes of God, your life is more valuable than Satan! He takes your decision seriously - your whole life will depend on this decision. And you? How do you feel about your life?
If you are aware of your precarious position, then quickly make peace with God! Don't put it off until tomorrow! Tomorrow is not in your control! Tomorrow may not come for you. There is today and now - do you understand? Don't make a fatal mistake today. The Lord Himself calls you.
And I urge you to entrust your life to the One who created you, and with whom, due to sin, you have no connection. He loves you unconditionally. In His Book we read: 1 John 4:10 “This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Do you see His love? Rom 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love toward us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Surprisingly, if you were given a million dollars, you would not refuse and would not delay accepting this gift at the end of your life! So don’t delay with a much more valuable gift in your life! Don't miss the opportunity to be with God!
What is holding you back from reconciling with the Creator? Maybe the reaction of friends or relatives? But they won’t be able to vouch for you on this! Maybe you don’t understand something in the Bible, and this is a stumbling block? Christianity is the Truth, no matter what they tell you about it, and there are countless proofs of this - the facts are on our side! If you are afraid to come to your Father like the prodigal son, then know that, unlike you, Satan will not be lazy to destroy you! He has been working for a long time to divert your attention from this article, from the thought of God, of reconciliation with Him. All that he palms off on you is blatant lies and slander.
You can find eternal bliss with God if you trust Him! After all, it is absurd, knowing that a treasure lies a meter away from you, to live your whole life in poverty! Why not accept this treasure from God?
Returning to the very beginning of this article, we can see that the paradox in people’s lives and actions lies in the discrepancy between a person’s aspirations and motivations and what he does every day, moving himself away from his dreams...
Don't be another example of this inconsistency!
The power of sin, which is the devil behind it, against the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. What to expect from this confrontation? Narrated by Lester Sumrall. Published on the web portal
Today's generation is the generation of POWER. More and more powerful drugs, deadly weapons, and powerful machines are invented every year. We have strong-arm politicians and people making their way through their careers. The world is drunk with POWER. Man loves manifestations of force - from batons to the atomic bomb. The whole world is chasing power.
We are extracting from the ground the energy of coal, which has been dormant for centuries, and turning it into movement.
We penetrate deep into the bowels of the earth with our machines to suck out oil and gas for our mechanized age. Our society is dependent on electricity; without it, our cities are paralyzed.
When man learned to release atomic energy, two Japanese cities were wiped off the face of the earth. Since then, the world has been awaiting nuclear death with horror.
Radio waves roll over us at 180,000 miles per second. Seven times around the Earth in one second!
Our television studio in South Bend, Indiana has satellite communications. A television signal sent from Virginia, North Carolina and California, traveling vast distances to the satellite and back, is received almost instantly here in South Bend. You won't even have time to blink.
Our world worships energy, but it can be used in two ways: constructively and destructively. A person must decide how to use energy.
The power of sin
Sin is the most destructive force in this world. This is humanity's greatest destroyer.
Organized crime, an evil that has taken hold of many people, is driven by the power of sin. The news constantly reports murders in small towns and big cities: men killing men, women killing women, children killing children. Humanity appears to have lost all respect for human life and human dignity.
Sin entails murder, theft, robbery, adultery. Alcohol, gambling, and cheating stem from sin. All moral uncleanliness comes from sin. Sin is strong.
No man can tame the power of sin. Your human power cannot stop the power of sin because the devil gave birth to it. He commands those who steal, destroy, kill. “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy...” (John 10:10). The power of natural man is not comparable to the power of Satan.
The Bible describes Satan in his in good condition. In heaven he was “the seal of perfection, the fullness of wisdom and the crown of beauty” (Ezek. 28:12). His clothes were decorated with sparkling diamonds, rubies and other precious stones(Ezek. 28:13).
But Lucifer turned his God-given will against God. Instead of serving the Lord, he rebelled against the Creator and was thrown from his position of beauty and glory. Isaiah (see 14:12-15) told terrible story. Jesus told His disciples how Satan fell from heaven like lightning (see Luke 10:18).
Isaiah (14:12) called him a trampler of nations. Any nation weakened by satanic power gradually disintegrates. Lucifer is described as the one who “shaken the earth” (Isa. 14:16). Every time there is a war, revolution or unrest, the power of the devil is manifested. He “shaken kingdoms” and devastated the world (see Isa. 14:16).
A few days after the end of World War II, I left for Europe. In London I saw completely destroyed buildings. The Bible college I attended disappeared. All the French cities in which I preached many times lay in ruins. I stood and exclaimed: “Oh God! Oh my God!"
Every time you see destruction, there is an ominous connection with the devil. His ministry is destruction.
The Power of Our Savior
The Word of God gives us much more power than Satan has. “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23, 24).
Who is Christ? Christ is the power of God! “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...” (Rom. 1.16).
The gospel is the power of God. The gospel we preach is not words, not a point of view, not philosophical ideas, but the power of God! “And to those who received Him, to those who believed on His name, He gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12).
The gospel we preach is not words, not a point of view, not philosophical ideas, but the power of God!
When we accept Christ into our hearts, something happens to us. The more we accept Him, the more power He gives us.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
We receive strength when the Holy Spirit fills us. Are you happy about this?
When I think of force and counterforce, I think of a dam. To stop the flow of the river, you build a dam and turn the river into a lake. What is stronger - the water rushing down or the dam? If a dam is carefully designed, it will stand. The water is rising, but the dam is standing. The power of perseverance overcomes the power of movement - and there is nothing left to do but turn back.
When a force collides with a force, the smaller force must turn back. When force collides with force, one of them is sure to win.
The power of God, when we exercise it, always overcomes the power of evil. God is trying to place His children where they can learn and exercise God-given power.
The power of God, when we exercise it, always overcomes the power of evil.
When Satan comes against the people of God, he is driven back by the dam of faith. We could put it in these words: “Back, waters of the devil, here we stand. We are here to send you back and tell you where you should go."
Steel can be made so hard that other steel cannot cut it. But a small diamond placed in a clamp will cut the toughest steel. Why? Here again force opposes force, and one of them must yield.
Steel says: "I am solid."
Diamond replies: “And I’m harder. You give in to me. I'm the boss".
Jesus spoke about the opposition of one force to another when he said: “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has certainly come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the house of a strong man and plunder his things, unless he first binds the strong man? and then he will plunder his house” (Matthew 12:28, 29).
The devil may be tough, but we are tougher. He may be strong, but we are stronger. However, we must know this postulate for it to become effective in our lives. We must live with the power and divine authority of the Lord.
Several years ago I met a little Danish missionary from Holland in Indonesia. When she first entered the mountains of Indonesia to preach the Gospel, a local sorcerer told her to get out. He declared that this was his ancestral territory.
The Danish woman said: “This is not your territory. I stay".
He objected: “No! There can't be another sorcerer here. I respect other sorcerers and don’t take their places, but I won’t let them in either.”
She was surprised: “But I’m not a witch.”
He remarked: “And you act like a witch.”
They argued for some more time. Finally the sorcerer said: “Let's see who has more power. Whoever has less, let him leave.”
The missionary agreed.
The sorcerer suggested: “We will meet on a certain day and invite everyone to come.”
On this day the whole village gathered. They believed that they would see two sorcerers fight for power over the village.
The young woman and the sorcerer stepped onto the platform.
The sorcerer looked at her and said: “Do something.”
She didn’t know what to do and suggested: “You better do something.”
He lay down on the floor in front of the people and became hard as a board. Very slowly the forces of levitation took possession of him. First his ankles rose, then his knees - and now he was floating in the air.
People were amazed. They said that their sorcerer is the most powerful.
The missionary thought: “I don’t know how to hang in the air. I'll have to leave."
God intervened: “Not at all!”
She said, “But what should I do?”
God explained: “Put him down! Place your foot on his stomach and press him to the floor.”
She walked up to the sorcerer, slightly lifted her long skirt, put her foot on the sorcerer and pressed him to the floor.
Then God said: “Drive the devil out of him!”
She shouted, “Leave him in the name of Jesus!”
The devil jumped out at her command. When the man came to his senses, he could not understand where he was. He was so possessed by the devil that he lived with someone else's consciousness. He didn't even know there was a competition going on.
He asked: “Where am I? What am I doing here? Why are there so many people here?
The woman walked up to him and sat him down. She told him what happened here, and he accepted Christ as Savior. The Danish woman laid her hands on him, and the Holy Spirit came upon the man.
As a result, the Danish woman was appointed administrator, and the former sorcerer became mayor. During community meetings, she sits in a chair behind him and gives advice only when he needs help. The village soon became known as the City of Refugees. Anyone who accepted Jesus and was persecuted could move here and live here.
In our everyday life, we encounter problems and situations where force collides with force. It depends on us who wins.
Jesus Christ is a winner, and God wants each of us to be a winner. He has made it possible for us to always celebrate victory in Jesus Christ. God wants each of us to recognize and confess His great power. It is impossible to confess defeat and commit your life to Jesus at the same time. You need to confess victory in the name of Jesus.
Until the end of this century, force will oppose force. But God's Word has established forever the fact that the greatest power lies with believers, not with the world.
The greatest power lies with believers, not with the world!!!
You are children of God, and you have overcome them; for greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.1John 4:4.
“Them” are demons and spirits of evil. The One who is in us is Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The devil is the one “who is in the world.”