Sin: The Plague That Separates Us From God (Part 1)

Before I begin this post, let's get some definitions down.

Sin:

Wait! Time out!

I thought this would be a simple endeavor, but when I got to the page for "sin" at Dictionary.com, 17 results came up! Wow!!

You can go to the page to read all of them if you'd like.

With a bit of continued reading and research from that page, I found two things quite interesting.

My first discovery, was the immense difference regarding the explanation of the word "sin" in the 1897 Easton Bible Dictionary, vs. the more modern, secular versions of dictionaries.

Here's one example of a modern version:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
sin1  [sin] noun, verb, sinned, sin‧ning.
–noun
1.
transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.
2.
any act regarded as such a transgression, esp. a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.
3.
any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense: It's a sin to waste time. –verb (used without object)
4.
to commit a sinful act.
5.
to offend against a principle, standard, etc. –verb (used with object)
6.
to commit or perform sinfully: He sinned his crimes without compunction.
7.
to bring, drive, etc., by sinning: He sinned his soul to perdition.
[Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE syn(n) offense, misdeed; akin to G Sünde, ON synd sin, L sōns guilty; (v.) deriv. of the n., r. ME sin(i)gen, syn(i)gen, OE syngian, itself deriv. of the n.] —Related forms
sinlike, adjective
sin‧ning‧ly, adverb
sin‧ning‧ness, noun
—Synonyms 1. trespass, violation. 2. wrong, wickedness. 4. transgress, trespass.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Further down on the initial page, I couldn't resist clicking on "the wages of sin" link. Here's what it said:

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source
wages of sin, the

The results or consequences of evildoing, as in She ate all of the strawberries and ended up with a terrible stomachache the wages of sin, no doubt. This expression comes from the New Testament, where Paul writes to the Romans (6:23) : "The wages of sin is death."

Today it is often used more lightly, as in the example. (bold mine)

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

I wanted to include this "wages of sin" example because it so clearly indicates just how excruciatingly far we have drifted from being concerned about the consequences of our sin.

As the "American Heritage" dictionary so boldly claims, the "wages of sin is death" is used more lightly today?

Wow!

I will be sharing several days of posts (because it might be too long to do it all in one post) that will show the eternal mistake that will be made by people who don't take "the wages of sin is death" or the reality of the coming Judgment Day of God seriously.

Next, take a look at the 1897 Easton Bible dictionary definition and its explanation of sin:

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary - Cite This Source
sin

is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God"
(1 John 3:4;Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by omission or commission (Rom. 6:12-17; 7:5-24).

It is "not a mere violation of the law of our constitution, nor of the system of things, but an offence against a personal lawgiver and moral governor who vindicates his law with penalties. The soul that sins is always conscious that his sin is

(1) intrinsically vile and polluting, and

(2) that it justly deserves punishment, and calls down the righteous wrath of God.

Hence sin carries with it two inalienable characters,
(1) ill-desert, guilt (reatus); and

(2) pollution (macula).", Hodge's Outlines.

The moral character of a man's actions is determined by the moral state of his heart. The disposition to sin, or the habit of the soul that leads to the sinful act, is itself also sin (Rom.6:12-17; Gal. 5:17; James 1:14, 15).

The origin of sin is a mystery, and must for ever remain such to us. It is plain that for some reason God has permitted sin to enter this world, and that is all we know. His permitting it, however, in no way makes God the author of sin.

Adam's sin (Gen. 3:1-6) consisted in his yielding to the assaults of temptation and eating the forbidden fruit. It involved in it,

(1) the sin of unbelief, virtually making God a liar; and

(2) the guilt of disobedience to a positive command.

By this sin he became an apostate from God, a rebel in arms against his Creator. He lost the favour of God and communion with him; his whole nature became depraved, and he incurred the penalty involved in the covenant of works.

Original sin.

"Our first parents being the root of all mankind, the guilt of their sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature were conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation."

Adam was constituted by God the federal head and representative of all his posterity, as he was also their natural head, and therefore when he fell they fell with him (Rom. 5:12-21; 1Cor. 15:22-45). His probation was their probation, and his fall their fall.

Because of Adam's first sin all his posterity came into the world in a state of sin and condemnation, i.e.,

(1) a state of moral corruption, and

(2) of guilt, as having judicially imputed to them the guilt of Adam's first sin.

"Original sin" is frequently and properly used to denote only the moral corruption of their whole nature inherited by all men from Adam. This inherited moral corruption consists in,

(1) the loss of original righteousness; and

(2) the presence of a constant proneness to evil, which is the root and origin of all actual sin.

It is called "sin" (Rom. 6:12, 14, 17; 7:5-17), the "flesh" (Gal.5:17, 24), "lust" (James 1:14, 15), the "body of sin" (Rom. 6:6), "ignorance," "blindness of heart," "alienation from the life of God" (Eph. 4:18, 19).

It influences and depraves the whole man, and its tendency is still downward to deeper and deeper corruption, there remaining no recuperative element in the soul. It is a total depravity, and it is also universally inherited by all the natural descendants of Adam (Rom. 3:10-23; 5:12-21; 8:7).

Pelagians deny original sin, and regard man as by nature morally and spiritually well; semi-Pelagians regard him as morally sick; Augustinians, or, as they are also called, Calvinists, regard man as described above, spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1;1 John 3:14).

The doctrine of original sin is proved,

(1.) From the fact of the universal sinfulness of men. "There is no man that sinneth not" (1 Kings 8:46; Isa. 53:6; Ps. 130:3; Rom. 3:19, 22, 23; Gal. 3:22).

(2.) From the total depravity of man. All men are declared to be destitute of any principle of spiritual life; man's apostasy from God is total and complete (Job 15:14-16; Gen. 6:5,6).

(3.) From its early manifestation (Ps. 58:3; Prov. 22:15).

(4.) It is proved also from the necessity, absolutely and universally, of regeneration(John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17).

(5.) From the universality of death (Rom. 5:12-20).

Various kinds of sin are mentioned,

(1.) "Presumptuous sins," or as literally rendered, "sins with an uplifted hand", i.e., defiant acts of sin, in contrast with "errors" or "inadvertencies" (Ps. 19:13).

(2.) "Secret", i.e., hidden sins (19:12); sins which escape the notice of the soul.

(3.) "Sin against the Holy Ghost" (q.v.), or a "sin unto death" (Matt. 12:31, 32; 1 John 5:16), which amounts to a wilful rejection of grace.

Sin, a city in Egypt, called by the Greeks Pelusium, which means, as does also the Hebrew name, "clayey" or "muddy," so called from the abundance of clay found there. It is called by Ezekiel (Ezek. 30:15) "the strength of Egypt," thus denoting its importance as a fortified city. It has been identified with the modern Tineh, "a miry place," where its ruins are to be found. Of its boasted magnificence only four red granite columns remain, and some few fragments of others.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

Next, we will examine the term "plague."

First, the medical meaning and physical effects:

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source

Main Entry: plague
Pronunciation: 'plAg
Function: noun
1 : an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality : PESTILENCE
2 : a virulent contagious febrile disease that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia (Y. pestis syn. Pasteurella pestis), that occurs in bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic forms, and that is usually transmitted from rats to humans by the bite of infected fleas (as in bubonic plague) or directly from person to person (as in pneumonic plague) called also black death

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

[On a side note: The fact that advanced medical knowledge in the Bible helped solve the Bubonic plague can be read about here. When you get to the link, scroll down a bit.]

Next, the biblical meaning as well as the physical and spiritual effects:

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary - Cite This Source
plague
a "stroke" of affliction, or disease. Sent as a divine chastisement (Num. 11:33;14:37; 16:46-49; 2 Sam. 24:21). Painful afflictions or diseases, (Lev. 13:3, 5, 30; 1 Kings 8:37), or severe calamity (Mark 5:29; Luke 7:21), or the judgment of God, so called (Ex. 9:14).

Plagues of Egypt were ten in number.

(1.) The river Nile was turned into blood, and the fish died, and the river stank, so that the Egyptians loathed to drink of the river (Ex. 7:14-25).

(2.) The plague of frogs (Ex. 8:1-15).

(3.) The plague of lice (Heb. kinnim, properly gnats or mosquitoes; comp. Ps. 78:45; 105:31), "out of the dust of the land" (Ex.8:16-19).

(4.) The plague of flies (Heb. arob, rendered by the LXX. dog-fly), Ex. 8:21-24.

(5.) The murrain (Ex.9:1-7), or epidemic pestilence which carried off vast numbers of cattle in the field. Warning was given of its coming.

(6.) The sixth plague, of "boils and blains," like the third, was sent without warning (Ex.9:8-12). It is called (Deut. 28:27) "the botch of Egypt," A.V.; butin R.V., "the boil of Egypt." "The magicians could not stand before Moses" because of it.

(7.) The plague of hail, with fire and thunder (Ex. 9:13-33). Warning was given of its coming. (Comp. Ps. 18:13; 105:32, 33).

(8.) The plague of locusts, which covered the whole face of the earth, so that the land was darkened with them (Ex. 10:12-15). The Hebrew name of this insect, _arbeh_, points to the "multitudinous" character of this visitation. Warning was given before this plague came.

(9.) After a short interval the plague of darkness succeeded that of the locusts; and it came without any special warning (Ex.10:21-29). The darkness covered "all the land of Egypt" to such an extent that "they saw not one another." It did not, however, extend to the land of Goshen.

(10.) The last and most fearful of these plagues was the death of the first-born of man and of beast (Ex. 11:4, 5; 12:29,30). The exact time of the visitation was announced, "about midnight", which would add to the horror of the infliction. Its extent also is specified, from the first-born of the king to the first-born of the humblest slave, and all the first-born of beasts. But from this plague the Hebrews were completely exempted. The Lord "put a difference" between them and the Egyptians. (See PASSOVER.)

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

[Keep that last sentence and the explanation of Passover in mind as you continue to read each part of this series.

A brief but very important point is revealed in the following excerpt:

"It was primarily a commemorative ordinance, reminding the children of Israel of their deliverance out of Egypt; but it was, no doubt, also a type of the great deliverance wrought by the Messiah for all his people from the doom of death on account of sin, and from the bondage of sin itself, a worse than Egyptian bondage (1 Cor.5:7; John 1:29; 19:32-36; 1 Pet. 1:19; Gal. 4:4, 5)." ]

Now, putting all of these definitions and explanations together, we can see all the negative consequences of sin in both our physical, as well as spiritual lives. We see how it has separated us from our Creator, the Holy and Righteous Judge of the universe.

The Bible is the source that shows us the eternal consequences of living a life with sin remaining upon our souls.

In God's Word, we find out that there will be four judgments.

The question is, which judgment will you face?

[The following is based upon a sermon by Pastor John Hagee called "Judgment Day."]

Hbr 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

All men have an appointment to die, and then comes the judgment.

Pastor Hagee mentioned the many T.V. shows, like "Judge Judy" are popular today because people who have been wronged want justice.

He also mentioned a unique thought about the love for sports that we have in this country (as well as other countries, of course). He stated that one reason sports are so popular is because of the instant judgment at the end. One team or the other comes out as either "champs" or "chumps!" Kidding aside, isn't it true that we love victory but dislike defeat? Victory and defeat are the results of a judgment. Which team was more skilled that day to win?

Sometimes, people view the God of the Bible differently according to which Testament they read. They sometimes label the God of the Old Testament as the "God of wrath," and the God of the New Testament as the "God of love." Well guess what...He is both!

Psa 37:28 - For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Jhn 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;


Ezr 8:22
For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God [is] upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath [is] against all them that forsake him.


Ecc 2:26
For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

Nahum 1:2-8 gives God's description of Himself:


Nah 1:1
THE burden* against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

Nah 1:2
God is jealous, and the LORD avenges;
The LORD avenges and is furious.
The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;

Nah 1:3
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.
The LORD has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet.

Nah 1:4
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,
And dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
And the flower of Lebanon wilts.

Nah 1:5
The mountains quake before Him,
The hills melt,
And the earth heaves* at His presence,
Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.

Nah 1:6
Who can stand before His indignation?
And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire,
And the rocks are thrown down by Him.

Nah 1:7
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.

Nah 1:8
But with an overflowing flood
He will make an utter end of its place,
And darkness will pursue His enemies.

Paul informs us that it's not "let's make a deal," with God. God tells us "THIS IS THE DEAL!"


2Th 1:7
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,

2Th 1:8
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th 1:9
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

2Th 1:10
when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe,* because our testimony among you was believed.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 instructs us to obey. Obey and you will receive blessings!


Deu 28:1
"NOW it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth
.
Deu 28:2
"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

Deu 28:3
"Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

Deu 28:4
"Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

Deu 28:5
"Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Deu 28:6
"Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

Deu 28:7
"The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

Deu 28:8
"The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

Deu 28:9
"The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.

Deu 28:10
"Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.

Deu 28:11
"And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

Deu 28:12
"The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

Deu 28:13
"And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Deu 28:14
"So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Contrast those blessings verses with the verses that show what is wrought through not obeying:


Deu 28:15
"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Deu 28:16
"Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

Deu 28:17
"Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Deu 28:18
"Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
Deu 28:19
"Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

Deu 28:20
"The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

Deu 28:21
"The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess.

Deu 28:22
"The LORD will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.

Deu 28:23
"And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron.

Deu 28:24
"The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

Deu 28:25
"The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Which group are you in?

Sometimes, I hear people claim that "they are a good person." Perhaps they think for that reason, God's judgment will never fall upon them. I usually direct such people to the "Am I good enough to get into heaven" test.

AM I GOOD ENOUGH TO GET TO HEAVEN?
ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH TO GET TO HEAVEN?
TAKE THIS TEST AND SEE!!


The Good Test

Let me know if you passed...

God is all-powerful and all-knowing. Just the fact that He is Creator of the universe tells us this. He is the God of Love, because Love is in His character.

He is also a Righteous Judge. He hates sin. As the Righteous Judge, His wrath is justifiable. Many misunderstand what God's wrath is and what it represents. They make the error of thinking it means "temper out of control." The real meaning is "deep, intense anger and indignation" towards something. His wrath is against sin. He will never tolerate sin. This is why it pleased God to take out His justifiable wrath upon Jesus in order that we may be saved!

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

That verse tells us that God has a zero tolerance for sin. As the Righteous Judge, if God didn't judge sin, then He would be a liar!

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;


Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

We can see from those verses that it's not according to others opinions, but to what you have done.

Obey the Lord? = Blessings
Disobey the Lord? = It's your choice and thus you will suffer the consequences of judgment.

Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

That is a difficult verse in this "politically correct" world we live in.

God's wrath is an expression of his justice. He is loyal to His Word. That is why we can trust Him absolutely!

But people today prefer "political correctness."
People today want "tolerance" for anything and everything.
People today want the "pleasure of sin."
People today want to enjoy "moral relativism."
People today want to preach only the love part of the Gospel without the uncomfortableness of acknowledging the death penalty that Christ suffered at the cross for their sin. [See Beware the crossless gospel.]

The bad news of our plague of sin on our souls must be revealed, confessed, and repented of before the Good News of the Gospel can bring salvation to our souls!

Pastor Hagee mentioned that while he was preaching in California, a man stood up and said, "you can't preach like that here!" The man was obviously a student of the "crossless gospel" and did not want to know the whole truth....only that which made him feel "good." But the truth of the gospel reveals the bad and the ugly, too.

We can't pick and choose from God's Word! You have to take it all! It's an all or nothing proposition! Jesus asks us, "who do you say that I am?" How we answer that question determines our eternal destination when this brief life on earth is over. You can't "pick and choose" various answers to that question. We have many chances while on this earth to get the answer to that all important question correct. After our physical death, there are no second chances! Either your name will be written in the Book of Life or not!

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

The Book of Life is mentioned in several scriptures:

Phl 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and [with] other my fellowlabourers, whose names [are] in the book of life.

Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.

*******
(to be continued...)

Next: It's the "knowing" factor that determines judgment.