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Sin

Sin, its definition and consequences

God Rejected King Saul, But Declared King David a Man After His Own Heart. Didn’t God Get this Backwards?

November 14, 2021 7 Comments

God rejected King Saul, a bungler who made a few mistakes trying to do God’s will, his own way. But he accepted King David, a rapist and murderer, forgave him two unforgivable sins, promised him an eternal kingdom, called him a man after his own heart–and put him in Jesus’ lineage! Didn’t God get this backwards? NO!!

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, forgiveness and mercy, God is Love, God's Existence and Nature, God's rationality, Leaving Our First Love, Peril of Seeking Power, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, Sins versus sin, Social control and statecraft, The Problem of Evil, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

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King Saul, The People’s Sin

November 7, 2021 5 Comments

King Saul is an example of a leader appointed by God–at the rebellious insistence of the people–who followed his people’s idolatrous rebellion against God. Generally, in spiritual matters, worldly leaders follow their constituents rather than lead them. After God warned the people about the way their king would take, and sent a sign of his displeasure, they showed remorse–false, incomplete repentance–but did not change their ways. Ultimately, King Saul also followed their lead.

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, God's rationality, idolatry, Peril of Seeking Power, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, Social control and statecraft, The Problem of Evil, Truth and Falsehood, What is sin?

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Repent, turn again, turn away from your wickedness, in Acts 3:19

October 31, 2021 1 Comment

When Peter preached that the people should “repent,” he explained that meant that they were to “turn away from their wickedness” and so, in their behavior, “listen” to Jesus. Jesus did not come to entertain us or to offer advice, but to turn us away from our own way to obedience to him.

A God who Speaks, God Acts by Speaking, Prophecy, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Through Jesus

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“Repent and be Baptized,” in Acts 2:38

October 24, 2021 1 Comment

After Peter preached his first sermon, on the day of Pentecost, his hearers asked “what must we do to be saved?” His answer was “repent and be baptized.” Those who believed his message repented by giving up their claims of self-ownership and self-reliance and starting to live in community with each other, sharing freely as any had need.

Changed treatment of each other, Desire to have our own way, God's purpose for us, Repentance, Repentance in community, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Salvation, Sin, To live in unity, What is sin?

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The Pharaoh who played “let’s make a deal” with God

October 10, 2021 1 Comment

When God sent Moses to deliver his people from Egypt, the Pharaoh who ruled Egypt responded to some of the plagues with false repentance. That is, he tried to “make a deal” with God, and even admitted that he was in the wrong, only to renege on his agreements as soon as God removed the plague. With each “deal” on which he reneged, his heart became more hardened. But this is always what happens when, out of fear or remorse, we try to “make a deal” with God rather than obey him.

A God who Speaks, Events and Signs, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, God's sovereignty, idolatry, Omnipresence, Refusing to hear, Repentance versus Remorse, The Invisible God's Self-Existence

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Repentance in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31

October 3, 2021 1 Comment

Like the rich man who ignored the needs of poor Lazarus in the parable, those who self-indulgently use their wealth and are indifferent to the needs of the poor need to repent. But, because they are accustomed to ignoring God, most have rendered themselves incapable of repentance–even if someone rises from the dead to warn them (as Jesus did).

Changed treatment of each other, Leaving Our First Love, Refusing to hear, Repentance, Sin, What is sin?

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Eli, the High Priest, Talking when Action was Required

September 26, 2021 2 Comments

True repentance would have required high priest Eli to act to remove his sons Hophni and Phinehas from office. Hophni and Phinehas were using God and their offices as a magical charm and using others, as many in the Church do today. The people also learned to do these things from their example. Instead of removing them, Eli just nagged them, and he and all Israel paid the penalty.

A God who Speaks, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, God Acts by Speaking, God's Voice, Prophecy, Refusing to hear, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, What is sin?

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Postscript: “Sin” Words: Lexical Definitions

August 21, 2021 7 Comments

The New Testament uses a number of different words to describe sin, its causes and its effects, in the context of confession, repentance and forgiveness. These words are not synonyms, and distinguishing them is important to understanding many of the contexts in which they are used.

God Speaks to Us, Linguistic Background Words and Phrases, Sin, The Bible, What is God's Word, What is sin?

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Judas Iscariot: Remorse Too Late in Matthew 27:3-5

August 18, 2021 0 Comments

Judas demonstrates the difference between worldly remorse and true repentance. Judas was truly remorseful after he saw Jesus would die because of his betrayal, and he tried to fix things himself. When that failed, he hanged himself. He was remorseful, but never repented of doing things his own way.

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, What is sin?

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Unrepentance and the Judgment Spoken Against Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum in Matthew 11:20-24

July 18, 2021 1 Comment

When Jesus unfavorably compared the unrepentance of the Galilean towns where he had preached to the repentance Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have shown to the same preaching. the repentance of which he spoke clearly included behavioral change.

A God who Speaks, An abuse of God's image, Changed treatment of each other, Refusing to hear, Repentance, Sin, Through Jesus, Uncategorized, What is sin?

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