What is sin?

A Few Comments on the Overall Process

Ian Johnson August 21, 2022 0 Comments

Most of the currents of modern Western history can ultimately be traced to the well-meaning decisions of Christian leaders in the early centuries to seek political sponsorship. This led to the inversion of the Gospel message, forced exile of “heretics,” the rise of Islam through the influence of exiled “heretics,” and most of the subsequent upheavals in the Western world.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Changed treatment of each other, Compulsory Christianity, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Ethnic Division, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Heresy, Islam and Christianity, Islam as a Consequence, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Religious violence and persecution, Repentance, Salvation, Social control and statecraft, Through the church, Truth and Falsehood, Wars as consequences, What is sin?

Christendom, Christian politics, Christianity, Christianity and Islam, Christianity and politics, Divisions in the Church, heresy, heretical movements, History of Christianity

What I Believe–stated simply

Ian Johnson July 24, 2022 7 Comments

In this post, I give a short, one web page, summary of what I believe, in language as simple as I can manage. It gives only a quick, “big picture” of my understanding of God, my relationship to him, and my role on Earth. Comments are invited.

Church purpose versus church growth, Complex unity, Conversation with God, Divisions in the Church, Eternity, Free will, God Acts by Speaking, God is Love, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God was never our enemy, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's rationality, God's sovereignty, His Children, His Friends, Immanence, Islam as a Consequence, Language and Speech, Male and female, Merit, Omnipresence, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Regeneration, Rejecting God, Repentance, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Show us the Way of Truth, Sin, Sins versus sin, The Invisible God's Self-Existence, The Kingdom of the Heavens, The Problem of Evil, To be his ambassadors, To be in his image, To live in unity, Transcendence, Trinity, Ultimate reality, Unity, Wars as consequences, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian theology, Church, God, God speaks, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life purpose, Son of God, Son of Man

Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 5–First John

Ian Johnson June 25, 2022 2 Comments

The Scriptures generally draw a qualitative distinction between “sin,” in the singular, and “sins,” in the plural. “Sin” is our inward attitude of rebellion against God. “Sins” are bad actions. This post gives examples from First John which paint a picture of the complete Christian life.

A God who Speaks, Confession and Repentance, Confession of Sin, Desire to have our own way, God was never our enemy, God's Voice, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, missing the mark, Reconciliation, Repentance, Sin, Sins versus sin, To live in unity, What is sin?

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Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 4–The Epistles of James and Peter

Ian Johnson June 20, 2022 0 Comments

The Scriptures generally draw a qualitative distinction between “sin,” in the singular, and “sins,” in the plural. “Sin” is our inward attitude of rebellion against God. “Sins” are bad actions. This post gives a series of examples from James and First and Second Peter.

Desire to have our own way, Forgetting God, God's purpose for us, Greed, Knowing good and evil, Refusing to hear, self-serving worship, Sins versus sin, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

1 Peter, 2 Peter, actions, attitudes, James, sin vs sins, temptation, test, testing

Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 3–Hebrews

Ian Johnson May 22, 2022 2 Comments

The Scriptures generally draw a qualitative distinction between “sin,” in the singular, and “sins,” in the plural. “Sin” is our inward attitude of rebellion against God. “Sins” are bad actions. This post gives a series of examples from Hebrews.

A God who Speaks, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, His Friends, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, Merit, Promises, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Sins versus sin, What is sin?

atone, atonement, bad acts, disobedience, enter my rest, faith, God's rest, Hearing God, Hebrews, rejecting God, reproach, sin, sins, suffering, unbelief

The Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 1

Ian Johnson May 5, 2022 3 Comments

The Scriptures generally draw a qualitative distinction between “sin,” in the singular, and “sins,” in the plural. “Sin” is our inward attitude of rebellion against God. “Sins” are bad actions. This post gives a series of examples from Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians.

God was never our enemy, God's purpose for us, God's rationality, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Rejecting God, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, self-serving worship, Sin, Sins versus sin, The Problem of Evil, To be his ambassadors, What is sin?

disbelief, faith, God, heart, heart attitude, human heart, Jesus, not of faith, rebellion, sin, sins, unbelief, way of life, wrong acts

Related Keys to Psalm 37:4-5 and Psalm 51:3-4

Ian Johnson April 17, 2022 1 Comment

God’s intention is that, as we take delight in him, he will put his desires within us. This will make us progressively more able to trust God, do good, and avoid sin. It will also make us increasingly able to discern when our guilt doesn’t come from God.

A God who Speaks, Confession and Repentance, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, His Children, missing the mark, On speaking terms again, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Repentance, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Show us the Way of Truth, Sin, Sins versus sin, Through Jesus, To be in his image, What is sin?

commit, commitment, Confess, confession, decisions, delight, desires, forgive, friend, God, guilt, offense, Promises, sin, the desires of your heart, transgression

Paul’s Mourning over those who have Not Repented, 2 Corinthians 12:21

Ian Johnson April 3, 2022 2 Comments

When Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians, he feared he would later come to them and find that they had not repented of their underlying mixed motives and attitudes of self-centered worship and sensual focus. The result would be the same strife and disorder he had reproved in his first letter.

Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Forgetting God, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God's Other Attributes, Greed, Pride in accomplishments as our own, refusal to repent, Repentance, Salvation, self-serving worship, What is sin?

attitude, attitudes, Corinthians, disorder, immorality, mixed motives, mourning, not repented, Paul, repent, self-centered worship, sensual, sensuality, strife, uncleanness

Self-righteousness, idolatry of self, repentance and an unrepentant heart in Romans 2

Ian Johnson March 20, 2022 2 Comments

Romans 2:4-5 is a warning aimed not at the wicked world, but at the self-righteous–even believers–who harshly judge others while forgetting that it was the kindness of God that led them to repentance.

A God who Speaks, Consequences, Forgetting God, forgiveness and mercy, God is Love, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, God's Other Attributes, idolatry, judgment, patience, refusal to repent, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, reprobation, Sin, through his creation, Truth and Falsehood, What is sin?

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Works worthy of repentance in Acts 26:20

Ian Johnson March 13, 2022 0 Comments

In his trial before King Herod Agrippa in Acts 26, Paul went out of his way to emphasize that “works worthy of repentance” flow from turning to God and not from our own determination to prove our repentance.

Merit, Pride in accomplishments as our own, Repentance, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Sin, What is sin?

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A Few Comments on the Overall Process

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What I Believe–stated simply

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Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 5–First John

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Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 4–The Epistles of James and Peter

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Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 3–Hebrews

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The Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 1

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Related Keys to Psalm 37:4-5 and Psalm 51:3-4

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Paul’s Mourning over those who have Not Repented, 2 Corinthians 12:21

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Self-righteousness, idolatry of self, repentance and an unrepentant heart in Romans 2

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Works worthy of repentance in Acts 26:20

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