This is what I "hear" from God (and I don't challenge His accuracy or exempt self uniquely from such)....
What is the Law?
The Law is the will of God - flowing from His absolute perfection and justice. It is, in essence, that we be as He is - not in terms of essence but character.
Psalm 51:5 "I was sinful at birth"
Genesis 8:21, "Every inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood." (Which means every inclination of MY heart is evil from my birth)
Romans 5:12, "Sin entered the world through one man's sin, and death through sin, and therefore death came to all men for all have sinned."
First John 3:4, "Sin is lawlessness"
Romans 3:12, "There is no one who does good, not even one." (Which means I do not do good, I miss the mark - the definition of sin)
Mark 10:18, "There is none who is good but God exclusively." ( Which means I'm not good since I'm not God)
First John 1:10, "If we claim we have no sin, we make God a liar and His word is not in us." (Which means IF I was SO egotistical as to claim to be obedient, I'd be a liar and calling God a liar)
What does the Law mandate?
Essentially, that our character be identical to His.
Matthew 5:48, "You must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (which means since I'm imperfect, I'm not obedient and I'm falling short, missing the mark - which is the definition of sin)
1 Peter 1:16, "You must be holy even as God in heaven is holy." (Which means that since I'm not as holy as God 24/7, I'm not obedient and I'm falling short, missing the mark - which is the definition of sin)
John 15:12, "Love all people just as I (Jesus) first loved you." (Which means since I don't love all 7.3 billion people as much as God loved me on the Cross, I'm not obedient and I'm falling short, missing the mark - which is the definition of sin)
Ephesians 4:32, "forgiving one another, just as God in Christ first forgave you."
First John 2:6, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." (Since I don't live without sin and with perfect love, I'm not obedient and I'm falling short, missing the mark which is the definition of sin)
Philippians 2:5, "You must have the same attitude that Christ did."
The word literally means "to miss the mark." In ancient Greece, if an archer missed the target, the therefore "sinned" because he missed the mark, missed the target. The Bible says "ALL fall short." IF you have absolutely, perfectly, divinely, 24/7 "hit" all the targets above, then you are obedient and free of sin. Otherwise...... Well, the Bible would be correct and not lying when it says that "NO ONE is righteous, no, not even one." "For ALL fall short." "NO ONE is good." "If you claim to have no sin (you hit the mark), then you lie and call God a liar."
Historically, Christians have spoken of ORIGINAL and ACTUALIZED sin.....
Original: The inclination, the propensity, that DISEASE that means we are self-centered, egotistical, self-serving, rebellious. It's what is in our hearts that LEADS to sins, it is the root of sin. When a man shoots his boss, the "problem" didn't start with the bullet entering the guys' chest, it began with something deep in the heart of the shooter - which LEAD to the chain of things that ultimately meant his pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. If I have a cold, I may sneeze. The sneeze is not the disease, it flows from the disease (which I may have even if I'm not sneezing at that microsecond; even if I take enough pills to never sneeze I still have a cold).
Actualized: These are the symptoms. They may be our thoughts or our words or our deeds. They may be known (observed) or not (even the sinner may not be aware of them). They may be thoughts or words of deeds we SHOULD have had but didn't (being imperfect)... they may be thoughts or words or deeds we should NOT have had but did (being sinful).
I don't NEED to personally hear some "small voice" speaking uniquely to me. I don't NEED the Holy Spirit to have a private chat with me.... I don't NEED to have the ability or openness to audibly hear the Holy Spirit speaking words to ME (personally and uniquely).... all I need is to READ what the Holy Spirit has told us all, in objective, knowable, black-and-white words. And the HUMILITY to accept it and not call Him a lair. Those who claim to be obedient, claim to be without sin, claim to be hitting the mark are - to verbatim quote the objective words of the Holy Spirit - lying and calling God a liar. Even if they CLAIM to have heard the Holy Spirit telling THEM, "But YOU are the singular, unique, sole exception to this for YOU obey, YOU fulfill, YOU do all God has commanded, YOU are divinely and absolutely perfect and holy and loving just as much as God is, you never miss the mark and thus never sin and thus need no God, no Christ, no Cross, no mercy cuz you are you!" Some may CLAIM to have heard the Holy Spirit saying taht uniquely to self alone but personally, I'd question the claim.
Pax CHRISTI
- Josiah
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