“The Knowledge of Sin”

[WordSword]

The difference between learning sin in God’s presence and learning by falling into it is very great. One may feel sin deeply, because one has committed it, but this never gives one God’s sense of what sin is. The Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is the measure of what sin is in the sight of the Father. I personally measure sin as it pains my conscience and deforms me in the sight of God and man. And hence, one sin is greater to me than another (the judgment of the damned will vary in degrees according to the severity of their sins - Mat 11:21, 22; Luk 12:47, 48—NC); and the sin I commit is therefore necessarily the one I feel about, and my sense of it is according the condition of my conscience. My conscience is active according to my apprehension of God’s claims and appointments for me; and departure from His will and from subjection to His Word are known to be sin.

But all this is only viewing sin as it affects ourselves. This is not the true measure of it. I must see how it is viewed by God. The terrible distance from God in which sin places one is only learned in the Cross. If I see it there, though I may never have committed any of it, to the knowledge of my conscience, yet I see that the working of the law in my members is of that sin (Rom 7:23 – sinners are not “captives” but willing subjects—NC) which is judged in the Cross, and there only is its measure met out according to God.

Then I get a sense of sin which no amount of personal failure could ever give me. There is no excusing it; no toleration of it. The Cross is God’s measure of every bit of it, the least as well as the greatest; and as I see this, I can allow no less a measure of it than His, and I shrink in holiness of nature from the least, as much as I should from the greatest.

As a rule, you will find that those who have committed most sins have not the deepest sense of sin (which varies with maturity in Christ – Eph 4:15—NC). They generally have a deep sense of being forgiven, and they occupy themselves with that. Those who have been preserved, though greatly tempted, while fearful of danger (danger of not growing in their faith, not of losing their salvation—NC), have not only a deeper sense of the grace of God, but also a greater horror of that from which they have “escaped” (2Pe 2:20—NC).

True sense of sin is less concerned with the extent to which it can go (unconcerned of how bad it can make one—NC), than with its purpose at the inception. The latter, I can only know in the presence of God; and hence the word, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death” (Ro 7:24 - not the physical body but that “body of sin” - Ro 6:6, which has its members in the body of the “old man” - Col 3:5—NC)? If I only condemn myself for what I have committed, I exonerate myself from everything else (deliverance includes all sin, esp. concerning the continued indwelling of the presence of the “old man” - Ro 7:17, 20—NC). The Cross is the measure of the distance between me and God created by sin, and in the Cross only that distance has been removed and the sin condemned (the old man’s damnation - Ro 8:1 and dominion Ro 6:14 - is nullified in the Cross—NC). Hence, I have God’s sense about sin if I am near Him, and a deeper abhorrence, and a more rigid separation from it.

It is not only that I have to see sin condemned on the Cross, but in order to have a true realization of it, I must be on God’s side, and see it at the root in its native willfulness, and not merely in its fruit, which is the extent to which it can go. In the one case it is God who is before me, and I see my sin, in its true distance from Him—the unutterable agony of the Cross. In the other, my own hideousness is before me, and I dwell on the mercy that has met me and saved me. This indeed must come first, but when I am occupied with the holy side, my sense of holiness is divine, while I know only the more deeply the grace which can forgive, and the deliverance vouchsafed to me.

— James Butler Stoney (1814-1897)

 

 

 

 

MJS daily devotional for August 29

“It is essential that a believer have a clear understanding of his position before the Father—his place in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. This alone will give true peace of mind, joy and comfort of heart, strength for conflict and power for service. We will never be able to properly understand or fill our place for God on earth if we do not realize our God-given standing before Him in heaven.

“And never forget that our place before the Father is His gift, and a gift worthy of the Giver; not a gift according to the measure of our worth but a gift intended to display the exceeding riches of the grace of the Giver. The greatness of the Giver then is the measure of the blessings that are mine in the Lord Jesus Christ, not what I am or what I deserve.” —Theodore Austin-Sparks (1888–1971)
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/day/2023/08/29/
 

[TheBlade]

"For if it were otherwise, would not these sacrifices have stopped being offered? For the worshipers, having once [for all time] been cleansed, would no longer have a consciousness of sin."

How does my Father see me now? Righteous...right standing with God. He sees me through Christ. Not ignoring sin I live in this fallen world but I see me as my Father does and what Christ did.. its finish. If He truly remembers our sin no more... then who does? Satan and the flesh. I liked what you posted thank you

[WordSword]

3 hours ago, TheBlade said:

"For if it were otherwise, would not these sacrifices have stopped being offered? For the worshipers, having once [for all time] been cleansed, would no longer have a consciousness of sin."

How does my Father see me now? Righteous...right standing with God. He sees me through Christ. Not ignoring sin I live in this fallen world but I see me as my Father does and what Christ did.. its finish. If He truly remembers our sin no more... then who does? Satan and the flesh. I liked what you posted thank you

Hi, and thanks for the encouraging like! Also, it's encouraging to know that God no longer sees the believer as a sinner, though we still sin (1Pe 4:18). Willful sinning was always "after the flesh," but we are no longer there (Ro 8:9); the Cross nullified it's "damnation" (Rom 8:1), and it's ability to cause us to desire to sin willfully via its "dominion" (Ro 6:14).

 

[Big Boy Stan Murf]

8 hours ago, TheBlade said:

He sees me through Christ. Not ignoring sin I live in this fallen world but I see me as my Father does and what Christ did..

If you sow to the flesh (sin) you reap corruption (Gal 6:7,8) and at that point the Lord does not see you IN Christ because there is no darkness in God (1 John 1:5)

We are to be blameless and unreprovable in His sight... in other words, NOT knowingly or willingly doing sinful things

Colossians 1:21-23
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH grounded and settled, and BE NOT MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel

None of this is applicable when we sin.  To say that it is, is to say we can walk in darkness and still be saved which is false doctrine that comes from gnosticism

This is of course why the Word of God teaches we must confess and forsake our sin to be cleaned of all unrighteousness (Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:9).  The old times used to say... "admit it and quit it" because we know what sin is and God knows we know therefore we have no excuse to do sin and play like it's all good because it's not at that point!

Edited September 1, 2023 by Stan Murff

[Ausie 52]

God does not look at us with 'rose tinted glasses' but rather sees us as we really are. It is a wrong view of 'imputed righteousness' that believes he doesn't see our sin. Christ's call the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation demonstrates that He sees the sin and calls for repentance. Imputed righteousness should be followed by a living righteously, that is, a holy life.

[TheBlade]

On 8/31/2023 at 4:43 PM, WordSword said:

Hi, and thanks for the encouraging like! Also, it's encouraging to know that God no longer sees the believer as a sinner, though we still sin (1Pe 4:18). Willful sinning was always "after the flesh," but we are no longer there (Ro 8:9); the Cross nullified it's "damnation" (Rom 8:1), and it's ability to cause us to desire to sin willfully via its "dominion" (Ro 6:14).

 

You know for ME.. even though GOD asked me what righteousness was and how do you get righteousness (believing in Christ) He was showing me how He sees me. Its shocking the great I am told me and all these years later.. still see sin haha. Oh Father forgive me. 

Just me and Him.. I just said.. yes I know you don't see it I know you forgave me.. yet I NEVER want to do it. Not freely sinning .. the enemy really tries to get us to see the sin the faults the errors first. HAHA as it type the song playing "Coming Out Fighting" "I'm still living in the victory, not living in the chains of my yesterday, you break me out of my cage". Praise God perfect timing as always..,