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Darkness to Light - Vol. V, No.8
Darkness to Light
Volume V, Number 8
2007
Presented by Darkness to
Light Web site
Director: Gary F. Zeolla
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Scripture Workbook: For Personal Bible Study and Teaching the Bible - This book contains twenty-two individual "Scripture Studies." Each study focuses on one general area of study. These studies enable individuals to do in-depth, topical studies of the Bible. They are also invaluable to the Bible study teacher preparing lessons for Sunday school or a home Bible study and can be used for group studies.
Lists of Sins and Forgiveness of Sin
Is there such a thing as sin? Many today seem not to think so. Many people's attitude is that God is just too loving of a Being to every judge us for committing any so-called "sin." They seem to believe that God will overlook all of our transgressions and let just about everyone into heaven.
However, in working on the Third Edition of the Analytical-Literal Translation (ALT3), passages of Scripture containing lists of sins really jumped out at me, for several reasons.
First off, the translations of some of the terms can be difficult. That is why I included alternative translations for many of them.
Second, some of the listed sins are things that many today would not really consider to be sin, like greed and envy. Other listed sins are also ignored though widely practiced, like lying and gossiping. Other sins are often passed off as personality quirks, like angry outbursts or arrogance.
Third, these passages do not just list the sins; they very specifically tell us that such sins "defile" a person. They also tell us anyone committing any of these sins is damned, although damnation is usually described as being under the wrath of God, being deserving of death, not inheriting the kingdom of God, or not entering the New Jerusalem.
And finally, when one looks at the sheer scope of these lists of sins, it becomes very obvious that we have all committed at least one of these sins. As such, we are all guilty before God. More on that point in a minute, but first, let me present some of the more important lists of sins from the New Testament.
But please, don't just skim over these lists as I fear many do when reading the Bible. Take the time to actually read them. And more importantly, don't think about how some of the listed sins apply to someone else. Think about which ones apply to YOU.
Lists of Sins
Mark: 7:20-23:
20But He was saying, "That [which] comes out from the person, that defiles the person. 21For from within, out of the heart of people, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins [or, fornications], murders, 22thefts, covetous desires [or, greed], wicked deeds, deceit [or, treachery], flagrant sexual immorality, an evil eye [fig., envy], blasphemy, arrogance, foolishness. 23All these evils come out from within and defile the person."
Romans 1:28-32:
28And just as they did not think it was worthwhile to be having [or, keeping] God in [their] true knowledge [or, consciousness], God gave them over to a disapproved [fig. debased] mind to be doing the [things] not proper, 29having been filled with all unrighteousness, sexual sin [or, fornication], wickedness, covetous desire [or, greed], malice; full of envy, murder, bitter conflict, deceit [or, treachery], maliciousness; gossips, 30back-biters, God-haters, insolent persons, arrogant boasters, schemers of evil [things]; disobedient to parents, 31foolish, untrustworthy, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32who having known the righteous judgment of God, that the ones practicing such things are deserving of death, not only are doing them, but they are also approving of the ones practicing [them].
1Corinthians 6:9,10:
9You* know that unrighteous [persons] will not inherit [the] kingdom of God, do you* not? Stop being led astray [fig., being deceived]; neither sexual sinners, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor passive partners in male-male sex, nor active partners in male-male sex, 10nor covetous [persons], nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor slanderers [or, abusive persons], nor swindlers will inherit [the] kingdom of God.
2Corinthians 12:20-21:
20For I am afraid lest, having come, I find you* not such as I desire; and I am found by you* such as you* do not desire, lest perhaps [there be] quarrels, jealousies, angry outbursts, rivalries, slanders, gossipings, conceits, rebellions [or, disorders]; 21lest again having come, my God will humble me in regard to you*, and I will mourn [for] many of the ones having sinned previously and not having repented concerning the impurity [or, immorality] and sexual sin [or, fornication] and flagrant sexual immorality which they practiced.
Galatians 5:19-21:
19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, sexual sin [or, fornication], impurity [or, immorality], flagrant sexual immorality, 20idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities [or, feuds], quarrels, jealous rivalries, angry outbursts, selfish ambitions, divisions [or, discords], heretical sects, 21envies [or, jealousies], murders, drunkennesses [or, drinking bouts], drunken orgies, and the [things] like these; which I forewarn you*, just as I also warned [you*] before that the ones practicing such [things] will not inherit [the] kingdom of God.Ephesians 5:5:
5For this you* are knowing: that every sexual sinner [or, fornicator] or unclean [or, impure] [person] or covetous person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Colossians 3:5-9:
5Therefore, put to death your* members, the ones on the earth: sexual sin [or, fornication], impurity [or, immorality], lustful passion, evil desire, and the covetous desire [or, greed], which is idolatry, 6because of which [things] the wrath of God is coming upon the sons [and daughters] of disobedience, 7in which you* also at one time walked about [fig., conducted yourselves], when you* were living in them. 8But now you* yourselves also put off [fig., cease from] all these [things]: anger, rage, malice, blasphemy, [and] obscene language out of your* mouth.
9Stop lying to one another, having put off the old [or, former] person with his practices,
1Timothy 1:8-11
8But we know that [the] Law [is] good, if anyone makes use of it lawfully, 9knowing this: that law is not laid down for a righteous [person] but for lawless and insubordinate [people], for ungodly [people] and for sinful [people], for unholy [people] and for profane [or, worldly] [people], for killers of fathers and for killers of mothers, for murderers, 10for sexual sinners [or, fornicators], for participants in male-male sex, for slave dealers [or, kidnappers], for liars, for perjurers, and if anything else is in opposition to sound teaching, 11according to the Gospel [or, Good News] of the glory of the blessed God, [with] which I was entrusted.
1Peter 4:3-5:
3For the time of life having past [is] sufficient for us to accomplish the desire of the Gentiles, having gone [fig., lived] in flagrant sexual immorality, lusts, drunkenness, drunken orgies, drinking parties, and unlawful [fig., abominable] idolatries; 4in which they are surprised [by] your* not running with [them] into the same excess of reckless living, speaking evil of [you*], 5who will give an account to the One being prepared to judge [the] living and [the] dead.
Revelation 21:8,10,27:
8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and sinful [people] and [people] having been corrupted and murderers and sexual sinners [or, fornicators] and sorcerers and idolaters and all the liars, their part [will be] in the lake, the one being burned with fire and sulfur [or, brimstone], which is the second death."
10And he carried me away in spirit [or, by [the] Spirit] to a great and high mountain and showed to me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, [cp. Heb 13:14] 11having the glory of God…. 27And by no means shall any defiling [thing] and [anyone] doing an abomination and a lie enter into it, but only the ones having been written in the Scroll of Life of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:15:
15Outside [are] the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexual sinners [or, fornicators] and the murderers and the idolaters and every one affectionately loving and practicing falsehood.
Forgiveness of Sin
Did you see yourself in any of the above sins? And remember, "For whoever will keep the whole Law yet will stumble in one [point] has become guilty of all." (James 2:10). As such, Jesus tells us, "Therefore, you* will be perfect, just as your* Father, the [One] in the heavens, is perfect." (Matt 5:48).
So God demands perfection, and committing just one sin is enough to damn you. As such, no one can make themselves good enough for God. What we need is forgiveness. And it was for our forgiveness that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. On this point the Bible is abundantly clear:
Matthew 1:20-21:
"Joseph, son of David, you should not be afraid to take Mary [as] your wife, for the [Baby] in her was conceived by [the] Holy Spirit. 21And she will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus ["Yahweh saves"], for He will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 26:26-28:
26Now while they were eating, Jesus having taken the bread and having bestowed a blessing upon [it], broke [it] and began giving [it] to the disciples. And He said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27And having taken the cup and having given thanks, He gave [it] to them, saying, "Drink from it, all [of you], 28for this is My blood, the [blood] of the New Covenant, the [blood] poured out on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.
Luke 24:46-47:
46And He said to them, "Thus it has been written, and thus it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from [the] dead the third day, 47and [for] repentance and forgiveness of sins to be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
John 3:16:
16For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten [or, unique] Son, so that every[one] believing [or, trusting] in Him shall not perish, but shall be having eternal life!
Acts 10:43:
43To this One all the prophets bear witness [that] through His name every[one] that is believing [or, trusting] in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
Acts 13:38:
38Therefore, let it be known to you*, men, brothers, that through this One the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you*,
Acts 26:18:
18to open their eyes [in order] to turn [them] back from darkness [i.e., falsehood and unrighteousness] to light [i.e., truth and righteousness] and [from] the authority of Satan to God, [in order for] them to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the ones having been sanctified by faith in Me.'
Romans 5:8:
8But God demonstrates His own love to [or, for] us, [in] that us still being sinful [people] [fig., while we were still sinners], Christ died on our behalf!
Ephesians 1:7:
7in whom we have the redemption by means of His blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, according to the riches [fig., abundance] of His grace,
Colossians 1:14:
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins,
Colossians 2:13-14:
13And you*, being dead in the [or, your*] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your* flesh, He made you* alive together with Him, having forgiven us all the [or, our] transgressions, 14having blotted out [or, canceled] the handwritten record of debts in the ordinances against us, which was contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;
1Peter 3:18:
18For Christ also suffered once for sin for all [time, the] Righteous [Person] on behalf of unrighteous [people], so that He should bring you* to God,
1John 1:8-10:
8If we should say [or, claim], "We do not have sin," we lead ourselves astray [fig., deceive ourselves], and the truth is not in us. 9If we shall be confessing our sins, He is faithful [or, trustworthy] and righteous that He shall forgive us our sins and cleanse [or, purge] us from all unrighteousness. 10If we should say [or, claim], "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1John 2:1-2:
My little children [or, My dear children], I am writing these things to you* so that you* do not sin. And if anyone should sin, we have a Counselor [or, an Advocate] with the Father, Jesus Christ, [the] righteous. 2And He is [the] propitiation [or, appeasing sacrifice] concerning our sins, but not concerning ours only, but also concerning [those] of the whole world!
1John 2:12:
12I am writing to you*, little children, because your* sins have been forgiven you* on account of His name.
Conclusion
The Bible clearly teaches there is such a thing as sin. And not only is there true sin, but any such sin will damn us. But God has provided forgiveness for our sins through His Son Jesus and His death on the cross. If you have not experienced this forgiveness, then repent of your sins and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Scripture taken from the Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament of the Holy Bible: Third Edition. Copyright © 2007 by Gary F. Zeolla of Darkness to Light ministry (www.zeolla.org/christian). Previously copyrighted © 1999, 2001, 2005 By Gary F. Zeolla.
3 Volume ALT3 Project Update
Work on the 3 Volume ALT3 Set is going very well. It will consist of the
Third Edition of the Analytical-Literal Translation, a Companion Volume to the ALT, and a Complete Concordance to the ALT. I just submitted the files for all three volumes to Lulu Publishing. Once I get the review books, I just need to go over them one last time, and then I will approve them for publication. God-willing, all three volumes will be available by the time the next issue of this newsletter is published, which is to say, by October of this year (2007).So all three volumes will be available in plenty of time for the Christmas shopping season. If you have a student of the Bible (which all Christians should be) on your shopping list, this set will be an ideal gift. It would especially beneficial for someone studying the Bible formerly in Bible college or seminary. The concise summaries of the particulars of Greek grammar in the Companion Volume would be especially helpful for anyone studying or wanting to understand Greek.
Differences
Between Bible Versions
Discusses translation principles,
Greek text-types, and KJV Onlyism.
Advocates a literal or formal equivalence translation method.
Advocates the use of the Textus Receptus or Majority Greek Text for
translating the New Testament.
Over thirty Bible versions are compared and evaluated.
Also by Gary F. Zeolla:
Fitness
for One and All Web site and FitTips
for One and All newsletter.
Helping people to attain their health, fitness, and performance goals.
All material in this newsletter is copyrighted © 2007 by Gary F. Zeolla or as indicated otherwise.
8/27/07