1 John 3:4

Morning Meditation 9/11/2014

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

IT'S CHARACTER

Sin is sin because God says it is sin. Sin originated with Satan. The description of what happened is found in Ezekiel 28:13-15, "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

Sin is against God. It is departing from the purpose for which one is created. The above verses tell us that a perfect angel was created of God.. God did not create the Devil. He created a perfect angel who by his own choice sinned against God and became Satan.

Sin always challenges God's authority. We see that every where we look. Our text says it is the transgression of the law. The law is the declared will of God. Sin says, "I am not walking by God's rules. I am making my own rules." Sin assumes that it can go its own way and will never have to give an account. But the fact is that every man will stand before God in the Judgement. Every man will be judged by God's law. The sinner cannot force his self-righteousness upon God. One will either walk by God's law or he will be judged by it.

Sin is ruthless. Man possessed by his old sin nature and prodded along by Satan can kill, and maim, and rape, and dare God to do anything about it. Sin is bold. Ecclesiastes 11:9, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment."

IT'S COURSE

The course of sin is the course of this world. Ephesians 2:2, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

1. Paul is speaking to Christians about their past life before salvation. He said they walked according to the course of this world.

2. The prince of the power of the air has this course planned and prods the unsaved along to eternal judgment.

1. The Satan and his demons are the ones working in the children of disobedience. The children of disobedience are all the unsaved of the world. All of them are controlled by the spirit of the Evil One.

The course of sin leads to hell. Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The death spoken of here is not physical death but the Second Death. Revelation 20:14-15, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The Second Death is eternal. Once a man is cast into the lake of fire there will be no way out. The only hope of the sinner is to repent of sin and trust Jesus today. Next:

ITS CURSE

Sin has a curse. Jesus took our place on the cross and Paul says in Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

Matthew 25:41, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

The curse of sin is everlasting. Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

ITS CURE

Man has not found a cure for sin. There is no cure available. Man has tried to keep God's law and has utterly failed. If man could begin now and successfully keep God's law, what would he do about the time before he kept the law. Man has no way out. Jeremiah 13:23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." What this means is that man cannot change what he is by nature.

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

The cure for sin is God's offer of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

God is not willing that any should perish. 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

But it is necessary for one to come in repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ to obtain the forgiveness that comes through Christ. Acts 20:20-21, "And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White