Navigation bar
  Print document Start Previous page
 49 of 645 
Next page End  

The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It                 49
not saying that you are saved by keeping the commandments for we are saved by grace. Rather
he is saying that the grace of God is null and void in those who refuse to keep God's
commandments.
The Apostle John wrote: “He that committeth sin is of the devil... Whosoever is born of
God doth not commit sin.” (1 John 3:8-9). John writes:
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our
sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever
sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive
you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that
committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the
devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in
him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are
manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not
of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 3:4-10)
From other texts, we know that because of our sinful nature we cannot perfectly observe
the law. Further, from other texts, we can see that John is speaking of a willingness to sin (non-
repentant sin). This is very evident in Paul's most difficult discourse in Romans; he writes: “For
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not:
for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  If then I do that which I would not, I
consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in
me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present
with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:14-18) Paul is saying that
he is a carnal sinful being who desires with all his heart to do what is right in God's sight.
Because of his sinful nature he often fails to do the perfect will of God but because he is in
agreement with the will of God, the sin is accounted against his flesh.
Paul's struggle was not with the Ten Commandments but with the higher standard under
the New Commandment which was to have perfect love (John 13:34). We cannot ignore God's
law; we must seek to keep it with all our might. Neither can we pick and choose which
commandments we like; they are all God’s. The commandments haven’t changed because they
can’t. Jesus said until heaven and earth pass away not even a punctuation mark would change in
his law (Matthew 5:18). Although Jesus died for our sins, we need to accept his saving grace, we
need to confess our sins and we need to repent (to be truly sorry and have a sincere desire to not
sin again).
60
If we do not acknowledge the commandments of God it is impossible to confess our
sins and we cannot repent. The Apostle John says that sin is the transgression of God’s law (1
John 3:4); and the Apostle Paul said, “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known
lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7).
Since confession and repentance are crucial parts of our salvation, we must know what
sin is. For if we do not know what sin is, we cannot confess or repent. As the Apostle Paul stated,
Click to Convert - Powerful PDF Converter and HTML Converter.