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The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It 34
commandments. We are saved by grace. The point Paul is making is 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)
John is speaking of willful unrepented sin. From many other texts in God's word, it is
clear that because of our sinful nature we cannot perfectly observe the law. Under the New
Commandment established by Jesus we are to have perfect love for our brother (John 13:34).
Jesus also said that the commandments don't only apply to our actions but to our thoughts. Still
further, from other texts, written by John, we can see that he was speaking of a willingness to sin
(non-repentant sin).
This becomes clear when you examine Paul's most difficult discourse from Romans in
which he wrote: “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 wasn't having problems with the letter of the law but with the spirit of the law. He
was 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).
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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
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