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The Great Controversy and the Sin of Unbelief — 18 Comments

  1. Amen! Amen! Amen! Saint. May our Almighty Father bless you dearly, abundantly, exceedingly that you may continue to be a blessing unto many just as you have blessed me this morning.

    This is righteousness by faith at its best! We do not know God because we do not know what sin is. We aught to make a distinction between sin and the manifestations of sin or sinful acts or what Paul calls works of the flesh: sin is unbelief-outright rejection of God's will. Will like to get more from you. Shalom! Shalom! Shalom!

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  2. Before sin there was no stated outline of the law, if man had just believed God 1 John 3:4 would not be necessary. Now we can see the point Jesus made in Matthew 22:38-40. It is very clear that God is not so focused on how perfect we can keep the commandment, instead He is focus on if we believe that he loves us and want the best for us. Then and only then we will truly love him and obey him.

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  3. Thank you. My knowledge has deepened and the eyes of my understanding have been opened. May the Lord be praised for this. God bless you brother.

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  4. I have liked the article above. I have dealt with the same issue before. I would however want to suggest that the is a major problem in using John 16:9 as the primary definition for sin. By definition sin is the transgression of the law. The same scripture of John 16:9 is used by the pentecostal world to wash down the Decalogue (the law of love). While the suggestion might sound very interesting and plausible. The implications have great effect in what we stand for as adventist.
    We should always address the subject of the law as God's love to humanity because the law is for the protection of humanity.

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  5. This have been such an educating lesson well put and understandable.All my quiries have been addresed about being legalist, i now have the corect understanding- that it is loving God and believing him that comes first before we can be able to keep his commandments.

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  6. Amen! my insight on 'what is sin?' has been sharpened and presented in a new light like I have never experienced before....God bless you.

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  7. Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts and ideas about this week's lesson.

    Kudzai, I identify with and appreciate your concern. At the same time, just because some missuse a text does not mean that we should not properly use it. Properyly used, John 16:9 tells us that when the Spirit removes the sin of unbelief that the Spirit of misstrust and rebellion is removed so that we can keep the ten commandments. There are other Bible texts too defining sin, but they all come down to the root of unbelief in God's love.

    Happy Sabbath everyone!

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  8. Romans 13:10 (KJV)
    10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

    And there's only one way to love: die to self.

    1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV)
    1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

    When we learn to love the ungodly, we will be keeping the law. We can keep the law in terms of obedience but that doesn't mean we have any love in our hearts. When we have God's love in our hearts, we will keep His commandments too. We won't know it because our focus will be on Jesus, not ourselves.

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  9. Thank you for this wonderful study. Until now, when I was asked to define sin, I responded with "transgression of the law". But seeing sin as rooted in disbelief, makes it so much clearer for me.
    transgression is the behavior stemming from the heart of disbelief.
    Happy Sabbath.

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  10. That is an artifact of the KJV. Other translations say "sin is lawlessness", which at once makes sense to me, and ties in even more with your point.

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  11. Thank you everyone for sharing. Thank you for making that point Andrew. It is the same in Hebrews 4 where some versions say they did not enter the promised land because of "unbelief" while other versions say becuase of their disobedience. Yes, it all ties in together. When we don't believe in God's love we disobey. When we believe in His love we obey.

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  12. This particular lesson study is like a fresh cup of cold water for a thirsty soul.....I thank my Lord through the Holy Spirit for helping me understand what sin is defined by 1 John 3:4....May the Lord Jesus bless you more than you can possibly can stand by His grace....Amen!

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  13. Sin got its start on Planet Earth when Eve committed the sin of unbelief by not believing what God had told her, "in the day that you eat of it you shall surly die (Gen 2:17). As a result the entire human race became slaves to sin. But by an outstretched arm (on the cross) Jesus FREED US from slavery (Duet 5:15;Ex 20:2). And if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (Jn 8:36). But we need to BELIEVE it! We need to believe that we ARE FREE WHEN WE ACCEPT Jesus' sacrifice and the free gift of God's grace. We need to believe that God STILL LOVES US even when we fail and that He forgives us when we sincerely ask Him to(1 Jn 1:9). Even 70 X 7 times (Math 18:22)! And we need to believe that He will finish the work He has begun in us because he said so (Phil 1:6). And we need to believe that He IS ABLE to do what He says HE CAN DO including writing His commandments of love on our hearts and minds (Heb 10:16). He IS ABLE because He is Almighty God who makes things out of nothing! What is impossible for us to do by our own strength, He CAN DO (Math 19:26)! So believe it and truly experience a Sabbath day's rest!

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  14. This article is so thought provoking! Eve's sin of unbelief "caused" her sin of disobedience. Abraham "believed" God, therefore he could "obey" Him.
    "It's impossible to please(obey) God without faith(belief)".Hebrews 11:6
    Faith produces obedience, and hearing produces faith. Romans 10:17
    Faith works by love. Galatians 5:6
    This is why when you "love" Him....you can keep His Commandments!
    Abraham loved God and was called a "friend" of God. He reverenced and respected the character of God, so God's authority was accepted in his life. This is why a genuine believer is the seed of Abraham.
    Things done for the wrong reason can never bring honor to God.
    Thank you, sir, for writing this wonderful article.

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