"Your life is transformed to the degree that your mind is renewed. Cornel's book goes a long way to removing the hindrances to that renewal."
-Curry R. Blake, John G. Lake Ministries
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Please note that this article is by no means meant to condemn anybody, but to actually show you the true purpose of the law. Now I know the whole thing about missing the mark as the definition of sin. This is not that teaching. I do not want to show you where you miss the mark but instead I want to show you the true size of the target the law requires you to shoot at if you choose to live under it. We all have our own ideas about the size of the target, where we draw the line between sin and not sin. But to be perfectly honest, the size we think the target is, is nowhere near its true size according to scripture. I am going to show you how people try to make the size of the law’s target bigger.
“I might tell a little lie now and then, but at least I don’t steal.” Have you ever heard people compare what they think is acceptable and what is not? Both lying and stealing are included in the law, it doesn’t matter how big and small the lie or the value of the item stolen is. Reasoning like that is their way of making the target bigger. But that is of no use really.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” (NKJV)
You can’t decide what you think is sin and what is not. If you choose to live under law, you have to live by every single law. Others make the target bigger this way, “I have only stolen once, and never again.” The law gives no second chances. In fact, ‘once’ has some pretty serious consequences.
James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (NKJV)
Only doing one thing wrong makes you guilty of every single law. How big is that target now? Do you still think you can hit it and be righteous enough to have right standing before God? Let’s go a little smaller. Have you ever heard the term ‘habitual sin’? This is sin that people repeatedly commit even though they know it is wrong. They usually try to make the target bigger by classifying one sin as worse than the next. What do you think is worse: Compulsive lying or long term adultery? Or, driving while speaking on the phone or driving over the speed limit? You might be wondering why I put those in there. It’s because I want to show you a different kind of habitual sin.
Ezra 7:26 Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him. (NKJV)
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (NKJV)
How many times a day do you exceed the speed limit in your car? Do you speak on the phone while driving? Do you drive without your seatbelt? In most countries, all three those things are considered breaking the law. If you do it daily, that would also make it habitual. You know it’s wrong but do it anyway. I bet that target just got way smaller right? But wait, the next sin I am going to show you is actually often overlooked and makes the target even smaller.
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (NKJV)
This verse makes it sin to not do what you know to be good and right. That means if you turn up your radio and ignore the beggar at the traffic light, you are committing a sin. If you see a sick person and don’t pray for them, you are committing a sin. If you get too much change at the shop and don’t give it back, you commit a sin. If you see a need and don’t meet it, you are sinning. How small is that target the law paints now? And I haven’t even used the lust = adultery or hate = murder spiel. We have one arrow to shoot at the target the law paints, and most of us shot that arrow before we even knew we had to hit the target. Missing the target on the one and only try you get means you fall short.
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (NKJV)
All means everybody. There is not one person who can honestly say they can live righteous enough to have any sort of right standing before God, no matter how pious or holy they think they are. Trying to keep the law in order to have right standing before God which leads to eternal life, is of no use.
Gal 3:21 For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law (NKJV)
There is no law that can give life. Even Jesus, who kept the law perfectly died and went to hell. The Spirit of God had to go get Him and resurrect Him back to life. He could be resurrected because the sin that was punished in Him was your sin. Once He was punished and sent to hell, the punishment for all your sin was dealt with. Once the punishment was complete, He could be resurrected based on His innocence. No matter how good a person thinks they can be, trying to hit the law’s tiny target with one arrow is impossible. It is much easier to believe in Christ and be united in His death and resurrection to eternal life, than to try and shoot at that target. To end off, honestly take a good look at the target painted by the law and decide if you are going to risk taking the shot yourself, or will you instead believe in Jesus’ perfect shot on your behalf. Put down the bow and arrow and accept the gift Jesus secured by hitting the target for us! Secondly, stop telling others to aim for a target you can’t hit yourself, and instead tell them there was somebody who hit the target for them already!
Thank you Father for Your Grace!
Cornel
This is a longer one, but worth it! 
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)
- When you fellowship with God, do you confess your sins to Him and ask for His forgiveness?
- Do you do it every time you pray?
- Do you feel guilty if you don’t confess and seek forgiveness?
- Do you think you have to do this every day?
- Do you make a list of every single sin you committed in a day and ask forgiveness for each one or is it a more general confessing and asking?
- How do you do it? Do you acknowledge what you did wrong, say sorry, ask forgiveness and then feel that God is happy with you again?
- Why? Were you taught to do it?
- If so, did you check to see if what you were taught was true or did you just swallow it hook line and sinker?
- Is confession and asking forgiveness your idea of repentance?
Did you answer ‘yes’ to a few of these questions? If you did, you really need to read the further and answer a few more questions for your own benefit.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. (NKJV)
Wouldn’t it be awesome if God didn’t impute our sin to us? We wouldn’t need to confess or ask forgiveness anymore if God stopped holding our sins against us. We would be blessed for sure as this verse says. But God is a just and righteous judge, so it is wouldn’t be possible for Him to not count our sins against us, right? Wrong!
2 Cor 5:19 that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, (NKJV)
It seems like God isn’t imputing our sins to us if we are in Christ. Now if He is not holding our sins against us, are we blessed as Romans 4:8 says? Of course. So what sins do you need to confess if God is not charging you with any of them?
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (NKJV)
So Jesus is the end of the law of righteousness, the end of the measure of right standing before God based on a person’s moral performance, a person’s ability to keep the law. If He ended the law, meaning it is not applicable any longer, why should I keep measuring myself according to it? Easy, I shouldn’t and I don’t.
Rom 4:15 the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. (NKJV)
Rom 5:13 For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law (NKJV)
Many people believe when we sin we deserve God’s wrath because we broke His laws. But sin is only sin if there is a measure that defines what it is. That measure was the law and it has come to an end. Where there is no law, no transgressions are counted against us. If no transgressions are imputed, there is no need to confess them since there aren’t any to confess. If there aren’t any sins held against us that we need to confess, we also don’t need to worry about God’s wrath. There is only wrath when transgressions are counted. If no sin is counted against you, you also do not need to ask forgiveness. But how can all this be? How can God just end the law and not count people’s sins against them any longer?
2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NKJV)
Jesus was made into sin for you. God counted every single wretched vile sin of every single person throughout time and history against Jesus. All the wicked rebellious sin of the entre world was tied together in one person in one place at one time and that gave God the opportunity to punish all sin in one go. All the wrath God had against all the sin of the entire human race, was poured out completely on Jesus and He was put to death.
Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, (NKJV)
One sacrifice paid for all sins FOREVER. So if it is paid for, it is dealt with. How many of your sins were included in sins Jesus died for? All of them? If you said yes, then don’t you think God knew every sin you would ever commit and remembered to count all of them against Jesus? If He already counted your sin against Jesus and poured out His wrath, then He doesn’t need to do the same thing for you. If He counts your sin against you and Jesus, then Jesus died for nothing. Since He doesn’t count them against us, stop trying to count them against yourself by confessing them to God.
At the point of salvation, we merely accepted and believed that Christ took our punishment already. When we believed that, we were reborn and created as new beings. We were made the righteousness of God in Christ. All our unrighteousness was taken away and we now have the same right standing before God as Jesus has. How can that be? Because when Jesus became sin for us, the righteousness He had from perfectly keeping the law, was given as a free gift to all mankind.
Rom 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (NKJV)
In light of this, let us look again at 1 John 1:9.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)
Have you been cleansed from all unrighteousness? Yes. So if you have been cleansed, does that mean you have been forgiven? Logically, yes. If you were forgiven, when did you confess your sins? The day you said, “Jesus, I can’t do this. I trust You to save me.” That was your confession. Now that you know God doesn’t count your sins against you anymore, you can also stop counting them. God did His job perfectly. Just trust Him.
But what about sinning again after salvation? That doesn’t change the fact that ALL your sins were forgiven already. You don’t need to confess “new” sins. When you do, all you are saying is that God apparently forgot to count those ones against Jesus. Since Jesus isn’t going to die again, you have a problem if God messed up and forgot to count even one of your sins against Jesus. Rest assured that God didn’t mess up. He forgave ALL your sin, even the ones you are going to commit tomorrow. Does that mean I can just go out and sin? Technically yes, but just remember that Jesus removed the punishment, the eternal separation sin brought between us and God. He didn’t remove the consequence of sin. If I cheat on my wife, the consequence is that my marriage is over. If I steal or murder, the consequence is that I go to jail and become an outcast from society. Does that mean God is punishing me? No. It means I sowed destruction in my own life. The thief on the cross next to Jesus was forgiven but he still stayed and died on his cross. Jesus’ sacrifice didn’t make you immune against consequence, it made you immune from ever falling out of right standing before God.
That’s enough for now. I have already given you enough reasons to go thank God for being so awesome!
Glory to Glory!
Cornel Marais
Ps. If you think I am saying go out and sin, you missed the entire point of the article! Rom 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
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