We don’t transgress the law today when we sin because sin and law are two different things. Pay close attention to the word “Also”. The verse says, “Sin is (also) the transgression of the law.”
1 John 3:4 Whoever commits sin, also transgresses the Law. For sin is the transgression of the Law.
The law i.e. the Ten Commandments were not enacted until the Mt. Sinai covenant, which was 430 years after God promised to bless Abraham.
Galatians 3:17 What I mean is that God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break that covenant and cancel God's promise.
The law on stone was enacted because of sin, but it was only to last until Christ came. This means sin came first, then the law.
Galatians 3:19 Then why do we have the Law? It was given because of sin. It was to be used until Christ came. The promise had been made looking toward Christ.
This is very important to understand. Sin was in the world before the law on stone was enacted but sin was not counted against us as sin until the law came and yet sin still killed, even without the Ten Commandments.
Romans 5:12-14 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was no law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
Since Christ came, we are no longer under the authority of the Mt. Sinai covenant, which means sin is no longer a transgression of the law, because there is no law telling us that if we sin, we shall surely be put to death.
Romans 4:15 The law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no transgression.
We can sin all day without any punitive consequences required by the law, but that does not mean sin has no intrinsic consequence.
Punitive: to punish someone for bad behavior.
Remember what Romans 5 says, “People sinned even before the law was given but it was not counted as sin because there was no law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses.”
In Christ, people can still die from sin, it’s just not coming from a punitive action required by the law, it’s coming from sin itself.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
The law’s punitive consequence for sin was external. In other words, you sin, you get stoned to death, GAME OVER! For the believer, sin’s intrinsic consequence is internal. In other words, sin causes spiritual death, which is to depart from the living God because of a hardening of the heart caused by sin.
Hebrews 3:12-14 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
Today, no one is stoned to death for sin, but people do turn away from the living God, and from their inheritance because of unrepented sin. Let me say it this way. We don’t depart from the living God because we sin, we depart from the living God because we allow sin to harden our heart when we refuse to repent. We refuse to repent because we love the pleasures of this world and what it offers more than we love God and being in His Kingdom.
2 Timothy 4:9-10 Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved the pleasures of this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.
I personally know many people who use to be on fire for God and holy living but have turned back to the world. They end up becoming worse than before they were saved.
2 Peter 2:20 When people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.
A believer who desires to be in the Kingdom does not want to sin and they hate it when they do, but that does not mean they automatically turn away from God, and experience spiritual death if they do sin. There is a process to spiritual death, and when it happens, it’s defined as a hardening of the heart that turns us away from God. This does not happen just because we sinned.
James 1:14-16 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Our living relationship with God is spiritual and does not come through our relationship with the Mt. Sinai covenant, it comes through holiness as defined by God and our love for holiness is what moves us to keep our conscience clear before God and man.
Acts 24:14-16 I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a cult. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Torah and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So, I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
Keeping a clear conscience, through obedience, is where we work out our salvation.
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Receiving a clear conscience, and becoming spiritually alive, starts with the cross and is a free gift, but keeping our conscience clear and alive towards God, happens through holy living. Learning holiness and living it is our responsibility.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Acts 24:16 So, I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
Strive: to make great efforts; try very hard.
When we strive to do something, we are working at it. This is what we do to live a holy life. Living holy, by how God defines holiness, makes us holy.
Hebrews 12:14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Living a holy life includes honoring the things that God calls holy, which includes keeping the Sabbath holy.
Exodus 31:13 Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign between Me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.
Remember, holiness is defined by God through the Scriptures i.e. the Torah and the Prophets and was demonstrated in real time by Messiah. Pay close attention, Peter is quoting from the Scriptures, not the Ten Commandments.
1 Peter 1:14-16 So, you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Leviticus 11:44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.
The law on stone is an incomplete definition of holiness because it says nothing about how eating unclean can make us unclean and effect our holiness. It also says nothing about homosexuality, bestiality, drunkenness, divorce and remarriage and so on. It’s the Scriptures that teach God’s complete definition of holiness and Messiah’s life and teachings for what that looks like.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The only Scriptures they had to build doctrines, teach righteousness and correct behavior was the Torah and the Prophets, and Messiah’s life and teachings as the example for what that should look like.
1 John 2:6 If we say that we remain in union with God, we should walk just as Jesus Christ walked.
If we do sin, just confess it and God will cleanse us of the effects of that sin. It’s the effects of sin that kills us, if we allow it to fester in our conscience.
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.
Living a holy life is not hard, it’s just different.
