SIN or sins?

Today was one of those days, when I saw the truth of a horrible human tragedy, and it
was hard to bear. Reporter Lisa Ling, (formerly of the TV show "The View")was on assignment in the Congo, with the Oprah camera men taping. There she covered
the story of the genocide of the Congo people. According to the known reports, approximately 4 MILLION people have been murdered in the Congo as a result of its the warring factions. These people are innocent victims who are torn from their homes in the middle of the night. Their homes are burnt to the ground, their vegetable fields plundered, their cattle stolen, and their wives and mothers gang raped all while they are forced to watch. Most often the women are raped on their homestead.

On other occasions motivated by God only knows, the soldiers of the warring factions,
take the women into the forest and use them as sex slave for months. A woman, if she survives, is sometimes able to escape and return to her burned out village, where
she is likely to be ostracized by her husband. According to Lisa's report, many of the men stated on camera that they are afraid of catching a disease from their wives, so they don't want to have anything to do with them. One man said, "I know it was not her fault, I know she is suffering, and the children too, I will forgive my wife and accept her back."

Occasionally women are impregnated by one of the rapists. As anguished as the woman
may have felt because of the rape, her feelings are now intensified because of the pregnancy. To add insult to injury, she is further stigmatized and ostracized. Many of the husbands take the babies and murder them, or leave them to die, as they area reminder of the family's degradation and hopeless situation. Although these crimes are reported to the authorities, there is nothing that is done to alleviate the pain. No protection is provided, and the crimes against humanity go on unabated, and unnoticed by the world; but God notices.

As I heard this report, it occurred to me how easy it is for me and for those in Oprah's audience to look down with contempt and disdain upon the guerilla soldiers for what they have done. It would be normal even to feel hatred for them, and pity for their victims. Unfortunately it is a simple matter to think that we are better than our fellow sinners in the Congo, because we have never raped or killed anyone. Yet, according to Ephesians 4:26 we are to: "Be ye angry, and sin not... ." The anger generated as a result of these atrocities is righteous, but the contempt,
and disdain are not. I John 3:15 says, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer:... ." So while we are not to hate our brother, it is not sinful to experience anger for the evil actions of the guerilla soldier. Furthermore, according to Ephesians 4:15 & 25, we are to "speak the truth in love ... every man to his neighbor, for we are members one of another." Therefore though exposure to the atrocities of the Congo is painful to us, it is imperative that we not hide our heads in the proverbial sand.

Thinking we are better than others is a chronic problem we humans have. Unfortunately, we hold ourselves above others, thinking or saying, " I would never do that." Yet, without a Saviour, there is nothing we would not do, no level we would not sink to in sin. Because Sin is at its core, Self-Love.

Sadly deep in our belief system, 'sin' is still about what we actually do, and not about our true motives for action (which are often hidden), or the words we speak. Yes, being tempted is not a sin, but cherishing it, imagining, tasting it-- ah, that is sin. Dwelling on temptation while conceiving of a way it could be carried out without anyone's knowledge, constitutes sin. Christ died to take away our Sin,
the Sin of mankind, which at its root is self-love. According to John 1:29, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the Sin of the world." He took away (past tense) the Sin of the world at the cross. He takes away the Sin of each individual as we subjectively accept His principles, and He will ultimately take away (blot out) our Sin at the sentencing, and destroy it at His coming. Yes friends, the truth is
that He is our complete saviour from Sin and accompanying sins. You know, we tend to view the world through our system of beliefs, and as such, there may be other ideas about sin which we have that may not be true. The truth is that like many of my fellow sinners, I read John 1:29, which says: '“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” and I too thought it stated, "... Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the 'sins' of the world." As a result, I lost perspective on what the verse was truly telling me. By making the word 'sin' plural, we are led to define it merely as transgression of the law. This means that we end up thinking of 'sin' primarily in terms of wicked behavior, and perhaps wicked thought life, but rarely about the words we speak, or our desires. Yet, a true knowledge of just what constitutes Sin is imperative, for the scripture has said that the truth will set us free. Sin is principle of self-love, and sins are our individual words, thoughts and actions depicting self-love.

Christ's died to put away our Sin, the root of which is self-love, demonstrated by self-seeking. It stands in contrast with His nature and character of self-denying love. He accomplished the putting away of our Sin, not through the physical suffering with which Satan tortured Him, but through the eternal separation of
Himself (and us corporately in Him) from His Father. As such, He delivered the entire human race from the guilt and punishment of Sin (the second death), the power and slavery of Sin (its driving force), and the very nature of self-love and its accompanying presence in our lives.

The sins which we commit do not occur because we have a 'bent' to sinning -- a leaning toward it. Yes, a sinful nature is our inheritance from Adam, but it is not why we sin, for if it were, we'd have an excuse to sin. No, rather we have a pull in that direction, but our missing the mark (sin) or deliberate willful violation of His
Word (transgression), our perverse, crooked behavior comes as a result of not allowing Christ's principles (His Word, and Spirit) to remain in us--subjectively.

The greatest truth is that Christ died the second death to put away the Sin of humanity. Subjectively as we receive His gift, we are raised to newness of life in Him. We no longer want to keep sinning and asking for forgiveness, we want to overcome. We do this, not because we want to be saved, but because we love and
believe Him. As a result, we desire our deep, dark hidden areas of self-will, that which is still unknown to us, where self still reigns, to be blotted out.

In Psalms 32:1 & 2, David under divine inspiration addresses all three categories where self is displayed, and states:

Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Psalms 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

Oh, what good news! Christ has redeemed us from all three categories of self-will. Through the union with Him, we are perfect, delivered from every aspect of the Sin problem. Jesus has said in John 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up ... will draw all men unto Me." What a great and wondrous truth this is--He draws us and blesses
us! How much better can it get? Won't you join me in lifting up and celebrating (through word, thought and action) our complete Saviour today?

The Special Insights web page resides at:
http://www.1888message.org/sabbathschool/