Sin

Genesis 4

5   But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6   And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7   If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Sin is disobedience to God.

God asked a sin sacrifice from Abel and Caïn.

Abel obeyed and offered firstborns from his flock (ox or lamb), types of the firstborn from God who would later come in the flesh, and die for the sin of mankind, Christ Jesus.

Cain chose to offer what seemed good to him. Fruits of the earth, from his own labor. Works, no matter what, can't repay the wages of sin, only the pure blood of Messiah can.

So Cain disobeyed God, and God refused his offering. God gave him encouragements, but warned him: at the end of that road, there is a trap.

Sin seeks us because it comes from the devil who want to kill us. Because he is not allowed to, he maneuvers to set traps, otherwise he couldn't touch us.

We rule over him, because he cannot force us to sin, we always have the choice: obey or disobey the voice of the Lord.

The ten commandments were recalled to Moses.

Exodus 20

1   And God spake all these words, saying,

2   I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3   Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4   Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5   Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6   And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7   Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8   Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9   Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10   But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11   For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12   Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13   Thou shalt not kill.

14   Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15   Thou shalt not steal.

16   Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17   Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Because of transgressions, the Law came from Moses.

Because men is skilled at distorting laws in order to serve his own selfish plan and control people's lives, Christ took the time to explain the Law again.

The pharisees were exceeded because Christ did heal on the Sabbath. Christ explained that it is lawful to do good on the seventh day.

His commandments are

"Love God with all thy heart"

"Love your neighbor like yourself"

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments"

To love Christ means doing what he taught, seeking and constantly discerning his will in our lives.

As Cain showed, to turn from God's commandments and try to please him by our own understanding lead to rejection and sin.

Separation from God, death.

Christ sets us free, free from the Law.

By expanding our understanding, our responsibility also grew.

Matthew 5

21   Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22   But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

28   But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 7

12   Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Sin is something practical: making an idol, worshiping it, murder, adultery.

Before sin materializes, how many times did it happen in our heart ?

God knows our heart.

To please God we must accomplish him commandments, eradicate sin at the source.

Obedience is not enough, we need to humiliate our heart, become like a little child.

Romans 2:29   But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Our body is the Temple of God. It deserves to be treated with simplicity and purity.

Our Temple is designed to host the Holy Spirit, Spirit of the living God.

When it does not fully occupy the room, we put idols in the corners.

The Jews did that in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Spiritual idols, when we seek other gods: homemade jesus reshaped at our convenience, the "queen of heaven" (called mary), the "saints" (the dead), the host of heaven who are the angels, object of all pagan religions.

Material idols, when we replace God by our cat, dog, TV, celebrity or whatever, and coveting which is the root of theft, lie, adultery and murder.

Do not listen to Pharisees who will bring you into servitude, who say how to dress, what to drink what to eat, who to listent and when go to Church.

Go further, listen to the Holy Spirit who will guide you in all truth.

More than obeying, accomplish the will of the Father by changing your heart, ask Him to make your heart anew, like the one of a little child, a newborn of God.