The first principle a student learns in English 101 is that one does not define a word by itself. A good dictionary will not report the meaning of “definition” as “the action or process of defining.” One does not have a more clear understanding of “definition” than he did before. On the other hand, to say that “definition” means “the action of determining or identifying the essential qualities or meaning of; to discover the meaning of; to fix or mark the limits of” helps the reader understand fully the meaning of the word.
Good theology is wrecked by inadequate definitions. When we search for the meaning of “sin” we most often hear Rom. 3:23 roll from our tongues, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is correct, but incomplete. Romans 3:23 actually tells us what the state of mankind is, not what “sin” is except that sinful mankind and the glory of God do not coincide. What is sin? It would be helpful to identify those passages that state plainly, “sin is” and 1 John 3:4 sums it up nicely, “Sin is lawlessness” (1 Jn 3:4).
Sin crouches, waiting to pounce (Gen. 4:7), is very serious and should not to be taken lightly (Gen 18:20) as it is always in our face and we cannot shake it off (Ps. 53:1). “But sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Prov. 14:34) Sin is stored up (Hos. 13:12) and a master to all who remain in it (Jn 8:34). Sin is not imputed when there is no law (Ro 5:13; 7:8); nevertheless, it’s payout is death (Ro 6:23; James 1:15).
Sin is the lamp of the wicked (Prov. 21:4), the devising of foolishness (Prov 24:9), the perpetual maintenance of strife (Titus 3:9-11) and whatever is not faith is sin (Ro 14:23). Sin is knowing the right thing to do and not doing it (James 4:17). All unrighteousness is sin (1 Jn 5:17).
Since sin = lawlessness, we discover preaching the law will cause a sinner’s conscience to actually agree with us when we preach the law! Here’s how it works:
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For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” (Ro. 2:14-16).
MacArthur comments, “Without knowing the written law of God, people in pagan society generally value and attempt to practice its most basic tenets. This is normal for cultures instinctively (see note on v. 15) to value justice, honesty, compassion, and goodness toward others, reflecting the divine law written in the heart . . . . Their practice of some good deeds and their aversion to some evil ones demonstrate an innate knowledge of God’s law—a knowledge that will actually witness against them on the Day of Judgment.”
[i]Joy Davidman explains further, “The essential amorality of all atheist doctrines is often hidden from us by an irrelevant personal argument. We see that many articulate secularists are well-meaning and law-abiding men; we see them go into righteous indignation over injustice and often devote their lives to good works. So we conclude that "he can't be wrong whose life is in the right"--that their philosophies are just as good guides to action as Christianity. What we don't see is that they are not acting on their philosophies. They are acting, out of habit or sentiment, on an inherited Christian ethic which they still take for granted though they have rejected the creed from which it sprang. Their children will inherit some what less of it.”
[ii]In other words, when we share the gospel people are prepared to argue various aspects of theism, morality, science, tolerance, issues . . . if you can think it, they’ve already processed it. But when we preach the law to the proud, their conscience begins to scream because they can’t argue with what they know within themselves. To illustrate, on opening day, game protectors put this sign on a main road that read: “Check-Station 1000 Yards Ahead.” At 500 yards there was a convenient side road. Lawful hunters went straight ahead. Over-limit and doubtful hunters ducked down the side road. The check-station? It was 500 yards down the side road.
[iii]Now, do you think the hunters who were over-limit or doubtful were under any pressure from their conscience before they ducked down the side road? What about after? The reason why they were pressured before and especially after is because of the weight of the law that says, “GUILTY!”
Charles Spurgeon likened the preaching of the law unto a needle that pulls the thread. First the needle must pierce the fabric before the thread can come through. The same is true of preaching the gospel—the law must make a way for grace! Here is just one place where Jesus “beat out” the law: “
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.” (Mt. 15:19-20) He did it in a grand way in Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount.
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As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” (Mark 10:17-22)
Man’s sin problem has never changed, so why should the preaching of the gospel loaded with law to the proud and grace to the humble?
I've been reflecting on what I heard someone say recently, that the reason why we rely so much on follow-up ministry is because we really have no confidence in the modern presentation of the gospel. Many of us believe in “once saved, always saved,” but we don’t really believe the people we are evangelizing are really being changed, so we have to take workers from the field (there are already so few) and send them out to make certain the harvest is really the right harvest. If the good news of Jesus Christ really changes people, who said they had to be pursued to keep them on the straight and narrow? If the good news of Jesus Christ really changes people, why are there so many backsliders and rededications? Were they ever saved to begin with, having been confronted by the law, told what their sin is that they may know what they are repenting from and cry out for mercy?
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What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (Ro 7:7)
I was talking with an evangelist recently about preaching law to the proud and grace to the humble and probed into his “God loves you” approach. I asked why he did not take people through the law and he said, “they already know they are bad people.” Ok, but do they know they are sinners? How can people know they have sinned against God apart from the law? Their conscience is already bearing witness, but to WHAT? The Bibles says the unsaved are darkened in their understanding, ignorant of the life of God and hard-hearted (Eph. 4:18). There is not one person who understands and seeks after God (Ro 3:11).
Amazingly, the scripture calls the law, namely those engraved on stone, glorious! (2 Cor 3:7).
So does it makes sense now to say, “
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” when we understand the law of God is the perfect standard of God Himself?
Here’s the “grace” part:
Ps 32:1: “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!”
Is 6:7: “your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”
Acts 13:38, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”
1 Jn 3:5 “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.”
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[i]MacArthur, John Jr.
The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed., Ro 2:14. Nashville: Word Pub., 1997, c1997.
[ii] Davidman, Joy.
Smoke on the Mountain. Westminster Press: Philadelphia, c1954.
[iii]Tan, Paul Lee.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.
