Part 5 in the series “Knowing the Truth About Sin Will Set You Free”

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

In previous lessons on “Knowing the Truth About Sin,” Elder Bob Peck has taught us that we are forgiven of sin, that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, and that the Old Testament law system has been abolished. If you have understood those lessons correctly, it should leave you asking “Then why not sin?” If your only goal is to miss hell and make heaven, then abstinence from sin is no longer required. On the other hand, if you want to prosper and have success in this life, then observing and following your maker’s design for your life is essential to avoiding a breakdown that leaves you stranded on the side of the road of life.

Review

1. In Part 1 we learned that Christ offered one sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12) that so thoroughly atoned for all sins forever that there is no longer anything that can condemn anyone who is in Christ (Romans 8:1).
2. In Part 2 we learned that the old covenant has been made obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), it’s handwriting wiped out when God nailed it to the cross of Christ (Colossians 2:14). For those in Christ, there is no longer a performance-based system of dos and don’ts to be judged by or condemned under.
3. In Part 3 we learned that for the New Testament believer, sin is no longer the state of being without a share in the divine nature. For the New Testament believer, sin is no longer the act of violating the rules of a performance-based system. For the New Testament believer, sin is the act of missing the mark and there’s no law against that and therefore no condemnation for it.

For the New Testament believer:

• Sin is missing the mark.
• The mark is conformity to Christ: Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
• If we know what God knows, see what He sees, think what He thinks, speak what He speaks, and do what He does and/or designed us for, then we’ll hit the mark of conformity to His Son. All else misses the mark.
• Under the new covenant, there’s no law against missing the mark: 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

Then why not just go ahead and sin?

If your only objective is to miss hell and make heaven, then there’s no reason not to sin, i.e. miss the mark. Salvation is a free gift – there’s nothing you can do to earn it and nothing you can do to lose it.

However, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. You’re free to jump off a bridge and not be condemned, but you will suffer the consequences.

A reason to not sin

Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

The carnal mind thinks this is about works and earning God’s blessing.

This verse is about learning what God knows, sees, thinks, speaks, does, and doing likewise. When we do things according to the maker’s design, then they work.

God is an intelligent designer who made all things by intelligent design. We only prosper and have success when we learn and follow the design.

Your car owner’s manual is not a system of works to appease the manufacturer but instructions which if followed will result in a happy motoring experience.

God has an intelligent design for all things – marriage, family, finance, church, government, etc.

Matthew 6:31-33

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The carnal mind will think this is about being righteous enough to earn things from God.

This is about learning to know, see, think, speak, and do the kingdom way which aligns us with the way all things were designed to work.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God made man in His image and likeness so we could be like Him and walk together with Him in His ways of knowing, seeing, thinking, speaking, and doing. These are the good works He prepared for us.

Natural and Spiritual

We are spirit and flesh. Both are made by intelligent design and need to be operated according to the maker’s design for success.

Natural-Moral – The intelligent designer has a design for everything in the physical creation, from health, to marriage, to social order and civil government. If we would seek and follow his design we would “prosper and have good success” instead of having heartbreak, dysfunctional families, oppressive governments, etc.

Spiritual – Spiritually, we are made in God’s image and likeness, to be like him and to function together with him in his right ways. When we deviate from his spiritual ways and from the ways he designed the spiritual realm to operate, we become spiritually dysfunctional and things start to break down.

The carnal mind is more conscious of moral error but spirit things have more impact.

Summation

• For the New Testament believer, all things are lawful.
• For the New Testament believer, sin is the act of missing the mark and there’s no law against it.
• For the New Testament believer, missing the mark of knowing what God knows, seeing what He sees, thinking what He thinks, speaking what He speaks, and doing what He does and what He designed you for will throw a monkey wrench into the machinery of life.
• God isn’t condemning you for sin but sin that misses the mark condemns you to futility.