Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered
I was reading Hebrews 4 this morning, and remembered this thread. There is a verse here that I believe also speaks to the issue of what sin is, (I emphasized the last part of the verse).
Hebrews 4:14-15
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
So for those people that fall into the category that believes that sin is some biological disorder or genetic mutation, here is another proof that it’s an exercise of free will, falling to temptations that are offered to us daily. Jesus Christ himself demonstrated this for anyone who is willing to see it, He was tempted just as we are, yet without once falling for the bait, unlike everyone else did, starting with Adam and Eve.
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Hi unregistered,
Thanks for adding this verse to the mix. I totally agree that sin is an exercise of free will. All the commandments are things we can choose to act upon, not "inherent states of being".
I have intended to return to the topic, posting all the verses in the NT that talk about what sin is, but haven't found a block of time to do so. However, in my initial search, I came across this verse:
John 8:34
"Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin."
So to me, this all but undoes the concept that sin is some kind of genetically passed-along, inherent thing and shows very clearly that it's a free-will choice. This illuminates the other verse or two that say "sin dwells in us". In other words, if we practice sin, then we are a slave to it. It doesn't say, "we are a slave to sin (some inherent thing), therefore we practice it (or cannot help but do it)". It's the opposite - if you do it, then you are considered a slave to it.
Just like this verse:
1 John 3:7
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
If you do what is right, you are righteous. Not "you are inherently righteous, therefore you do what is right".
It's always the doing that's talked about.
This is the only view that retains God's righteousness and makes any of His expectations and frustrations that no one keeps His commandments make sense......the fact that we actually have the ability to and are not born inherently sinful, and yet no one chooses to do the right thing -- except Jesus!
As has been said before, Jesus has to have the same "nature" we do. If our natures were different from birth - one fundamentally sinful, the other fundamentally not - then the Bible is lying that He was "made like us, fully human in every way".
So either He was born with an inherently sinful nature "like us", which is a non-starter obviously, or we were NOT born with an inherently sinful nature. The latter still makes sense in light of Scripture and doesn't make the Bible, God, or Jesus a liar.
Trapped