11/10/19 The Sudden, Unintentional, Unexpected Sin.

11/10/19 The Sudden, Unplanned, Unexpected Sin.
(I changed the word, "unintentional" to, "unplanned," since the action was intentional but not premeditated).


I ADDED ANOTHER CATEGORY TO THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SINS

I posted an article a year ago, but today I added another category: SUDDEN SINS.

Though this is a recent addition to my list of "Various types of sins," it is not a recent thought. I have actually held this view for over fifty years. However, I seldom think about this view, since it is rarely experienced. (if the Sudden Sin is not rare, then the Sudden Sin is not actually Sudden or Unplanned or Unexpected).

Sometimes a person does not deliberately set out to sin (disobey God). In fact, he may be intending not to sin. But suddenly the person is faced with an unexpected situation, question, opportunity, challenge, which catches the person off guard. He was not seeking personal gain or personal ease, but he is faced with a choice and decides for something that is not the will of God. Without thinking the situation through, the person makes a decision that was not planned to disobey God, but the outcome is not consistent with holiness of heart and life. The person stepped into a trespass. It may have been because he did not give it adequate evaluation or because he saw the choice as a mundane, insignificant decision. He may have been tired or distracted, but he made a choice that was not in the perfect will of God. He needs to stop, repent, mend and move forward. He also needs to learn from the experience so that he will not make the same error again.

I said that the person may have "stepped into a trespass." Trespass is a good word, and is actually used in some translations (which I will mention later). As an example, consider a person walking along the edge of his property adjacent to a neighbor who has definitely posted "NO TRESPASSING." The person has no intention of crossing into the other property, but they suddenly see something that catches their attention. Intending to do something, which may be advantageous to the neighbor, the person crosses over the line. Regardless of the reason, the person chose to trespass, to violate the protected space. Now the person is faced with the fact that he crossed the line. He realized what he was doing when he did it, but did not sense the gravity of an "innocent trespass." However, after crossing the boundary, the person feels the weight of his errant decision. Now, consider that the NO TRESPASSING sign is God's directive. Remember, the crossing was not for personal pleasure or gain. It might have seemed to be possibly a gray area. But as soon as the trespass takes place, the person realizes he has violated a command of God. Immediately the believer is shamed and seeks God's forgiveness. In fact, if the believer has trespassed another person, the believer may need to confess to the offended person, even if the other person does not realize he has been trespassed.

It is more than an innocent mistake. It is more than a mere error of judgment, which has little or no moral impact. It is more than a simple fault of judgment. But it is not a full blown, predetermined, thought-through choice to disobey God. It is not an underlying desire for forbidden pleasures or ease. It is a sudden slipping, side stepping from the perfect will of God. It is contrary to the will of God. And though it may not have presented itself as rebellion, the person quickly comes to understand that he has not followed the will of God perfectly. He also realizes that he needs Divine grace, forgiveness, restoration. It is more than a mere fault, but it is not a declaration of rebellion.

King James Version uses the word, "FAULT," (indicating the sudden nature of the failure) and the New International uses the word "SIN," (implicating a deliberate rebellious spirit) but it is not an open declaration of lawlessness, and it is not embraced, in opposition to the nudging of the Holy Spirit. It is a sudden and uncharacteristic choice or action of the person who chooses the wrong response to a test. Other translations use "trespass," "wrongdoing," "deviation." It is not a typical, constant and ongoing behavior, at least at this point. As long as the believer recognizes the darker nature of the choice or word or action, then it should be a "one and done" occasion. It is, "missing the mark" (definition of sin), but it is not the same Greek word for sin. This word actually indicates a slipping or side stepping, rather than a strong willed response.

It is important to understand the Sudden Sin because the devil uses it to defeat an otherwise victorious Christian. When (and if) a believer actually commits the Sudden Sin (Trespass), the devil often attacks the believer and falsely accuses him of harboring sin; of being unable to live a victorious life; of being a hypocrite. Sinning religion has mistakenly identified this rare failure as being part of the normal, ongoing, Christian experience. This brings people into a bondage to failure. Just as a believer should expect deliverance from sin as a norm in their conversion, so we should expect deliverance from the Sudden Trespass as well. Yes, a Christian can fail God and allow sin in his or her life, but it is the rare experience rather than the normal Christian life and experience.

11/07/18 RANGES OF SIN AND THEIR IMPACT

SIN'S IMPACT VARIES according to type of sin. There are SUDDEN, Secret, Personal, Interpersonal, Societal and National sins.

I realize that any and all sin of any and all people brings consequences to other people, as well as to active sinner. I also know that any and all sin separates from God. And of course, anyone who knows the Bible, and anyone who knows my belief in the Bible, knows that I know this.

However, not all sins have the same consequences.

The societal consequences of sin range according to the level of the sins.

SOME "SINS" ARE SUDDEN, unplanned, unexpected choices (sins in the technical sense, therefore needing forgiveness, cleansing and restoration).
Some sins are secret (the sins in a person's heart, or sins done in private).
Some sins are personal (sins that are not hidden, but are primarily self oriented).
Some sins are interpersonal (sins that actually involve other people as accomplices or targets).
Some sins are societal (sins that are are aimed at large segments of society).
Some sins are national (sins imposed by "government", which directly and forcefully violates and corrupts an entire nation).