“Sin* and decei* are only in the same verse 6 times. Obviously, Hebrews 3:13 is 1. But of the remaining 5 instances, Romans 7 is the only one in which sin deceives a person.”
Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 15
Someone who CAN sin is not “FREE from sin”.
Someone who CAN do good, is not “FREE from righteousness”.
What you do defines what you are, and what you are defines what you do.
1 John 3:7-10 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil… 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; … and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 … whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God …
That is BINARYISM! This not about your CHOICES, in life! This is absolutely 100% about your ABILITY!
Your BIRTH, defines what works you are ABLE to do, and what you are able to do defines your birth.
1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Whoever does one true good work ever, that person IS just as righteous as Jesus Christ.
But, ii you can’t claim THAT, then you cannot claim that you do good, at all.
Let no man deceive you! This cannot be understood in degrees, or amounts of doing good.
Imagine two former atheists, who (after man’s judgment), before they believed in Jesus, did MOSTLY evil works.
But now, (again, after man’s judgment) they do MOSTLY good works.
What if one does 51% good, and 49% evil, and the other does 99.9% good, and only 0.1% evil?
Out of 1000 chances, the one does right 510 times and sins 490 times, and the other does right 999 times, and only sins 1 time out of 1000!
I want to know… which of them “doeth righteousness”?
Well… the question to ask is: which of the two IS righteous, EVEN AS Jesus is righteous?
1 John 3:7 … let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Is the one who sinned 1 time out of 1000, JUST AS RIGHTEOUS as Jesus???
Neither one of them “is … even as” Jesus!
So NEITHER ONE of them “is righteous”, and NEITHER ONE of them “doeth righteousness” at all.
They are both, OF THE DEVIL.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil…
All it takes is 1 sin to prove you are a sinner.
And all it takes is 1 TRUE good work, to prove you are righteous.
So if fleshly good works TRULY ARE good to God, then a man could just do 1 good work, one time, and have guaranteed eternal life, and have no need for Christ.
Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law [1-love God, 2-love your neighbor], then Christ is dead in vain.
The only logical, Scriptural conclusion is that…
Every work of men’s hands, and every thing that comes out of man’s flesh, is sin.
Man’s very best good works… are really just SIN! Sin… but in disguise!
Sin in disguise. What do I mean by that? Let’s head over to Hebrews!
Hebrews 3:11-13 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
It is THE DECEITFULNESS OF sin that hardens people unto unbelief!
It does NOT say, “hardened through sin”. It does not say, “hardened through sinning”.
It isn’t SIN that hardens people unto unbelief.
The DECEITFULNESS of sin, is why people don’t believe the true gospel!
So what does that really mean, “the deceitfulness of sin”?
“Deceitfulness” only appears 2 other times in Scripture: both are in the Parable of the Sower:
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Understanding “the deceitfulness of riches” might be our most direct way to understand the deceitfulness of sin. What is the deceitfulness of riches? How exactly are riches deceitful?
1st instance of the root word “deceit” in the Bible:
Genesis 27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
How was Jacob able to deceive Esau? By wearing a disguise!
2nd instance of the root word “deceit”:
Genesis 31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
Jacob is pointing back to a specific act, where he describes this deception with another word.
Genesis 29:25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
That is actually the 2nd instance of the root word, “beguile”.
And the 1st instance of the root word “beguile”:
Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Eve thought she was getting good fruit, but it was evil fruit (death) in disguise.
Isaac thought he was blessing Esau, but it was Jacob in disguise.
Jacob thought he was being given Rachel, but it was Leah in disguise.
Is lying to someone deceitful? Of course. But simply lying is NOT the primary method of deceitfulness.
Its DISGUISE! Disguise is the root/origin of the concept of deceitfulness.
The deceitfulness of riches is NOT that men think that money will satisfy them, but then later after they get money, they find out that they aren’t satisfied. No…
The deceitfulness of riches is that riches disguise themselves!
And because of the deceitfulness of riches, men are going after riches, and they don’t even know it!
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Caring for your THIS LIFE, in THIS WORLD, is really just going after riches; riches in disguise.
Thinking you need to do good works, and love your neighbor in THIS WORLD, is just being deceived by riches; riches in disguise.
You THINK you are serving God, but you are serving FLESH.
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
In doing good works in this life, you think you are laying up treasures in heaven, but you are really only caring for THIS WORLD. You are caring for THIS LIFE.
If you’ll watch my video on the Parable of the Sower, you’ll understand that the thorns are the worst ground. They are the worst place you could possibly be. These people are the MOST deceived!
And do you know what they’re going after, to have gotten so deceived??
Mark 4:19 … the cares of this world …
Luke 8:14 … cares and riches and pleasures of this life …
To the lost, being a Christian is all about improving men’s LIVES on Earth. Cleaning your life up. Cleaning your works up. Just getting BETTER than we were before.
Love others more than we did before. Serve the poor more than we did before.
Be kind and gentle and peaceful to strangers, more than we did before. JW.
Those aren’t NEW, spiritual things… those are OLD earthly things. The cares of THIS LIFE. THIS WORLD.
Cleaning up your life and your works in THIS world… is actually just going after riches.
But men have no idea, because… riches are deceitful! Riches disguise themselves as other things, as GOOD things!
The deceitfulness of riches, results in men THINKING they are going after true good things, while they are really just going after riches; riches in disguise.
The deceitfulness of sin, results in men THINKING they are doing true good works, while they are really just committing sin; sin in disguise.
The deceitfulness of riches is truly, VERY deceitful. It’s not easy to recognize.
People that directly and obviously go after money, they aren’t deceived. But with true deceitfulness of riches… You can be going after riches, and not know it.
And so is the deceitfulness of sin. Sin, when open, at face value, isn’t deceitful.
You aren’t deceived by sin when you KNOW it is sin.
Its when sin DISGUISES itself, so that you think a sin, is actually a good work, THAT is when you are being deceived by sin!
“The deceitfulness of sin”, is that men are sinning, without even knowing it! Quite the opposite, they actually think they are doing GOOD!
If you think your fleshly good works are GOOD to God, and NOT SIN to God, then you’ve been deceived by sin. Sin in disguise.
Sin* and decei* are only in the same verse 6 times. Obviously, Hebrews 3:13 is 1. But of the remaining 5 instances, Romans 7 is the only one in which sin deceives a person.
You could say that this only real, direct cross-reference for “the deceivableness of sin”. So this passage MUST be used to help us interpret our phrase!
Romans 7:10-13 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment [like, the commandment to “love God and love your neighbor”], deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
We typically understand this passage one way: that the law was given, so that when you break the law, you know you are a sinner.
I believe that is partly true. But I don’t believe that it is ONLY when we FAIL to do the works of the law… but also when we DO the works of the law… that then also, sin works in us, and reveals us to be sinners.
Notice in this passage: how does sin DECEIVE?
Not by obvious temptations. Not by obvious wicked works. But… “BY THE COMMANDMENT”!
Even when a sinner sincerely tries to do good, by the law, … sin, “by the commandment” (love your neighbor, “that which is GOOD”) deceives him, and produces death in him (“by it slew me”).
Sin, by the works of the law … by even THE GOOD WORKS of the law… sin deceives you into thinking you’ve done good… when all you’ve really done, was bring forth evil – the evil things that were already inside of you.
Romans 7:7 … I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Now, Paul didn’t just start sinning when he learned the law.
Before Paul knew the law, he was sinning (he was lusting), but he didn’t KNOW what he was doing was sin.
Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Before the law of Moses came, men were sinning, but they didn’t KNOW it.
The law of Moses says: don’t eat pork (unclean beasts)! Well eating pork didn’t just become a sin. It was always a sin. But now, it was declared to be a sin!
To God, men were sinning long before Moses’ law was given. But where there wasn’t a law yet given to mankind that said those things were sin, God didn’t condemn them for that sin. At least not yet … God “winked” at it, for a time.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. …
Men were committing sins that they didn’t know were sins, until the law came and pointed them out to be sins.
Now, you do need to understand, there is more than one “the law”.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
So when Paul says that…
Romans 7:7 … I had not known sin, but by the law…
… we can divide flesh from Spirit, and we can look at it two different ways:
1st: by the Old law of fleshly things/works, and
2nd: by the New law of spiritual things/works.
Before the Old Covenant Law came, men were committing sins (like eating pork), but they didn’t know it.
Then the Old Covenant law came, and identified a limited set of things (613?), as sin, and gave men a way to temporarily cleanse their flesh from those specific sins.
Likewise, before the New Covenant Law came, men were committing sins (like loving their neighbor), but they didn’t know it.
Then the New Covenant Law came, and identified ALL our fleshly works as sin to God… and gave men a way to permanently cleanse their spirit from ALL sins.
This is what the true light of the gospel does: manifests that ALL man’s works are sin. (See John 3:19-20, Ephesians 5:11-13.)
Now someone will eventually contend that this next passage says that this can’t be true, and there can’t be another law that is against doing good works:
Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
But notice the context: Spiritual fruit. True good things.
It does NOT say that there is no law against mankind doing earthly good works.
It says that there is no law against SPIRITUAL good fruit.
And unless you “live in the Spirit”, you have no access to TRUE love and joy and peace.
Those things are “in Christ”, and your FLESH cannot bring forth those true good things.
Your good works are NOT good, and your flesh only commits sin, and only brings forth death.
And that is what you need to understand in order to get saved!
Hebrews 6:1 … the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ … purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Until you repent of your fleshly works (good and bad!) you cannot SERVE God.
What Paul realized was, “I thought I was worshipping God, but I couldn’t. I thought I was doing good, but it was just SIN to God. What God actually requires, is a whole different level of good: He requires perfection; the righteousness of God.
For a time, God allowed men to worship him with their sinful works. But now, no longer does He accept the figure of the true! He requires TRUE righteousness!
I think that is exactly what Paul was preaching on Mars’ Hill…
Acts 17:22-31 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands [Ultimately, all worshipped God with their hands, were the same to God. Jews and Gentiles were both worshipping IGNORANTLY, and not in truth!], as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: [from dead works!] 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; …
There was a time where God allowed men to worship Him ignorantly, with their hands.
There was a time where God allowed, and required, fleshly good works and fleshly sacrifices for sin.
But Paul said God had to “wink” – to shut His eyes – at those times where they ignorantly served Him with hands, according to the flesh.
Why? Because I believe, in truth, those fleshly good works, that service with flesh hands, was sin, and God couldn’t look on it.
Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: …
Now that the New Covenant has come… now that the ability to get saved and do TRUE service to God has come… men are commanded to REPENT of the OLD, DEAD, FLESHLY good works, which had been winked at, as sin.
Mar 17 2025
Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 15
CORRECTION TO VIDEO:
“Sin* and decei* are only in the same verse 6 times. Obviously, Hebrews 3:13 is 1. But of the remaining 5 instances, Romans 7 is the only one in which sin deceives a person.”
Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 15
Someone who CAN sin is not “FREE from sin”.
Someone who CAN do good, is not “FREE from righteousness”.
What you do defines what you are, and what you are defines what you do.
1 John 3:7-10 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil… 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; … and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 … whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God …
That is BINARYISM! This not about your CHOICES, in life! This is absolutely 100% about your ABILITY!
Your BIRTH, defines what works you are ABLE to do, and what you are able to do defines your birth.
1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Whoever does one true good work ever, that person IS just as righteous as Jesus Christ.
But, ii you can’t claim THAT, then you cannot claim that you do good, at all.
Let no man deceive you! This cannot be understood in degrees, or amounts of doing good.
Imagine two former atheists, who (after man’s judgment), before they believed in Jesus, did MOSTLY evil works.
But now, (again, after man’s judgment) they do MOSTLY good works.
What if one does 51% good, and 49% evil, and the other does 99.9% good, and only 0.1% evil?
Out of 1000 chances, the one does right 510 times and sins 490 times, and the other does right 999 times, and only sins 1 time out of 1000!
I want to know… which of them “doeth righteousness”?
Well… the question to ask is: which of the two IS righteous, EVEN AS Jesus is righteous?
1 John 3:7 … let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Is the one who sinned 1 time out of 1000, JUST AS RIGHTEOUS as Jesus???
Neither one of them “is … even as” Jesus!
So NEITHER ONE of them “is righteous”, and NEITHER ONE of them “doeth righteousness” at all.
They are both, OF THE DEVIL.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil…
All it takes is 1 sin to prove you are a sinner.
And all it takes is 1 TRUE good work, to prove you are righteous.
So if fleshly good works TRULY ARE good to God, then a man could just do 1 good work, one time, and have guaranteed eternal life, and have no need for Christ.
Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law [1-love God, 2-love your neighbor], then Christ is dead in vain.
The only logical, Scriptural conclusion is that…
Every work of men’s hands, and every thing that comes out of man’s flesh, is sin.
Man’s very best good works… are really just SIN! Sin… but in disguise!
Sin in disguise. What do I mean by that? Let’s head over to Hebrews!
Hebrews 3:11-13 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
It is THE DECEITFULNESS OF sin that hardens people unto unbelief!
It does NOT say, “hardened through sin”. It does not say, “hardened through sinning”.
It isn’t SIN that hardens people unto unbelief.
The DECEITFULNESS of sin, is why people don’t believe the true gospel!
So what does that really mean, “the deceitfulness of sin”?
“Deceitfulness” only appears 2 other times in Scripture: both are in the Parable of the Sower:
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Understanding “the deceitfulness of riches” might be our most direct way to understand the deceitfulness of sin. What is the deceitfulness of riches? How exactly are riches deceitful?
1st instance of the root word “deceit” in the Bible:
Genesis 27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
How was Jacob able to deceive Esau? By wearing a disguise!
2nd instance of the root word “deceit”:
Genesis 31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
Jacob is pointing back to a specific act, where he describes this deception with another word.
Genesis 29:25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
That is actually the 2nd instance of the root word, “beguile”.
And the 1st instance of the root word “beguile”:
Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Eve thought she was getting good fruit, but it was evil fruit (death) in disguise.
Isaac thought he was blessing Esau, but it was Jacob in disguise.
Jacob thought he was being given Rachel, but it was Leah in disguise.
Is lying to someone deceitful? Of course. But simply lying is NOT the primary method of deceitfulness.
Its DISGUISE! Disguise is the root/origin of the concept of deceitfulness.
The deceitfulness of riches is NOT that men think that money will satisfy them, but then later after they get money, they find out that they aren’t satisfied. No…
The deceitfulness of riches is that riches disguise themselves!
And because of the deceitfulness of riches, men are going after riches, and they don’t even know it!
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Caring for your THIS LIFE, in THIS WORLD, is really just going after riches; riches in disguise.
Thinking you need to do good works, and love your neighbor in THIS WORLD, is just being deceived by riches; riches in disguise.
You THINK you are serving God, but you are serving FLESH.
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
In doing good works in this life, you think you are laying up treasures in heaven, but you are really only caring for THIS WORLD. You are caring for THIS LIFE.
If you’ll watch my video on the Parable of the Sower, you’ll understand that the thorns are the worst ground. They are the worst place you could possibly be. These people are the MOST deceived!
And do you know what they’re going after, to have gotten so deceived??
Mark 4:19 … the cares of this world …
Luke 8:14 … cares and riches and pleasures of this life …
To the lost, being a Christian is all about improving men’s LIVES on Earth. Cleaning your life up. Cleaning your works up. Just getting BETTER than we were before.
Love others more than we did before. Serve the poor more than we did before.
Be kind and gentle and peaceful to strangers, more than we did before. JW.
Those aren’t NEW, spiritual things… those are OLD earthly things. The cares of THIS LIFE. THIS WORLD.
Cleaning up your life and your works in THIS world… is actually just going after riches.
But men have no idea, because… riches are deceitful! Riches disguise themselves as other things, as GOOD things!
The deceitfulness of riches, results in men THINKING they are going after true good things, while they are really just going after riches; riches in disguise.
The deceitfulness of sin, results in men THINKING they are doing true good works, while they are really just committing sin; sin in disguise.
The deceitfulness of riches is truly, VERY deceitful. It’s not easy to recognize.
People that directly and obviously go after money, they aren’t deceived. But with true deceitfulness of riches… You can be going after riches, and not know it.
And so is the deceitfulness of sin. Sin, when open, at face value, isn’t deceitful.
You aren’t deceived by sin when you KNOW it is sin.
Its when sin DISGUISES itself, so that you think a sin, is actually a good work, THAT is when you are being deceived by sin!
“The deceitfulness of sin”, is that men are sinning, without even knowing it! Quite the opposite, they actually think they are doing GOOD!
If you think your fleshly good works are GOOD to God, and NOT SIN to God, then you’ve been deceived by sin. Sin in disguise.
Sin* and decei* are only in the same verse 6 times. Obviously, Hebrews 3:13 is 1. But of the remaining 5 instances, Romans 7 is the only one in which sin deceives a person.
You could say that this only real, direct cross-reference for “the deceivableness of sin”. So this passage MUST be used to help us interpret our phrase!
Romans 7:10-13 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment [like, the commandment to “love God and love your neighbor”], deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
We typically understand this passage one way: that the law was given, so that when you break the law, you know you are a sinner.
I believe that is partly true. But I don’t believe that it is ONLY when we FAIL to do the works of the law… but also when we DO the works of the law… that then also, sin works in us, and reveals us to be sinners.
Notice in this passage: how does sin DECEIVE?
Not by obvious temptations. Not by obvious wicked works. But… “BY THE COMMANDMENT”!
Even when a sinner sincerely tries to do good, by the law, … sin, “by the commandment” (love your neighbor, “that which is GOOD”) deceives him, and produces death in him (“by it slew me”).
Sin, by the works of the law … by even THE GOOD WORKS of the law… sin deceives you into thinking you’ve done good… when all you’ve really done, was bring forth evil – the evil things that were already inside of you.
Romans 7:7 … I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Now, Paul didn’t just start sinning when he learned the law.
Before Paul knew the law, he was sinning (he was lusting), but he didn’t KNOW what he was doing was sin.
Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Before the law of Moses came, men were sinning, but they didn’t KNOW it.
The law of Moses says: don’t eat pork (unclean beasts)! Well eating pork didn’t just become a sin. It was always a sin. But now, it was declared to be a sin!
To God, men were sinning long before Moses’ law was given. But where there wasn’t a law yet given to mankind that said those things were sin, God didn’t condemn them for that sin. At least not yet … God “winked” at it, for a time.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. …
Men were committing sins that they didn’t know were sins, until the law came and pointed them out to be sins.
Now, you do need to understand, there is more than one “the law”.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
So when Paul says that…
Romans 7:7 … I had not known sin, but by the law…
… we can divide flesh from Spirit, and we can look at it two different ways:
1st: by the Old law of fleshly things/works, and
2nd: by the New law of spiritual things/works.
Before the Old Covenant Law came, men were committing sins (like eating pork), but they didn’t know it.
Then the Old Covenant law came, and identified a limited set of things (613?), as sin, and gave men a way to temporarily cleanse their flesh from those specific sins.
Likewise, before the New Covenant Law came, men were committing sins (like loving their neighbor), but they didn’t know it.
Then the New Covenant Law came, and identified ALL our fleshly works as sin to God… and gave men a way to permanently cleanse their spirit from ALL sins.
This is what the true light of the gospel does: manifests that ALL man’s works are sin. (See John 3:19-20, Ephesians 5:11-13.)
Now someone will eventually contend that this next passage says that this can’t be true, and there can’t be another law that is against doing good works:
Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
But notice the context: Spiritual fruit. True good things.
It does NOT say that there is no law against mankind doing earthly good works.
It says that there is no law against SPIRITUAL good fruit.
And unless you “live in the Spirit”, you have no access to TRUE love and joy and peace.
Those things are “in Christ”, and your FLESH cannot bring forth those true good things.
Your good works are NOT good, and your flesh only commits sin, and only brings forth death.
And that is what you need to understand in order to get saved!
Hebrews 6:1 … the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ … purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Until you repent of your fleshly works (good and bad!) you cannot SERVE God.
What Paul realized was, “I thought I was worshipping God, but I couldn’t. I thought I was doing good, but it was just SIN to God. What God actually requires, is a whole different level of good: He requires perfection; the righteousness of God.
For a time, God allowed men to worship him with their sinful works. But now, no longer does He accept the figure of the true! He requires TRUE righteousness!
I think that is exactly what Paul was preaching on Mars’ Hill…
Acts 17:22-31 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands [Ultimately, all worshipped God with their hands, were the same to God. Jews and Gentiles were both worshipping IGNORANTLY, and not in truth!], as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: [from dead works!] 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; …
There was a time where God allowed men to worship Him ignorantly, with their hands.
There was a time where God allowed, and required, fleshly good works and fleshly sacrifices for sin.
But Paul said God had to “wink” – to shut His eyes – at those times where they ignorantly served Him with hands, according to the flesh.
Why? Because I believe, in truth, those fleshly good works, that service with flesh hands, was sin, and God couldn’t look on it.
Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: …
Now that the New Covenant has come… now that the ability to get saved and do TRUE service to God has come… men are commanded to REPENT of the OLD, DEAD, FLESHLY good works, which had been winked at, as sin.
By Pastor • Christian Doctrine, Eternal Security, False Prophets/Doctrine, Identifying False Christians, Problem Texts, Salvation • 0