Did you know you can find two separate definitions of “sin” in The Bible? One definition has to do with carnal man and is known as “carnal commandments.” The other has to do with “spiritual growth.” One deals with The Letter of The Law and the other with The Spirit of The Law. But, remember, The Law is never done away.
Changes of Priesthood
You are about to discover exactly how The Law is kept and how it will always depend upon The Priesthood. There is a remarkable aspect of how The Law is to be kept. “For the Priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of The Law” (Hebrews 7:12). Quite a statement! The question is, “How is The Law changed by a new Priesthood?” Jesus answers the above question in regards to Himself and His Disciples after they broke The Sabbath by harvesting and eating ears of corn. In Matthew 12:6-8, Christ revealed that He was greater than the temple when sacrifice was made for sin. Then, Jesus makes a profound statement in regards to The Sabbath, “But if you had known what this meant, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day” (Matthew 12:7-8). Jesus, as Master of The Sabbath said, “rather than have a sacrifice for sinning on The Sabbath, now, He would rather see mercy or forgiveness for sin.”
Christ moved from The Letter of The Law with its “curses” or “penalties,” to Sabbath breaking at a higher standard of “law keeping” in the spirit. That is why Paul said The Law or The Torah is “spiritual” while a human is carnal and sold under sin (Romans 7:14).
The Letter of The Law and its curses for sin demands sacrifices or death. With the change of The Priesthood, The Law no longer has “the curses written in the letter” as stated in Deuteronomy 27. Christ did away with “the curse” of The Law by His death or sacrifice (Hebrews 10).
Remember Jesus came to magnify The Law and make it more honorable (Isaiah 42:21). Christ, besides magnifying The Law, will reveal God’s righteousness. The Torah truly states, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment [justice] mercy and faith: these ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23). The weight of Christ’s statement is astronomical. Jesus said being just, merciful, and faithful is of “greater significance” in The Law than breaking “a lesser part” of The Law. Doing works of The Law, such as tithing, putting out leavening and fasting on Atonement was far less important to Christ and God. The works of The Law couldn’t give salvation or stop sin.
Magnifying what The Law is about is much more honorable than breaking some smaller requirement of The Law. God considers “mercy” far greater in His Law than picking corn and eating it on The Sabbath. Observing The Sabbath as “a memorial” or “shadow” is not as important as doing “good” for human life on The Sabbath. It isn’t “the observance” of the day that counts under a new Priesthood as much as “saving life” or doing good deeds for another Christian. That is why Jesus said mercy, justice and faith are of more importance in The Torah than picking and eating corn. Salvation is the point! One is God’s spiritual intent of “Law keeping” as opposed to “the futile demands” of The Letter of The Law.
“Barus” in Greek signifies “weight” or “burdensome.” The exact word “weightier” was used by Christ in Matthew 23:23. When God’s Law in The Letter creates “a burden” upon humans, then, they are considered sinning against a higher requirement. This is and should be observed, because The Real Sabbath signifies God’s “rest” where there are no human burdens. All is very good (Genesis 1:31). That is how “The Keeping of The Sabbath” really is. This is what God is and His plan for you. It is a “spiritual keeping” of The Sabbath. By spiritually keeping God’s Law, more honor will be given to God and who He is! Spiritually keeping The Sabbath means you do good works to save life, always. You lift all burdens in God’s rest (Matthew 12:12). Now, the difference between sinning in The Letter of The Law or breaking “the spirit” or “intent” of The Law is “unrighteousness.”
Committing Sin In The Letter
“Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” I John 3:4 is famous for defining sin. However, this is only sin for “carnal people.” Hebrews 7:15-16 reveals The Priesthood of Melchizedek is not made after a carnal commandment or for carnal individuals. The Priesthood of Mechizedek isn’t weak like The Letter of The Law, because even if they keep it as perfectly as they could, it still only brought death (II Corinthians 3:2-6). The Letter or doing works of do’s and don’ts is “a curse” and can only bring death while “the spirit” brings life. That is the weightier part of The Law. Spiritually, The Torah is all about salvation. That is why Paul said The Law is made for unrighteous men in which judgment requires sacrifice or death (I Timothy 1:7-10).
All Unrighteousness Is Sin
Many are unaware there are two major definitions “for sin.” One, in I John 3:4 is for those who have a wrong heart and need right and wrong spelled out, in detail. This is because they do not have God’s heart or mind.
Now, “the definition of sin” for those who magnify The Law to a higher standard gives more honor to God’s Torah Law. “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death” (I John 5:17). This definition includes an act of sin by rejecting The Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:13-30). This sin can be forgiven by becoming perfect, by repenting and receiving God’s holy spirit on your road to becoming like God (Matthew 5:48).
Jesus defines “unrighteousness” in Matthew 19 as the account of the rich man who asked Christ what he must do to inherit Eternal Life. Christ tells the rich man to keep the commandments which the rich man declares he has kept since he was a child, because he did keep the commandment, Jesus loved him. But, keeping those commandments as perfectly as is humanly possible still cannot earn a person salvation. So, the rich man asked Christ what he was lacking. This is quite plain! Keeping the commandments does not give one Eternal Life. Why not?
Luke 17:10 reveals, “So likewise you, when you [rich man] shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” Keeping The Law of Moses never promised salvation, but gave a good human existence. To be given “the gift” of Eternal Life you have to allow God, by His Holy Spirit to make you perfect and holy like Him. It must be a gift. How does God decide to give a Christian that gift? In Matthew 19:29, Jesus answers how you get to be made “perfect.” “And every one that has forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life.” That is Christ’s answer for your own personal salvation. You must be willing to die for Christ and your neighbor.
It is a matter of complete faith “in Christ,” just like Abraham’s faith when he was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Then, God by His Holy Spirit makes you perfect. Only God can make you Holy, like Him. That is exactly what Jesus told the rich man when he wouldn’t give his riches to the poor and follow Christ to the death. It is by faith that you are saved. Christ’s answer to all the doubting Thomas’s, “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Physically keeping The Letter of The Ten Commandments cannot make you perfect.
Christians can do nothing on their own to be saved. Whether keeping The Law of Moses or by any human effort you cannot be made like God or Christ. Only God can do this for you by His Holy Spirit. Only, then, will Christ be “in you” and you can be made perfect by faith. Wow! What a loving Father. You need Christ’s righteousness (God’s righteousness) and then you will keep God’s Law on a spiritual level through His Holy Spirit which is “love.” “Love” fulfills or completes The Law on a higher level or standard and, thereby, magnifies The Law and makes it more honorable (Isaiah 42:21). “Honorable” in Hebrew “conveys the meaning of superior to The Letter of The Law.”
“Carnal sin” requires “A Written Law” because one’s nature is carnal to the extent of being beast-like. That is why the transgression of The Written Law is sin. God, by The Old Covenant and The New Covenant defines the difference between these two agreements by God, always remembering both. Neither is ever done away. Both are always in force showing the different levels or stages of the converted or unconverted. Always remember both agreements are holy, just and good. The Old Covenant, in its time, had its place until Christ came and died, then, The New
Covenant was in force.
The Old Covenant must be kept perfectly without a mistake. Since it cannot change human nature, one must not transgress any part of it (James 2:10). That is why God destroyed the temple in 70 A.D. Until a new temple is built, The Law of Moses cannot be kept perfectly. Therefore, not The Law, but The Old Covenant is abrogated until the millennium when “a new temple” is built. With The New Covenant replacing The Old Covenant, which never could be kept perfectly, God writes The Law in your hearts by changing your very nature through love and faith (Romans 13:10). From God’s love in you, you can grow to a higher standard of The Law (perfection) and stop all “unrighteousness” (sin) (I John 5:17).
