AS BEREANS DID

The Gospel, Sin, and Glory

God reveals that iniquity was found in Satan. What, exactly, was his sin; his iniquity?

He sought his own glory.

Sin is properly defined as missing the mark in relation to the glory of God. Not the transgression of the law as the children of the devil attempt to redefine sin.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. — 1 John 3:4

Sin here is the Greek word “hamartia” which means ‘missing the mark’ as in shooting an arrow at a target out of range. The glory of God is out of range for mankind. It is a target; a goal beyond man’s reach. Modifying the poorly translated verse and ignoring the first half of the verse, imparts an interpretation that exceeds the boundaries of the translation.

“…for sin is ‘anomia’” where ‘anomia’ is commonly translated into three words that are synonymous: Evil, iniquity, lawlessness; not in a specific sense, such as restricted to the Decalogue, but in a general sense, for a Greek, speaking Greek, would understand ‘anomia’ from the perspective of Greek culture, and not Hebrew culture.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; — Romans 3:23

God shares His glory with no one.

I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. — Isaiah 42:8

For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. — Isaiah 48:11

The devil’s children, such as were the Pharisees, sought their own glory through the law; an elevated status among their peers. For those who reject the gospel, it is often due to their need to glorify themselves… give themselves the credit and glory even when it comes to their own salvation, believing their law keeping, according to their interpretation of Mt. 19:17, results in them saving themselves; a self-glorification that sees God’s participation in their salvation as a minor assistance. The function of the Holy Spirit is to enable them to keep the law, where they can now ‘hit the mark’ in relation to the glory of God, which again they interpret to mean the avoidance of sin by keeping the law.

Notice then the parallel with the goal of Satan to achieve parity with God through his own glorification of his own position where he sought to establish his throne on par with or equal to God’s.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! °For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: °I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. — Isaiah 14:12-14

The Gospel is a plain and simple matter of Salvation being about what God does for mankind, where the only ‘requirement’ on our part is belief; faith and trust in God that He does exactly what He says He will do.

Those who reject the Gospel do so for one of two reasons:

1) They do not believe God. They do not have faith in God.

2) They believe they have an active part in their own Salvation where they can boast in their own ‘glory’ for accomplishing their part of the process, such as keeping the law. Their Salvation is a collaborative effort, where they can share in the glory.

There are also those who falsify the Gospel for their own gain; false prophets seeking a following; wolves in sheep’s clothing who seek to feed their own bellies at the expense of others, robbing them not only of their livelihoods, but even their life in paradise with God in His kingdom through this subterfuge. They often use the law as the means of their deception, appealing to the ego of their followers by presenting themselves as though they know the spiritual ropes of salvation.

The true Gospel resists manipulation by deceivers, due to its simplicity. Deceivers need complexity in order to sell their services to those they seek to manipulate and control. They need to present the Gospel as a complex issue with hoops that need to be jumped through in order to achieve the final goal.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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