BiblicalInsights.net

Mankind’s biggest problem is sin.  What is sin?  “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is a transgression of the law” (I John 3:4).  “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death” (I John 5:17).  “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).  Sin is a transgression of God’s law.  It is unrighteousness.  It is failure to do good.  There are at least nine words in the Greek New Testament that describe different aspects of sin.  Let’s consider a definition of each term and an example that illustrates it.  Each word emphasizes our need of a savior.
Sin (Harmartia).  “Missing the Mark”
Sin is a missing of the mark when the mark is God’s will and purpose for our life.  This is the most common word for sin in the New Testament (found 16 times in Rom. 6 and many other places). Whenever king Saul by pride and disobedience failed to do what God commanded him to do, he missed the mark.  Saul failed to obey the command of God to utterly destroy the Amalekites (I Samuel 15).  Saul and the people saved king Agag alive and the best of the livestock (I Sam. 15:9) in direct disobedience to God’s command (I Sam. 15:3).  Saul’s kingdom was taken away from him by the Lord because of his presumptuous sacrifice (I Sam. 13:8-14).  Samuel rebuked him for his disobedience and told him that his kingdom would not continue (I Sam. 13:13-14).
Transgression (Parabasis).
This word means to cross over the line.  It is a deliberate violation of God’s law by stepping over the line that God has drawn.  This sin can only be a sin of commission.  It is a deliberate and defiant disobedience.  It is found in Rom. 4:15 (KJV-transgression).  In Rom. 2:23, we learn that breaking the law dishonors God.  In Gen. 2:17, God gave Adam a clear commandment drawing the line regarding what fruit in the Garden of Eden that he was not to eat.  Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.  Later, after being tempted by satan, Eve yielded to the temptation and ate of the forbidden fruit.  Then, she gave some of it to Adam and he did eat thereof.  When they did this, they crossed the line God had drawn.
Lawlessness (Anomia).
Nomos is the Greek word for law.  The prefix “a” negates this word and so we have “without law” or “lawlessness.”  This term is found in I John 3:4 (quoted above).  A good example of this type of sin is found in the lawlessness of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-2).  They offered strange fire before the Lord which He commanded them not.  The priests were commanded to get the fire to burn incense from a specific location (Ex. 30:8-9).  These men ignored this restriction and their violation of God’s commandment cost them their lives.
Failure To Hear (Parakoē).
This word is found in Rom. 5:19 and II Cor. 10:6 (KJV-disobedience).  Two different words are found in Heb. 2:2, “transgression and disobedience”).  Transgression is the deliberate breaking of the law of God and disobedience is failure or refusal to hear the law.  In Numbers 22, Baalim refused to hear the word of the Lord and his own donkey rebuked him for it.  Baalim was enticed to disobey God by the wages of iniquity (Num. 22:7; Jude 11).
Trespass (Paraptōma)–Falling Beyond.
This term in found in Gal. 6:1 and is translated in the KJV by the word fault.  The word refers to apostasy.  The idea of falling from grace.  Whenever a person listens to false teaching, he/she falls away from or beyond the teaching of the Holy Spirit.  Paul gives a good example of this in I Cor. 15:12 where he mentions that some among the Corinthian Christians were teaching that there is no resurrection of the dead.  Paul proceeds to show the dire consequences of such a doctrine in the following verses.  Giving heed to false teaching is clearly a falling beyond the word of God and puts us into apostasy which places the soul in peril of damnation.  Such manifests unbelief and unbelief will damn the soul (Mark 16:16).
Ignorance (Agnoēma-not knowing).
In Heb. 9:7, the writer informs us that according to the Mosaical Law, the high priest entered into the Most Holy Place once a year with blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.  This word (errors) is found only once in the New Testament.  It describes sin from the perspective of “ignorance.”  It is ignorance of what should be known.  Knowledge of God’s sacred truth is a safe guard against sinning against Him.  “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee” (Psa. 119:11).  In I Tim. 1:13, Paul revealed that, before he became a Christian, he was injurious, a persecutor, and a blasphemer against God.  He says that he did these things “ignorantly” in unbelief.  Luke gives the historical account of this conduct in Acts 7, 8, & 9.  Ignorance leads to unbelief which in turn leads to disobedience.
Failure to Stand (Hēttēma).
Sin always produces loss and defeat (Rom. 11:12; I Cor. 6:7).  In Romans, the KJV has diminishing.  In I Cor., it has fault.  Defeat is the opposite of victory.  If you sin against God, you are a loser.  Yet, most sin because they think they will gain some advantage.  Surely this is part of the deception of sin.  In Luke 22:54-62, Peter denied the Lord three times.  What do you suppose he thought that he would gain by doing this?   Perhaps he was afraid for his life.  But, when he denied the Lord, he lost something of great value–relationship with Jesus Christ.  After Jesus was raised from the dead, this breach of relationship was healed (John 21).
Without Reverence (Asebeia).
The profligate life dishonors God.  Sin manifests itself in a lack of piety towards God or irreverence.  In Rom. 1:18, Titus 2:12, and Jude 15, the KJV translates this word as ungodly or ungodliness.   Rom. 1:18-32 gives a general description of the ungodly by mentioning a list of twenty-three sins in vv. 28-32.  The word shows the attitude or disposition of heart of people who have no respect for God or the things of God.  They do not fear God.  Consequently, they participate in irreligious acts (sin).
Without Justice (Adikia).
Unjust acts directed toward other people constitute sin.  These acts are accomplished because of a scorn for justice and righteousness.  These attitudes and actions violate the law of love for neighbor.  They are iniquitous.  Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus is described as iniquitous (Acts 1:18).  This word is also found in Luke 16:8 and Rom. 1:18 (the unjust and the unrighteous).  Whenever king Herod murdered the innocent children in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, he committed a gross act of unjustness (Matt. 2:16-ff).
Sin is multifaceted.  However, all sin dishonors God and challenges His sovereignty over us.  Many sins harm others and mar our own character.  Sin always destroys and damns.  Anyone who sins is a loser.  Hopefully, if you have gained an insight into your own sin, you will see your need of a savior and run to God who reconciles us to Himself by His Son Jesus Christ (II Cor. 5:17-21). Only through faith in Jesus and obedience to His commandments (I John 5:4; Heb. 5:8-9) can we be victorious (I Cor. 15:57).

The Sermon on the Mount includes the prayer that Jesus taught to His disciples (Matthew 6:9-13).  The prayer contains sixty-six words (KJV).  But, it includes all of the essential elements of a prayer:  address, body, and closing.  We now pray through Jesus’ name because He is our mediator and intercessor (John 16:26; I Tim. 2:5; Rom. 8:34).
The prayer includes the phrase, “Deliver us from evil.”  The petition involves satan exposed, countered and defeated.
Satan Exposed
The word of God exposes satan as the enemy of every human being.  I Pet. 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  Satan is a destroyer (Rev. 9:11).  He is a deceiver.  John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  Satan is a tempter.  He tempts us to bring us to condemnation before God.  “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.  And when the tempter came to him, he said If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matt. 4:1-3).  Paul declares that we are not ignorant of his devices (II Cor. 2:11).  Through the truth of God’s word, we are informed about our enemy and so can prepare to overcome him.
Satan Countered
Jesus is our example in overcoming temptation (Matt. 4:1-11).  Jesus met each of the temptations presented to Him by satan with the word of God.  Knowledge of God’s word is indispensable in refuting the lies (temptations) of satan.  A firm commitment to the truth is also necessary.  Jesus was determined to maintain virtue of heart and soul.  Jesus also exercised spiritual discernment (righteous judgment) in order to differentiate between truth and error.  Jesus resisted satan and satan fled from Him.  Paul states that with every temptation there is a way of escape (I Cor. 10:13).  “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape.”  In I Tim. 6:11-12, Paul gives three was to escape any temptation.  First, we may flee.  Joseph did this to escape from Potipher’s wife (Gen. 39:7-12).  Second, we my follow after Jesus.  Pursuit of righteousness is a sure way to defeat temptation.  Third, we may fight (contend earnestly for the faith).  This may involve reproof (Eph. 5:11), defense of truth (Phil. 1:17), instruction in righteousness (II Tim. 3:16-17). Through following God’s Word and the example of Jesus we can be delivered from evil.
Satan Defeated
The ultimate defeat of satan occurred when Jesus died on the cross. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).  “He that committed sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8). Satan’s work involves bringing  people to condemnation before God by tempting them to transgress God’s precepts.  When they sin against God, they die spiritually.  Sin and death are conquered by Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection.  He makes reconciliation to God possible by the atoning power of His blood.  When we are forgiven by God, we are delivered from evil.  Through the Lord Jesus Christ, we can overcome satan and live victoriously!  Forgiveness of sins is contingent upon our willingness to obey the commands of Christ given in the gospel (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38).  These commands are to repent of our sins and be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins.  Obedience must be from the heart (Rom. 6:16-17) and so must be executed in faith and love for the Lord.  “Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness (Rom. 6:18).  Yes, delivered from evil.

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7-8).
The word mocked is a translation of the Greek word mukterizetai from muktirizo which is defined as: “to contract the nose in contempt and derision; to toss up the nose, to mock, to deride.” Muktirizo is from mukter–the Greek word for nose.  When one “turns up the nose” he rejects something because he thinks it is not good enough for him.  He refuses to accept it.  A couple of examples will help illustrate the meaning.  First, “I offered the cat some food, but it turned up its nose and walked away.”  Second, “We offered her a pretty good job, but she turned up her nose at it.”
Some synonyms would be:  “to turn down,” “to dismiss,” “to ignore,”  and “to refuse to believe or accept something.”
God’s law and His justice cannot be rejected and held in contempt by individuals without reaping the consequences.  When we reject God’s law, we are saying that it is not good enough for us.  We believe we have found something better.  But, what we have found is not better than what God has to offer us.  Hence, this type of thinking involves self-deception and this self-deception is involved in the rejection.  We are accountable to God for the self-deception and the rejection of His word.  This rejection is unbelief.  Unbelief “turns up the nose” to God!  The gesture involving derision or contempt for the sacred things of God is offensive to the goodness of God.
Paul indicates that there are only two areas of choice:  flesh and Spirit.  When we sow to the flesh (live a life in pursuit of the fleshly lusts or sinful conduct) we reap corruption.  When we sow to the Spirit (live a life in pursuit of the spiritual things that belong to God or righteousness) we reap life (the abundant life and everlasting life).  This is an eternal principle of truth–you reap what you sow!  A person cannot sow to the flesh and reap life.  A person cannot sow to the Spirit and reap corruption.  But, many believe that they can sow to the flesh and still go to heaven!  This type of thinking involves self-deception because you cannot turn up your nose to God by unbelief and think that God is going to save you.
God offers us and gives us the best.  His grace, mercy, and love are unsurpassed.  His goodness is unsurpassed.  The lusts of the flesh or works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) do not exceed in value or quality God and His goodness.  The works of the flesh will corrupt and destroy your life.  Paul named these fleshly works in Galatians 5, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall to inherit the kingdom of God.”
Paul also lists the fruit of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).  The two lists are set in strong contrast.  The end results of the pursuit of either way of life (flesh or Spirit) is equally different.  “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.  For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6).
Paul is instructing his readers not to be deceived (self-deceived) into thinking that they can turn up the nose to God (hold Him in contempt or derision) because they believe that they have found something better in pursuing a life of fleshly lusts (which is not better than the spiritual fruit God offers through life in the Spirit).  They will reap what they sow.

Sin hardens the hearts of men!  “But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13).  The hard hearted do not mourn their sins or the sins of others.  Instead, they are arrogant, prideful, and rebellious.  Paul describes their obstinacy in Romans 1:32, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death,  not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Contrast this heart condition with the hearts of the righteous.  Two examples will illustrate the difference.  The first is Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.  In Jeremiah 9:1 he writes, “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!”  Jeremiah lamented the apostasy of God’s people who had forsaken the LORD for idols.  He knew the impending destruction that would befall them because of their sin (Jeremiah 8:18-22).  The second is Jesus.  Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stoneth them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”  Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24.  In Luke 19:41, Luke writes, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it” (Luke 19:42-44).  Matthew Henry said, “The sins of sinners are the sorrows of the saints.”
David in Psalm 119:136, weeps for the sins of others.  “Rivers of waters run down my eyes, because they keep not thy law.”
The Source of This Mourning
The source of this mourning is the sin of the sinner.  Nothing affected David’s heart more than the dishonoring of God’s law whose glory shines through His word and His judgments.  When God’s law is dishonored, God is dishonored.  A godly man is deeply moved by the dishonoring words and deeds of the unrighteous.  Another source of these tears is the compassion of the righteous.  The sins of others are the sorrows of the saints!  The righteous understand the fierceness of the wrath of God.  They can see and predict the doom of the ungodly.
The Nature of This Mourning
First, let us note what this mourning is not.  It is not apathy.  Apathy is disinterest, lack of concern.  The righteous are not indifferent to the rampant sin of the world.  John declares that the whole world lies in darkness (I John 5:19).  This causes deep grief and is unsettling to every righteous person.  It is not a proud setting off of their own goodness or a holier than thou attitude.  It is not derision or mockery.  It is not bitterness or anger.  It is not vindictiveness or revenge.  It is sorrow of the soul that produces rivers of tears.
Second, it is an act more useful to make us more careful of our own souls.  The righteous understand the peril that sin brings to the soul.  Mourning the sins of others makes us more careful of our own steps lest we fall into the condemnation of the LORD.
Third, It is a barrier to temptation.  The soul cannot bring itself to do what it legitimately mourns in others.  The righteous do not envy the ungodly.  Rather, they weep for them.  The righteous have a true insight into the spiritual consequences of sin. That reality molds the conscience and provides a barrier to sin.
Fourth, it is the height of compassion that sees the appalling spectacle of a world of people apostatized from God.  The shear numbers are staggering when you consider that more than 7.5 billion people inhabit the planet.  Only a small percentage have found the one, true, and living God (Matt. 7:13-14).
Fifth, It is a reflection of a great and intense love for the precepts, ways, and judgments of God.  David affirmed, “O, how love I thy law!  It is my mediation all the day” (Psa. 119:97).  A lack of response to the sins of others may betray a distance between ourselves and God.  Part of the slow and steady compromise with sin involves a lack of passion and devotion to God.  Jesus observed, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt. 24:12).  Love dies where sin has free course in the hearts of men.  The saints of God are not immune to this malady of the soul.  When we love God and His Word, our sorrow is greatly increased when people trample Him and it under foot.
Sixth, It is the realization of the horror of horrors.  Jesus said, “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).  To die outside of God’s mercy is the greatest calamity that could befall a human life.  When we realize that a precious soul is doomed to eternal punishment–it is a cause for deep sorrow and rivers of tears.
Seventh, It is grief–abundant sorrow–shown when the greatest love goes unrequited.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). When God’s love for the world is rebuffed and rejected it is cause for deep sorrow.  When anyone turns away from God’s love, he/she is destined to face God’s wrath!
The Effect of This Mourning
This mourning serves to warn the unrighteous.  When holy men weep, the world should ask, “What’s wrong?”  This mourning serves to instruct the ungodly.  The righteous exemplify godly sorrow.  Godly sorrow is sorrow that is generated in the human heart that understands its transgression against God, that fears the wrath of God, and is genuinely grieved by sin and its consequences.  The righteous teach the sinner the pathway to the heart of God involves a river of tears (II Cor. 7:10-11).  This mourning serves to invite the ungodly to seek a remedy for sin.  The solution to this type of mourning is the joy that comes through salvation.  Godly sorrow leads to repentance which in turn leads to salvation.  Those saved from their sins rejoice (Acts 8:39; 16:34).  The righteous rejoice (Luke 15).  Heaven rejoices (Luke 15:10).
Where Do We Begin?
David mourned his own sins.  “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears: (Psa. 6:6).  He cried for mercy, ‘Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed:” (Psa. 6:2).  Joy returns when sin is forgiven and the conscience is cleared and cleansed.  “For the LORD will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies” (Lamentations 3:31-32).  “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psa. 126:5).

“Dying in Sin” is an expression of horror that is greater than all other horrors–a horror of horrors!  To die impenitent and unforgiven is the supreme spiritual disaster.
Dying in sin is a phrase first encountered in the Old Testament.  It is found in Ezekiel 3:18, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”  And, in Ezekiel 18:18, “As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.”  Both passages express a finality regarding one’s spiritual condition at death.
Jesus Used The Phrase, “Die in Your Sins.”
In John 8:21-24, Jesus used the phrase under consideration.  “Then said Jesus again unto them, “I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in hour sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.  Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
Who Said It?
Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and the Jews.  Jesus intimately knows the hearts of men.  John affirms this in John 2:25, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”  Indeed, Jesus searches the hearts of men and knows what characterizes the human heart.
To Whom Did He Say It?
While Jesus was in the temple area, specifically the area where the treasury was located, he had a conversation with the Pharisees (v. 13, 19, 20).  While He addresses them, He also broadens His speech to include the Jews (v. 22-24).  This would include the religious leaders among the Jews and those that they were able to persuade.  This group is commonly presented as the enemies of Jesus.  Their unbelief and disobedience was known by Jesus and His disciples.
What Did He Say?
Jesus said plainly, “Ye shall seek me and ye shall die in your sins” (v. 21).  In v. 21, Jesus states emphatically that they were in spiritual peril.  Jesus indicted them, “ye are of this world.”  He did not mean that they were humans living on the earth, but that they were worldly in their hearts.  They did not believe that He was the Son of God and would later charge Him with blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God.  They did not obey His teaching.  Their unbelief and disobedience were at the root of Jesus’ statement, “ye shall die in your sins.”  Dying is a reference to the end of their physical lives upon the earth.  Death is defined biblically as the moment when the spirit leaves the body (James 2:26). There is a finality to death regarding our ability to affect our spiritual status before God.  Once death occurs, there are no second chances to change our spiritual status. Dying in sin involves a state of unbelief and disobedience or a state of rebellion against God.  They were both impenitent and unforgiven.  Consequently, they would die without hope (I Thess. 4:13-18).  Their spiritual end is described in II Thess. 1:7-9, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”   Such an end to human life is a horror of horrors!
Why Did He Say It?
Many among the Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah.  Many of the Pharisees were able to persuade others of this same erroneous view (John 12:42).  Their unbelief and disobedience led to their spiritual ruin.  Jesus knew their hearts.  He knew how they had hardened their hearts against Him.  He warns them of the impending peril of their souls. Later, many of these same religious leaders led the charge of blasphemy against Jesus and demanded that He be put to death (Matthew 26:57-68).  Their hardness of heart led to a hatred that is unmatched in human history.  Only the love of God can pierce a human heart so full of hatred and so hardened by unbelief.  The reality of sin and how it affects the human heart is laid bare by the Lord.  Some human hearts are not able to be penetrated by the most powerful force on the earth–God’s love!  Indeed, there is a  solemn warning to all of us in these words: “Ye shall die in your sins!”  “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Various circumstances in life can bring us to a moment of truth.  The moment of truth can reveal the truth about ourselves.  When we fail, we experience a moment of truth. We come face to face with our own humanity and weaknesses.  The time of temptation is a moment of truth.  The truth about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, can and often is a moment of truth.  The first time we realize our need of salvation through Jesus Christ is a moment of truth.  The first time we experience betrayal from a friend is a moment of truth about the treachery the human heart is capable of accomplishing.
In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul brings the Gentiles (chapter one) and the Jews (chapter two) to a moment of truth:  all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
The Moment of Truth For Gentiles
God had revealed Himself to the Gentiles (Rom. 1:19).  His eternal power and godhead was revealed (Rom. 1:20).  Paul declares, “they are without excuse.”  They stand defenseless before God.  The reason, God revealed Himself, His power and His glory to all men, but the Gentiles gave up their knowledge of God and turned to idols (Rom. 1:21-23).  The lack of the knowledge of God, led them into all manner of wickedness.  Paul enumerates their sins in Rom. 1:23-32.  They fell short of the glory of God.  The realization of this spiritual condition was their moment of truth.
The Moment of Truth For the Jews
In Rom. 2, Paul turns his attention to the spiritual condition of the Jews.  They practiced the same things that they condemned in others (Rom. 2:1).  They were guilty of transgressing God’s law.  They experienced the moment of truth about themselves.  Paul further instructs them concerning the purpose of the law.  The law defined sin, but was weak in that it could not remit sin.  The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin (Heb. 10:4).  The only way a Jew could be justified by the law was to keep the law perfectly.  However, no Jew could do this.  Consequently, the Jews face the moment of truth about the law.  The Jews also had to face the truth about Jesus.  Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and the savior of the world.  Jesus was and is the savior of the Jews.  The widespread rejection by the Jews of Jesus Christ as savior would lead to their destruction.  Paul summarizes, “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin” (Rom. 3:9).  Paul continues, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19).  The Jew stands defenseless before God convicted of sin.
The Moment of Conversion–A Moment of Truth
Jews and Gentiles are saved by one gospel–the gospel of Christ.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  There is one faith and there is one savior (Eph. 4:4-6; Acts 4:12).  The same gospel is preached to Jews (Acts 2) and to the Gentiles (Acts 10).  When the Jew and Gentile obeyed the gospel, they became the children of God.  “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26-29).
The Moment of Truth For Every Person
Paul declares, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:4-6).  The Judgment Day of God will be a moment of truth for every person.  Each of us must face the things that we have done in our lifetimes.  God’s righteousness will be the standard of judgment.  The judgment will be inescapable.  It will be universal.  Our lives will be measured by God’s truth.  This defines the most important moment of truth we will ever face.  Hopefully, we will face the moment of truth about ourselves, our God, His Son Jesus Christ and the gospel of Christ before we have to face the moment of truth in judgment before God.  In that day, we will be defenseless.  No excuses, no alibis, no elaborate justifications will hep us.  We will face the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Aubrey Johnson states, “It is no small matter, therefore, to modify a divinely established institution or practice” (Music Matters in the Lord’s Church, p. 58).  Johnson was addressing the attitude that some have towards the Word of God that they can modify it in order to suit them.  Consequently, they add to it or take away from it in order to support their views.
However, we cannot change what God has said and still be pleasing to God.  Mankind does not have the authority to alter God’s Word, yet, this is attempted almost daily.  There are false claims made by individuals who say that God spoke to them and gave them additional information different from God’s Word.  There are false teachers who alter the meaning of the words of the Bible and the grammatical context in order to make the Scriptures say what they want them to say rather than understanding what God meant by what God said.  Then, there are false Bibles that alter the very words of God in order to convey the doctrines that support a particular religious viewpoint.
God Has Protected His Word
God protects His word by expressing the severest penalties for altering it in any way.  The severest penalty is to be eternally damned.  Consider the following passages:
1.  Deut. 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
2.  Deut. 12:32, “What things soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”
3.  Prov. 30:6, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
4.  Rev. 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book.”
God Empowers His Word
If we alter God’s Word, we render it powerless.  Unbelief results in condemnation, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  The unbeliever is lost.  If we do not believe the truth, then we believe a lie and will be damned (II Thess. 2:10-12).  Altering God’s Word produces “lies” that cannot save.  God’s Word imparts life (John 6:63; James 1:18; I Pet. 1:21-23).  God’s Word saves (James 1:21).  If we alter God’s Word we change it and negate its spiritual power.
God Will Vindicate His Word
Paul states, “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).  God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).  His Word is infallible.  To alter God’s Word is to call God a liar.  Satan did this in Gen. 3:4 when he contradicted what God had plainly stated in Gen. 2:17.  Satan added one word–the word “not.”  The statement Satan made was a lie.  Eve believed the lie, while rejecting the truth, and sinned against God.  When we call God a liar, we blaspheme.
God vindicates His Word in life.  Paul writes, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).  When we choose to disobey God in this life, we will suffer the consequences of our sin.  When we obey God, we shall receive a just reward.
God vindicates His Word in judgment.  Jesus taught in John 12:48, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”  This means that we must know the truth and not alter it in any way lest we be found to contradict God and fall under His condemnation.