Tag Archives: sin

May 21, 2009 · 3:25 pm

“He Who Commits Sin Is a Slave to Sin”

It always comes down to the sin question.  The Savior is not going to let us slide on this point.

“Sin is the transgression of the law.”   Breaking one of the Ten Commandments is the scriptural definition (I John 3: 4).  We all have in the past broken them, but are we still breaking them?

For Christ “shall save His people from their sins.”  For “He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin” (Matthew 1: 21; I John 3: 5).  Are we professing Christians “in Him” or not?

The True Light is come now.  We have no excuse for our sin today.  If we do not believe in the Light, we reject what the Light can do in our lives.  Man is already condemned if this is the case.

Loving Darkness More than Light

Most human beings reject or do not believe in the Light because they love the dark deeds that they get to do, and they do not want to give them up.  These actions are evil.  And if man is doing evil things, things against God and man–sin, in other words–then he is going to hate the Light that exposes that evil action.  That person will not come to the light because he is afraid that his actions will be discovered.  Most adulteries, fornications, thefts, murders, and evil in general occur at night.

It is only when a person is truly and completely fed up with being a slave to sin–only then will they welcome the cleansing light of His truth.

A Slave to Sin?  Really?

But, a slave to sin?  Is man with his old nature in bondage to sin?  Is sin his master?  The scriptures of truth say, Yes.

Christ was speaking to some who were gathered.  “And you shall kow the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8: 32-34).  The pricked them, for they responded indignantly, “We have never been in bondage to any man.  We have never been slaves.  How then is the truth going to free us from anything?’

He then told them just what kind of bondage He was talking about.  “Everyone that commits sin is a slave to sin.  And the slave does not continue in the house forever: the son continues forever.”  In the KJV, it says “servant.”  But this is rendered from the Greek word G1401 meaning “a slave or bondman.”  Its root word (G1210) means “to bind with chains.”

The apostle Paul wrote about this bondage to sin in Romans 6: 16.  If you yield yourselves to obey the old master Sin in your life, then you are a slave to sin.  You won’t be able to stop.  You will obey sins dictates and holds and demands on you.  But if you obey God in putting that old sinful nature to death, then you will become a servant unto the righteous Spirit of God that He will place inside you through belief in His resurrection.

God has provided a way for the bondage of sin and sinning to be broken.  It is at the cross.  To be free, we must surrender and place our old sinful hearts on the cross.  It’s the only way to freedom from sin and sinning.  KWH

{Check out “He Who Commits Sin Is a Slave to Sin–Part II for more.  If this has been helpful, forward it to others; bookmark this site, and please come visit again and share comments on your experiences.  God bless.}

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April 20, 2009 · 1:59 am

Taking the LORD’s Name in Vain–What Does It Really Mean?

One of the Ten Commandments reads, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD in vain” (Exodus 20:16). We were taught that this meant to not curse out someone using the phrase “G—d— you.” That is a sound teaching for all of us to follow. However, upon further investigation, this commandment really does not mean this.

First of all, we now know that the King James translators substituted the title “the LORD” for the Hebrew name of God, YHWH, or Yahweh. So it should read, “Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh in vain.” “God” is a title and not His name.

But to “take” the name Yahweh—what does that mean? Looking up the word “take” in Strong’s Concordance, we see that it is translated from the Hebrew word nasaw, #5375, meaning “to lift up, to extol.” In too many references to mention, it is translated “to lift up,” as in, to lift up voices to heaven, to lift up hands, eyes, hearts, etc. In one place it is translated “extol.”

So, with this in mind, we can now read the commandment, “Thou shalt not lift up the name of Yahweh in vain.” Looking up the phrase “in vain” in Strong’s, we see that it means, “false, falsely.” The same Hebrew word is translated “falsely” in many passages.

The More Correct Meaning of This Commandment

Putting this knowledge into the commandment, we now can read it with true meaning: “Thou shalt not lift up and extol the name of Yahweh falsely.” His name is holy—“hallowed be thy name.” So, using His name in a false way, for false purposes, is breaking that commandment and is a sin against Him. His name is to be praised, for our very lives and salvation are coded into His name. Consequently, knowing how precious and powerful His name is, for us to invoke His name for selfish reasons would be breaking this commandment.

A blatant scriptural example of this comes to mind. Someone once said that no man’s life is absolutely worthless; it can always serve as a horrible example. Such is the case of Simon the sorcerer. Simon, who had bewitched the people into thinking that he was a “the great power of God” was witnessing the true ministry of Philip. Philip preached “the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Yahshua, the Messiah” (Acts 8:12). Simon’s followers believed Philip’s message, along with Simon himself, who was baptized, and followed Philip, “beholding the miracles and signs which were done.” The apostles in Jerusalem “heard that Samaria had received the word of God,” and they sent Peter and John, who prayed for the new believers, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. When Simon saw that the people received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, he offered the apostles money to buy this power. Of course, they rejected and rebuked him for his sin and folly. The point here is that he was lifting up Yah’s name in a false manner, for false pretenses and purposes, and it was sin.

I have to ask this question: Seeing that the phrase “taking the Lord’s name in vain” does not mean what we were taught growing up, how many other things about God have been erroneous? Kenneth Wayne Hancock

{You may read more about the Sacred Names in my online books found here: http://yahwehisthesavior.com/  or click on “My books online” on the Blogroll in the right hand column. Make a comment; share your thoughts with thousands worldwide. If this has been helpful to you, book mark it and share it with others}

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March 30, 2009 · 12:54 pm

Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb

People are pressed down by this old world system.  The world’s economies are skidding down into a gigantic depression.  People are under extreme pressure, some even going crazy, killing their families and themselves.  They are losing their jobs, their homes, cars, their lives as they know it.

In lieu of all this, Christ’s words ring with the crystal clarity of truth: “In the world, you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

But here is a newsflash:  We shall overcome also!  But how do we overcome the world and all of its tribulation, trouble, and anguish?

The First Overcoming

The first overcoming, which leads to all of the overcomings, or victories in Christ, is the victory over sin in our lives.  It is a direct victory of the power of the devil in our lives, for “he that commits sin is of the devil.”  But to get rid of sin in our lives was the “purpose the  Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3: 8).

How is this done?  “They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12: 11).  Our victory over the evil comes through these two things.

Many talk a good Christian ballgame, but few deliver through the lives that they lead.  Many claim to follow Christ, yet they still do secret sins, which emanate from the dark recesses of an unregenerated heart–a heart that is old and carnal–a heart that has not climbed Calvary’s hill to submit to the death of the cross along with Christ.

By the Blood of Christ the Sacrificial Lamb

He is the sin sacrifice–the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”  He takes away the sin of the world. When He gets through, we don’t have it anymore.  But we must identify our old sinful heart with Him that day of the Lamb’s death some 2,000 years ago.  This is how the Lamb’s blood cleanses us.  When it drained out of Him, the life and energy and power of sin died out.  When His blood was all spilled out, then the lifeforce of sin in us drained out as well. This is how we overcame the devil.  It is from this cleansing of sin through the death of our old nature, of our old spirit, of our old heart.

Yet, sadly, chances are very slim that you will hear this in today’s church houses and Sunday schools.  It is “too strong, too harsh.”  It is not politically correct and is a sure fire way for the hired preacher to lose his pastorship.  But the old preachers of past centuries taught these very things I have shared here.  John Wesley taught it, yet you won’t hear this in a modern Methodist church.  Martin Luther taught it, but today’s Lutherans won’t hear it in church.  Spurgeon taught it, but most Baptists won’t hear this stark message in their churches.

But this is how we repent from sin.  The very first apostles’ doctrine was “repentance from dead works.”  Sin, the breaking of the 10 Commandments, is a “dead work,” for it leads to death.  And getting rid of sin in our lives is the very cornerstone in the sure foundation Christ talked about.  Without this start in Christ, the foundation is shaky, and the house will fall when the devil winds blow.   Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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December 3, 2008 · 7:20 pm

Conversations With the Seer–What Is Sin in God’s Eyes?

(Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the Seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a Seer. I Samuel 9: 9)

“Just what is sin then?” I asked the Seer.  We had been talking about the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the “sin” question had come up.

“Sin is the breaking of the law,” he said (1).

“Which law?”

“The Ten Commandments.  If you are breaking one of them, then you are in a sinful state.  The apostle Paul of Tarsus proves this when he wrote, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet (2).  Here he equates sin with breaking one of the Ten Commandments.  Coveting or desiring your neighbor’s possessions or wife is a sin, prohibited by the Ten Commandments.  There are nine others.  Breaking any of them is sinning.”

“But I’ve been taught that sin can be anything from dancing to drinking wine, from getting angry to not doing something that I am supposed to do.”

“Shuffling one’s feet on a hardwood floor does not necessarily mean one is sinning.  Remember King David, flooded with complete joy, danced in the streets; he did not sin.  The Savior Himself drank wine in the homes of sinners and publicans (3), yet He committed no sin.  He also got angry at the moneychangers at the temple, yet without sin.”

“Why don’t the preachers teach this?”

“They either do not know the truth, or they have turned from the truth and continued on in man’s traditions.  I do not judge them.  We all have a Judge who will examine us in light of the knowledge given us by Him.”

“You mentioned dancing and drinking wine.  Why would that not be sinning?”

“God looks on the intents of the heart (4).  If dancing is used for sinful and lustful purposes, then it is suspect.  Same goes for drinking a glass of fermented grape juice.  Righteous indignation is not the same as selfish anger.”

“Sin then is a spiritual condition.”

“Yes.  It is a spiritual condition of the heart, of the core of a person.  But sin does not have to be permanent in the human being.  A ‘new heart’ composed of His Spirit can be transplanted into the human being through repentance and faith toward God (5).”  He saw that I had enough to chew on, so he stopped speaking.

I thanked him for the visit and walked away with some answers, but they seemed to germinate and sprout into more questions–questions for another day.        Kenneth Wayne Hancock

1. I John 3:4

2. Romans 7: 7

3. Luke 19: 2

4. Hebrew 4:12

5. Ezekiel 36: 26-27

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October 18, 2008 · 8:06 pm

The Unforgiveable Sin–The Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost

     I was worried sick that I had gone and done it.  So I went to a wise man who listened to my concern.  I told him how empty and far away I felt from God, and how I felt that I had irreparably damaged myself with my Maker.  “Do you think there’s any hope for me?” I finally asked.

 

     He just smiled and said, “The very fact that you are here asking me about it shows that you have not committed the unforgiveable sin.  Those who have committed it are so prideful and so full of themselves that they would never humble themselves to ask.  They wipe their mouths and say, I have done no wrong.”

 

     “It’s just that I feel terrible about the things that I have done.”

 

     “It is a good thing to have godly sorrow about the sin in our lives.  Those sins are easily forgiven by God.  The unpardonable sin is another thing.”

 

     “It must be pretty bad for God to not ever forgive it.”   

  

      And then he told me the story of the Pharisees, the religious hypocrites in Christ’s day, the ones who committed the unforgiveable sin:

 

     –The Pharisees could only see the Savior after the outward appearance.  All they saw was his flesh and blood body.  They could not see the Spirit inside of Him.  They did not believe that the Father Yahweh was residing in Him. 

 

     They were always looking for ways to discredit the Son of God.  One day He and His disciples went out on the sabbath day and picked corn to eat.  The Pharisees chided Him for it.  The Savior showed them that David and the levitical priests profaned the sabbath day and yet were blameless in God’s sight (Matt. 12:1-5). 

 

     And then He drops a bombshell that was totally lost on them.  ‘But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.’ Look, you hypocrites, He was saying.  The old temple and tabernacle were only types and shadows of the reality to come.  The true  temple of God is his people; that is His body.  And God, who you say you worship, is speaking to you right now through His very temple and you cannot even see or hear it.  The Spirit of Yahweh Himself is standing right in front of you in His very temple, and you can’t see, for you are blind!  The “Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath,” for the Creator Himself is residing in the Son and He created the sabbath.  So how can He profane it (Matthew 12:6-8)?  Later he goes into one of their synagogues and heals a man with a withered hand and declares that it is indeed lawful to do good on the sabbath day.  This incenses the Pharisees even more, and they get together to find out how they might kill him (12: 10-14). He gets away, and great multitudes come to him, and he heals all of their sick.  Then they brought one ‘possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.’  This, of course, infuriated the Pharisees and they said that He cast out the devils by a bigger devil inside of Jesus (Yahshua)—the prince of the devils named Beelzebub.

    

     In other words, they said that it wasn’t the Father doing the miracles; it couldn’t be, they thought, for they did not believe that the Father was actually in the Son doing the miracles.  They were calling good evil.  They were blaspheming the Holy Spirit that was in the Son by saying that the Spirit, who is the Father, was not God but a devil.  This is the one and only sin that cannot be forgiven–not in this world or the world to come.

 

     The Father was the Spirit inside of the Son.  The Son was the “expressed image of the invisible God.”  The Son said that the works that he did was done by the Father within him.  When the Pharisees said that it was a devil inside the Son of God doing the miracles and not the Creator God, the Holy Spirit, then they had blasphemed God.  They had crossed the line; they had sealed their fate.  They had blasphemed the Holy Ghost.  This is the one unforgivable sin–

 

     When the wise man finished the story, I told him I was relieved.  And then he said, Yes, the truth will make you free, and he went on his way.                      Kenneth Wayne Hancock

 

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September 9, 2008 · 2:26 pm

“Faith Toward God”–The Second Apostles’ Doctrine

    We are told to repent from our old life in the first apostles’ doctrine, but how do we do it?  How do we really change our old selfish ways, and let the old self die?  The second apostles’ doctrine teaches us how to do it. 

     How do we get rid of the old sinful life and get into the new life in Christ?  We reckon it done by faith/belief.  How do we start walking in a brand new life?  We reckon it done by faith.  Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ (Yahshua Messiah). Rom. 6:11. 

     We’ve got to reckon it done!  The word “reckon” is #3049 in Strong’s.  It means “to account it, to count it as such.”

     God wants us to reckon it so, but He does it first! When we turn to Him, then He counts us righteous in His eyes even in our imperfect state.  It is His nature to “call those things that do not exist as though they did.” Rom. 4:17, NKJV. If He is this positive, then He would want His children to be the same.

     He wants us to follow in His footsteps!  God “accounted” righteousness to Abraham because of his belief—before Abraham was righteous!  “Accounted” here is the same word as the one translated “reckon.”  We are commanded to RECKON some things done.  Now we have to reckon our sinful self gone—by belief—as though it were already done—for that is how God looks at it!  By belief!  Reckon it done through Him and His faith.  He said it.  Let it be done.  For what saith the scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  Rom. 4:3.  Yahweh imputed, reckoned to Abraham the ability to live in a upright manner, keeping Yahweh’s laws and not sinning, by just believing that Yahweh had done it!  We make it so hard through our hard heart of unbelief.  He is looking for childlike faith, the belief of a small child.  All we have to do is just believe that Yahweh has provided a way for us to actually put the old life to death and start living a new life in Him (read more from my book on this subject at   http://www.yahwehisthesavior.com/yahch30.htm ). 

     When Christ died, our old sins died with Him that day.  When He was buried, we were buried.  And when He arose, we arose with Him.  It is already done in God’s eyes.  We just have to receive this new life by faith and belief.  It hinges on our belief in Christ’s resurrection.  By us believing that He was raised from the dead, we are raised with Him to walk in a newness of life. 

      The old ministers of centuries past knew this and  preached and wrote about this–Luther, Wesley, Murray, et al.  But in the last days, there will be a departing from the faith–the faith that reckons it so, believing in the life-changing power of the cross experience.    Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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