Thoughts on Christian Living Book #2 by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS (UNDERSTANDING THE CONTRAST)

“I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalm 32:5.

It is true that some folks have the mindset of concrete: thoroughly mixed

up and profusely set. They would argue with the proverbial signpost, but they cannot argue with God,

neither may they box with Him because their arm is too short! So, it is not the burden of men to convince one another that they are sinners. The Holy Spirit witnesses that in every heart. But the idea of sin may be better understood in the simplistic terms of “Use” and “Misuse.”

Get it straight, and never forget it! God is righteous, but men are not. If

men are not righteous; they are sinners, big time! Some jovial chap will roar that all sin is sin, and there is no difference! Others will say that there is no difference to God. I find it amusing that so many seem to know the mind of God in these matters without a specific scripture reference. Stay with me for a moment.

If all sin is the same, why are there at least three categories of it:

transgression, iniquity, and sin? Psalm 32:5. If all sin is the same, why were some sins worthy of death, and others

could be atoned for? If all sin is the same why did Jesus say the Pharisees would receive the greater condemnation?

Certainly, one sin of any sort severs one from God as Adam and Eve sinned in Eden. But, beyond that the saints have to deal with their sinful nature every day of their life, and there is a wide array of sins. So leaving “Iniquity” and “Transgression” for another time, let us focus on the term “Sin.”

“Sin” means “to miss the mark!” To miss the mark of anything assumes the

mark was intended to be hit, but missed. Thus, sin is the misuse of every possible thing in life. Think about the common sins of men. “Greed” is the misuse of things material or

immaterial acquired in excess, and restricted to the individual, when enough of those things are already made available for one to serve and honor God day by day. It is use vs misuse.

Consider these examples. Alcohol and drugs were made by the same God who created everything else. They have a purpose: medicinal, not recreational. It is a simple matter of use vs misuse. Sexual activity was created to insure the survival of the species, thus placed within honorable perimeters. Outside of those perimeters it is misuse; hence, sin. Language may be loving or vile; a matter of use vs misuse. Human Relationships may be gentle, kind and loving, or abusive, harsh, and mean. It is a matter of

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