Jesus And Sins: What Did He Say?

Jesus often talked about sin, but he never explicitly defined it. He taught that sin is disobedience to God, and that it is an internal predisposition that leads to actions and thoughts that are not holy, righteous, or loving. Jesus emphasised personal responsibility for sin and taught that only perfect obedience is good enough to be without sin. He also taught that our motives and thoughts are involved in sin, not just our actions. Jesus's teachings on sin reveal that he came to liberate those who are enslaved by it, and to bring them to God.

Jesus teaches that man is personally responsible for sin

Jesus teaches that man is naturally sinful: it is the condition of man and not something caused by anything external. It is an internal predisposition which results in actions and thoughts which are not holy and righteous and loving. Sin as a condition of man leads to man committing sins which are always against what God wants for man.

Jesus teaches that only perfect obedience is good enough to be without sin. The scribes and Pharisees were held as the most righteous of people. But their righteousness was not enough. Only the righteousness of Jesus was perfect and sinless. He teaches that man is a slave to sin.

> "Truly, truly, I say to you, every person who practices sin is a slave to sin." (John 8:34)

Jesus also teaches that if we confess our sin to God, repent (change our ways), and commit ourselves to obeying the teachings of the Son, then we will be freed from practicing sin.

> "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Jesus teaches that sin is doubting God and disbelieving God. He teaches that in rejecting Jesus, and therefore rejecting the Father, sin is revealed all the more.

> "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn't done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn't have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father." (John 15:22-24)

Jesus teaches that because sin is opposition to God, our motives and thoughts are involved, and not just actions.

> "You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgement.' But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgement. Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna." (Matthew 5:21,22)

Jesus teaches that if we refuse to listen to the Spirit's conviction of sin and refuse to repent then there is no forgiveness.

> "Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme; but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation." (Mark 3:28,29)

Jesus teaches that only perfect obedience is good enough to be without sin

Jesus often talked about sin, but he never defined it. In the 1st Century, the Jewish people knew what sin was: disobedience to the Old Testament law, or the law of Moses. Jesus summarised these laws with two simple commandments: love God and love others.

Jesus taught that only perfect obedience is good enough to be without sin. He said:

> "For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

The scribes and Pharisees were considered the most righteous people, but Jesus taught that only his own righteousness was perfect and sinless. This is a high standard to meet, and one that no human has ever achieved.

Jesus taught that sin is an internal predisposition that leads to actions and thoughts that are not holy, righteous, or loving. It is a condition of mankind, not something caused by external factors. Jesus taught that all have sinned and that we are all sinners, and therefore we should not judge or condemn others.

Jesus emphasised the importance of forgiveness, both in forgiving others and in seeking forgiveness for our own sins. He taught that if we do not forgive others, our heavenly Father will not forgive our sins:

> “…if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

Jesus also taught that it is important not to cause others to sin:

> "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

Jesus taught that we should confess our sins and turn away from them, and that through his sacrifice, we can be forgiven and set free from the practice of sin.

Jesus teaches that sin is opposition to God, therefore our motives and thoughts are involved, not just actions

Jesus often talked about sin, but he never said what it is. This may have been because he was speaking to Jewish people in the 1st Century, and those Jewish people knew what sin was: it was disobedience to the Old Testament law – the law of Moses, as Jesus usually called it. However, Jesus did not define sin, but it appears that he is saying sin is disobedience to do that which we know is good or Godly or even more simply; that which is in opposition to God. Fundamentally, sin is that which opposes God. It is doubting God; disbelieving God; living for ourselves and not God.

Jesus teaches that only perfect obedience is good enough to be without sin. The scribes and Pharisees were held as the most righteous of people. But their righteousness was not enough. Only the righteousness of Jesus was perfect and sinless. Jesus teaches that man is personally responsible for sin and according to the measure of revelation received. We know from other scriptures that all have sinned so all people have some measure of the knowledge of God and his laws. We all carry responsibility for rejecting these laws. From the beginning, God has revealed himself and his laws, and now Jesus, who is truth and light, has come into the world, revealing God in perfect clarity. In rejecting Jesus, and therefore rejecting the Father, sin is revealed all the more.

Because sin is opposition to God, our motives and thoughts are involved, and not just actions. Jesus teaches that by choosing to oppose God, we find sin becomes our master. Jesus answered them, "Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin."

Jesus also teaches that if we refuse to listen to the Spirit's conviction of sin and refuse to repent, then there is no forgiveness. However, God holds man responsible for sin but offers forgiveness through Jesus his Son. Jesus has the authority to forgive sin through the shedding of his blood. His death and resurrection are the reason that remission of sins can be preached.

Jesus teaches that sin is a master to whom we become enslaved

Jesus emphasizes the importance of recognizing and admitting our sins. In John 9:41, he says, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see,' so your sin remains." Jesus is alluding to the fact that acknowledging our sins is the first step towards repentance and forgiveness.

The concept of sin as a form of enslavement is further elaborated in Romans 6:16, where it states, "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" This passage highlights the dichotomy between being enslaved to sin and being enslaved to righteousness.

Jesus offers a way out of this enslavement to sin. Through his sacrifice, we can be set free from the power of sin and become slaves to righteousness instead. Romans 6:18 affirms this transformation, stating, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

Additionally, Jesus teaches that sin is not just about our actions but also our thoughts and motives. In Matthew 5:21-22, he says, "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'You shall not murder,' and 'whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment." By addressing anger as a sin, Jesus underscores the importance of internal righteousness, not just external actions.

In conclusion, Jesus' teachings on sin reveal its insidious nature and the need to recognize and repent from it. By doing so, we can break free from sin's enslavement and, through the power of Christ, become slaves to righteousness instead.

Jesus teaches that he has the authority to forgive sin

In Matthew 9:1-8, Jesus offers a detailed explanation of the connection between healing and forgiving. Some men bring a paralytic to Jesus, and when Jesus sees their faith, he says to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." The teachers of the Law are upset by this, thinking that Jesus is blaspheming because only God can forgive sins. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, asks, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin," he then tells the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." The paralytic gets up and goes home, and the crowd is filled with awe, praising God for giving such authority to men.

In Mark 2:1-12, a similar event is recorded. Jesus preaches to a packed house in Capernaum, and four men bring a paralytic to him by lowering him through the roof. Jesus sees their faith and says to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The teachers of the Law are again upset, thinking that Jesus is blaspheming. Jesus defends his authority to forgive sins and heals the paralytic to show that he has the power to do so.

In Luke 5:17-26, the event is recorded with additional details. Pharisees and teachers of the Law have come from all over Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem to see Jesus, likely because of the cleansing of the leper that had taken place before. Jesus tells the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven," and the teachers of the Law accuse him of blaspheming. Jesus responds by explaining that he has the authority to forgive sins as the Son of Man, a Messianic title that signifies his divinity and authority over all creation.

In John 20:23, after his resurrection, Jesus tells his disciples, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." This passage has been interpreted as God giving the Church the authority to forgive or retain sins, especially in the Catholic Church. However, the proper translation suggests that these individuals' sins will have already been forgiven or retained by God, and the apostles are making Spirit-led judgments.

Jesus' authority to forgive sins is also demonstrated in his teachings. He teaches that man is personally responsible for sin and that sin is disobedience to God or living for ourselves and not for God. Jesus does not explicitly define sin but implies that it is opposition to God, resulting in actions and thoughts that are not holy, righteous, or loving. He emphasizes the importance of perfect obedience, stating that only his righteousness is perfect and sinless.

Through his words and actions, Jesus teaches that he has the authority to forgive sins, and this is a central aspect of his mission to restore the lost order of creation.

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