“Go...and miss the mark no more!”

Say what?

“You heard Me- I said ‘Go, and miss the mark no more or something worse may come upon you!”

Um, ...excuse me but I’m not sure I’m tracking here.

Sin. We’re talking about ‘sin’. Lots of people like to wrap that definition around the word ‘sin’ when they break it down in the Greek language. I’ve heard that for years, how sin is defined using an ‘archery term’ where you miss the bullseye. Nobody hits the bullseye every time they shoot an arrow from their bow. Or take down the wild game when they are hunting.

The problem with buying into that literal translation, (which I am not denying has legitimacy) is it leaves the door wide open to basically...’keep missing the mark’ without really explaining what the mark is...or why we keep missing it. It’s pretty vague, to be honest.

I’m not an archer, but I have played a few rounds of golf over the years. Have you ever heard of a ‘Par 3 Course’? It’s a much shorter golf course where every hole is short enough in length that you should be able to tee off and land on the green every hole if you hit it decently. It makes for a faster round for sure and can be fun to play. And given that each hole is a par 3, there is within the realm of possibility, that you could ‘ace’ every single hole. But nobody has ever done that. We are talking about astronomical odds. Most of us are just happy to land the ball on the green with that first shot. If it’s close enough to the hole, we have a better chance of making the putt and ending up with a ‘birdie’ 2. Then, on to the next hole.

I’ve played a lot of golf over the years and I have never made a hole in one. Ever. Can’t say I’ve ever even come close. My father-in-law has played quite a bit in his lifetime and actually aced a hole a few years ago. He did not make a big deal of it but had the hall sitting on his mantle. I remember asking him one day why the golf ball was sitting up on there and he casually mentioned it was the ball he shot that went in and scored his first ace. I was incredulous. “You made a hole in one?” He shrugged...and told me if you play long enough everyone should get one.

I am pretty sure though, that nobody in their right mind, has ever gone out and played a par 3 course with the intent of acing every whole. I mean, sure you fantasize about doing the impossible, but to think you could remotely accomplish this...would put you in the category of being delusional. But enough of this talk about golfing and archery. Let’s get back to the discussion of what ‘sin’ is. And why not just use the Bible to explain itself?

John gives us a pretty simple explanation as to what the word means. And just to humor us, I’ll write it out this way:

“Whoever misses the mark also commits lawlessness. Missing the mark is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)

Sin = ‘lawlessness’. Sin, is breaking or violating the law. And in this case, we are talking about God’s law. Yeah, I know...we really don’t talk much about God’s law anymore. Seems so archaic...so ‘Old Testament’; so irrelevant and legalistic.

Yet, we say we would love it if our schools taught the Ten Commandments and had them hung in every classroom for all the students to see. But what would be the point in even doing that if we then turn around and tell them...”This is God’s law but everyone knows you can’t keep them or obey them but you should at least be willing and strive to do better.” It seems to me that would be like states having traffic laws yet telling the public that we know you can’t keep these laws ...but just keep trying.

Excuse me?

A state sets traffic laws in place with the intent that people keep them....Or Else! I bet most of you reading know exactly what ‘or else’ implies. When was the last time you were pulled over for speeding and when the officer approached your car window to ask what your hurry was, you laughed and told him something about that silly ‘lead foot’ of yours and how you were not paying attention. Then, he laughed along with you and said...”Yeah...I hate when that happens to me. I do that all the time. Well, no problem...just slow down and do better and have a great day.”

Anyone ‘tracking’ with me now? Whether we are discussing traffic laws, civil laws, or criminal laws; make no mistake about it – these laws are written and enacted with the expectation that they are to be followed and obeyed. Or else.

And we think God is different?

Jesus was quite explicit when He admonished that woman who was brought before Him after her sin was made public. After reassuring her that He was not there to condemn her, He then tells her to ‘Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Earlier, Jesus had healed a man who had been lame for 38 years. His first question to this man was “Do you wat to be made well?” (John 5:6). Let me tell you how I like to read that rather profound question Jesus asked this man. He in effect was asking him- “Would you like to walk the way you were designed, created, and born to walk?” (care to read that one more time, slowly?)

Of course the invalid man began to mutter something about why he could not do that and offering up excuses...which is pretty much what we do when we want to explain why we continue to practice sin. But Jesus was not going to listen to that jabber. He just tells him right then and there to ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.” (John 5:8). And please note vs 9 that says: “And immediately...the man was made well, took up his bed and walked.” Why, he didn’t even need a running start, or years of therapy. And nowhere do we read that Jesus whispers to him...”Now I know you will continue to stumble and crawl and fall flat on your face but someday...after you have died and go to heaven...then...you will really be able to walk...and miss the mark no more.”

....sigh....

Friends, I’ve said it before and I will say it again: We’ve. Been. Deceived. I know, I know...it’s a hard pill to swallow and pride will rise up and deny the fact. But how often are we warned in scripture...”be not deceived, brethren”? And yet...here we are.

If you read on in that passage in John’s gospel, you will read where Jesus later sees this man He healed walking in the temple. Notice the word of caution (warning) He offers up to him? “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, least a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14). You might also jot down Ps. 119:67 and then look it up. Oh, go ahead and throw Heb. 10:26-31 in the mix as well.

You and I were created in the ‘image and likeness of God’. (Gen. 1:26-27). But sin changed all that. And it separated us from God. And apart from God, we are ‘dead and can do nothing’, as in we have no true life. Life, I might add, which Jesus came to offer us. But we have to come to Him first. (John 5:40; John 15:5). And we have to keep walking with Him and in Him. This is what we call “abiding” which is another word for ‘to continue’. And If...and When...we are abiding in Him, we no longer continue to sin. (1 John 3:6). Or ‘miss the mark’ if you like that term.

But if you have been raised your whole ‘Christian’ life to believe that you could never, ever ‘walk like Jesus’ or keep from ‘missing the mark’, then of course this is a hard gospel message to accept. Why do you think the Pharisees were offended and eventually pushed to have Jesus killed? He didn’t fit...with their preconceived and false understanding of God’s word. And if we are not careful, we do the same thing.

We have some ‘unlearning’ to do; lots of it. And the only way this can happen is if we will humble ourselves, admit that maybe, just maybe...we...lol...’missed the mark’ in our understanding of God’s word, then maybe we can ‘relearn’ and actually begin to ‘walk just like He walked’. That is, after all, what we should be doing if we ‘claim to abide in Him’. (1 John 2:6). And let me assure you of this fact: We can’t do it on our own. Period. (John 15:4-5)

So why is this so important to learn? Well, we will explore further tomorrow but it has to do with that “or else” part of breaking the law; the ‘sinning’ part. Remember, John also adds this statement of fact: “Little children, let no one deceive you.....he who ‘misses the mark’ is of the devil.” (1 John 3:7-8). But if we have little, if any understanding to what role and significance the ‘law’ remains to have today, then we really have a vague understanding as to what ‘sin’ actually is and does. And that might explain why God’s people today, continue to be ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. (Hosea 4:6)