In case there might be any lingering confusion in your mind regarding the question as to whether God’s ‘law’ still stands today, maybe this will help shed more light for you - Has ‘sin’ been done away with, or does ‘sin’ seem to be thriving today? I mean, let’s be honest here- don’t most 'believers' today openly admit they continue to ‘sin’, even on a daily basis?

I only bring this up because if ‘sin’ is still prevalent today in our world, guess what? God’s law is still in effect today as well, and was NOT abolished or done away with as Jesus made clear in Matt. 5:17. I only point this out because guess what ‘sin’ is? Sin is the breaking or transgressing of God’s laws (1 John 3:4). I know we have grown fond of that other definition that says sin is ‘missing the mark’, which is extracted from the root meaning of that Greek word itself (hamartane). But I would suggest that widely used definition ...‘misses the mark’ when it comes to helping our understanding of the word 'sin'... when we can just use what God’s word says sin is- it’s ‘lawlessness’. Lawlessness = sin, which means ‘breaking the commandments of God’.

So the next time you read that sobering passage in Matt. 7:21-23, please make note as to why all those people who were busy doing ‘great things in the name of the Lord’ were turned away by the Lord - because they continued to do ....what?

Friends- this is why I have continued to beat this same old drum for the past 4-5 years regarding some faulty and/or deficient teaching in our churches today. Jesus really meant what He told us about ‘going and sinning no more’ (John 5:14; 8:11). He was quite clear when He said (most assuredly)...”anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son/child abides forever” (John 8:34-35). And what do we know about a child of God? – They. No. Longer. Sin. (1 John 3:9; 5:18; Rom. 8:14)

So, some of you may be asking about now: “So where does the teaching of the cross, the blood, and the grace and mercy of Christ come in since that is a bedrock teaching in our Christian faith?” Well, let me show you just how conflicted and confused we’ve all been on this subject.

You would agree, I hope...that we ‘all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory’ (Rom. 3:23), yes? Whether you are a hardened ‘lifer’ in prison with a string of felony convictions that would make a law enforcement officer shudder...or a young adult who is so ‘nice & sweet’ but may have been guilty of telling a few ‘white lies’ over the years, not to mention maybe a few ‘secret sins’ that only God knows about...we were all on the same playing field- ‘dead in sin and separated from God’ (Eph. 2:1-3; Isa. 59:2).

And the beautifully redeeming message of the cross and the gospel of Christ...is that anyone...can receive a full pardon and be forgiven by God for all sins ever committed. And when I say forgiven, they are forgotten by God as well (Micah 7:19; Heb. 8:12, Jer. 31:34). I realize we all know people who continually like to remind us of our tainted past, but God doesn’t, this I can promise you. Yet, what many fail to realize is that in order to be on the receiving end of this divine ‘pardon’, one must turn to Jesus and surrender their heart/lives to Him...unconditionally. (Did you fail to get that memo?)

Now here’s where many in the church today get themselves into a hot mess, and I want to use a ‘current event hot-topic’ to illustrate my point. Does the term ‘auto-pen’ ring a bell? When DJT took office, there was much chatter about the hundreds of pardons that were issued by the outgoing president, Joe Biden. People were up in arms over the revelation of so many people getting these undeserved pardons. I say ‘up in arms’ because it was mostly folks who lean to the political ‘right’ (including many professing ‘Christians’) that were screaming ‘foul play!'. And let me remind you that you heard even louder screaming from those on the ‘left’ when the current POTUS pardoned some of the Jan. 6 rioters. Now, can you imagine the uproar that will occur if Ghislaine Maxwell (Epstein’s partner and accomplice in sex trafficking young girls)...if she is to receive a full pardon?

And why so much pushback and protest over these pardons? Well...it’s obvious, is it not? These vile wretched people do not ‘deserve’ full pardons, you say?

...Excuse me?.... I’ll give you a moment with that one. (Read that last sentence again if needed)

(And you...’deserved’ ...a full pardon by God...for what reason?)

Let me ask you this: Suppose you had a grown, but still young adult son who made some bad choices in life, got into drug problems which led to multiple burglary charges, even hitting up a bank or two...blindly desperate for needed money. He ended up in prison and was serving multiple, stacked sentences where freedom would not occur any time soon. But while in prison, he had a genuine heart turnaround, was broken and repentant and finally able to accept full responsibility for his actions. Maybe he became a ‘model inmate’, completed some schooling and the only thing he needed now was a ‘second chance’, but was resigned to spending the next 30 years behind bars. Then, out of nowhere, his story catches the attention of the state Governor, maybe even the President of the United States. And the next thing you know...he receives a full pardon, totally unexpected, undeserved, yet greatly appreciated...beyond words.

Here is my question for you- Suppose after leaving prison, he falls back into his old ways, and tragically...ends up robbing people and businesses again to secure money to fund his newly returned drug cravings. What will become of him if/when captured, arrested, tried and convicted in a court of law? Does anyone see where I am going with this? Oh, and by the way, IF...Maxwell was to receive a full pardon by the president, and she returned to her crime of sex trafficking young women...would you not expect there to be ramifications; or does she stay 'pardoned' if she just says she's sorry about doing this again? 

What do you suppose Jesus really meant...when He told that man whom He healed and set free from his ’38-year sentence’...to “Go...and sin no more...or something worse will happen to you.” (John 5:14)? Would you please now turn to Hebrews 10:26-31 and read over that passage...before taking a few moments of quiet reflection with the Holy Spirit.

I’ll meet you back here tomorrow, Lord willing.