Why Jesus Wants Us To Understand The Whole Meaning Of His Command, "Sin No More"

1. Jesus wants us to understand that sin is missing the mark of living up to the Holy character qualities of God (His holiness, truth, love, joy, peace, purpose, perspectives, power, purity, patience, righteousness, greatness, strength, forgiveness, knowledge, wisdom etc). The Lord wants us to recognize that in order to be holy as He is holy we must strive against sins of:

A. Commission - Lying, stealing, cheating, extorting, adultery, and open rebellion against authority.

B. Omission - "If anyone knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17)

C. Disposition - "Do not merely look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Having a positive attitude and inclination toward obeying God.

D. Predisposition (Assumptions) - Having a trust, knowledge and awareness of all the will of God so that we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Many people fear because they have F-E-A-R (Faulty - Expectations - Assumptions of - Reality - from the Lord's perspective)

2. Jesus knew that man's sinful nature leads to defilement rather than the pressures of life. The Lord said, "The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and these make a man unclean: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matt. 15:18,19) The Lord Jesus knew that source of our fighting and quarreling come from our own evil desires. Ask the Lord to help you stop blaming other people, your circumstances or life's injustices for your own shortcomings.

3. Jesus knew that prayer and vigilance would serve as preventative medicine to sin. The Lord said, "Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matt. 26:41) Ask the Lord to help you balance your prayer habits and your carefulness in avoiding the sins of commission, omission, disposition and wrong assumptions.

4. Jesus knew that we must fight the good fight of faith against the seven deadly sins of Proverbs: envy, anger, pride, sloth, avarice (greed), gluttony, and lust. He also knew that only love could cover a multitude of sins. (Prov. 10:12) Ask the Lord to help you flee these evil desires while you pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:22) Jesus expects us actively seek first His kingdom and righteousness through teaching, preaching and disciple-making ministries so that we are more offensively occupying our minds that just worrying about being perfectly sinless.

5. Jesus knew that the sin of pride of life would encompass vanity, egocentricity, hubris, arrogance, self-adoration, selfishness, self-love, and narcissism. They are basically self-pleasing passions that are offensive to God and most people. The Lord knew that pride could be manifested as the pride of power, the pride of position, the pride of knowledge and the pride of virtue. Pride is rooted in the Adam like passion to be identified with or to become like God. It was pride that led Satan to being cast out of heaven when he said, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isa. 14:13,14) Ask the Lord to help you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you at the proper time.

6. Jesus knew that the sins of lust, fornication, adultery and immorality compete for our love for the Father. The Lord said, "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt. 5:28) Christ's standards for sin started with one's intentions. Ask the Lord to help you be motivated by an agape love to give, to serve and to speak the truth in love.

7. Jesus knew that the sins of gluttony for food, drink, drugs and other obsessive indulgences could be controlled with a greater hungering and thirsting for righteousness whereby true satisfaction comes. The Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." (Matt. 5:6)

8. Jesus knew that impure thoughts tend to distort or obscure our ability to see all of the attributes of God. The Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matt. 5:8) Ask the Lord for a greater holiness of heart to know all of God's characteristics and exhibit them in all dimensions of your lifestyle.

9. Jesus knew that the sins of anger, violence, selfish-aggression and selfish demanding are destructive. Jesus said, "I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." (Matt. 5:22) Ask the Lord to fill your heart with forgiveness, patience and self-control realizing that the Lord will fight your battles for you. The Holy Spirit will help you overcome feelings of resentment, bitterness and rudeness through His power, peace and the fruits of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22,23)