The Bible declares that sin is committed in one of the following ways:
~ Rom. 14:23 – acting without faith
~ James 4:17 – recognizing the necessity of obedience
but refusing to obey
~ 1 John 3:4 – transgressing God’s law
~ 1 John 5:17 – committing unrighteousness
The only conclusion that these statements imply is that sin is disobedience to God’s commands, either by going beyond or falling short regarding what God has required of man. Since sin is defined as disobedience to God’s commands, forgiveness for sin necessarily involves obedience to God’s commands. If not, why not?
God’s commands are a blessing to man (Deut. 6:24-25). They give us understanding of our plight because of our sin (John 15:22-24), and they promise eternal life to those who will receive them (John 12:50). God’s commands are also the criteria by which the sheep and goats will be separated at Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46).
The enmity of Gen. 3:15 between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan resulted over a “thus saith the Lord”. This enmity (hatred) is not mutual, but from those who refuse to acknowledge Christ’s authority to command their lives toward those who do. The distinction between preaching truth versus error is seen in the relevance of commands and obedience as they relate to man’s faith and God’s grace.
You are guilty of sin, not because you inherited Adam’s disobedience (sin), but because of
your own disobedience. You
will receive an inheritance by obeying the form of obedience patterned after
the one who bore your sin—Jesus. (Rom. 6:3-5; 17-18). Righteousness is imputed
to the obedient. (2 Cor. 5:19; James 2:23).
