At the end of the Apostolic Era of the Church of God, the small remnant of the true church had disappeared from view because of persecution. The visible church that emerged, calling itself Christian, was very different from the first–century Church of God founded on the law, the prophets and Jesus Christ. This newly–emerged church had changed every doctrine, even clouding the meaning of sin, saying that the Law had been done away.
Today the so–called Christian world cannot give a concise statement of what sin is, although 1 John 3:4 gives an emphatic definition of sin: “…sin is the transgression of the law.”
Defining sin
The Catholic church classifies sin by degree, labeling various sins as greater or lesser, mortal or venial. Catholic dogma holds that “mortal sin”, unless confessed to a priest who then grants absolution, carries the penalty of damnation to hell, while “venial” sins can be atoned for by penance. The teaching within the Church of God is: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
In the Enduring Church of God we understand and teach that sin is not classified by degree but rather by TYPE. There are sins of commission—literally committing a sinful act—and there are sins of omission—omitting acts that reflect love toward God and love toward neighbor.
The principle that the law of God is constructed upon is love—love toward God and love toward fellow man. The greater aspects of the law of love are mercy, justice and faith (Matt. 23:23). Were the Pharisees sinning even though it appeared on the surface as though they were righteous and carefully following the law? Yes they were! They knew to do good but did not do it (James 4:17). They were guilty of the sin of omission.
Sin by omission
Our entire individual Christian life is to be filled with good works, works based on the principle of love. If we ignore an opportunity to do good when it presents itself, we are guilty of a transgression—sin by omission (James 4:17). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows how sometimes those who know to do good omit showing mercy and compassion in obvious situations relating to their neighbor (Luke 10:30–37).
Can one be guilty of sins of omission toward God? When we are unthankful toward God, then certainly love, honor and respect are not being rendered to God our Father, and that is sin.
Luke records an example of only one individual out of ten taking the time to give thanks and praise to God in Luke 17:11–19. As Jesus was going to Jerusalem He passed through a certain village and was met by ten lepers. Apparently, they recognized who He was, called Him by name and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus answered “Go, show yourselves to the priest.” And as they went their way, they were healed; however, only one of the ten, when he saw that he was healed, returned and fell at Jesus’ feet and gave thanks.
These ten individuals did not have God’s Holy Spirit, nor were they being called by God, but it is clear from Jesus’ comments that He felt all ten should have returned to give thanks and praise to God: “So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?’” (v. 17).
God's gifts taken for granted?
How much more should a truly converted Christian who has had his sins forgiven, has been given God’s Holy Spirit and has been begotten as a son of God—with insight, understanding and knowledge that even the angels desire to look into—be in an attitude of “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). Even in times of trial we have much to be thankful for. In Acts 5:40–41, the Apostles were jailed and beaten by order of the High Priest in Jerusalem, yet they rejoiced and gave thanks “that they were counted worthy to suffer” for the name of Jesus.
As converted Christians we should remember the words of King David in Psalms 100:3: “Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves….” It was within His power and authority and at His discretion to make us as He so ordered and chose. He could have designed and made us to graze in fields eating grass like cattle. But He chose, instead, to give us the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. He also gave us a mind capable of thinking, planning and reasoning. God has created mankind with these mental capabilities by means of a “metaphysical” component to our brain which He calls the “spirit in man” (Job 32:8, I Cor. 2:11, Rom. 8:16). How thankful is mankind for what most take for granted—the sights and sounds, the absolute blessings of the physical world?
The blind would certainly thank God if they could see the hues of a rainbow or the blazing red cast of a sunset over the Grand Canyon. The deaf would be thankful to hear the sound of their newborn infant crying! Do we who have good health and faculties intact, go about in an attitude of thanksgiving? Especially when we might have an opportunity to do such things as eat vine–ripened vegetables or tree–ripened fruit, like what is referred to in South Georgia, as a “bend over peach”? A “bend over peach” is one so perfectly sun–ripened on the tree that one instinctively knows to bend over just as the peach is being bitten into, otherwise, the juice will gush all over the eater’s clothing!
{{RelatedContent}}Remember our blessings, offer praise
The warning that God gave the Israelites in Deuteronomy chapter 8 has come to pass in modern Israel—the U.S. and Great Britain. We are a people most unthankful and we have forgotten our God. The words of the Apostle Paul have been fulfilled. Our modern day nation is unthankful and unholy (II Tim. 3:2).
What sort of national calamity, disaster or catastrophe will it take for our nation to remember the true God and His mercy and be thankful? Collectively our nation clearly is guilty of the sin of unthankfulness. How about individually?
The entire book of Psalms is a book of great praise and thanksgiving to God. David gave thanks with such eloquence and heartfelt sincerity. Consider these basic words with deep meaning, found in Psalms 118:1: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”