The Shorter catechism defines sin as "any want" or "conformity unto, or transgression of the law of God."
Sin in Scripture is used to describe any act of transgression of God's law. (Moral Law) I John 3 v. 4.
The standard against which sin is to be judged is the law of God.
The law cannot save us -the law is a school-master to bring us to Christ .
Gal.3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
Rom.3: 20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Rom.3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
James 2 :10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend.in one point, he is guilty of all.
Rom.3:19 "Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Rom.10:3 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth."
Isa. 1: 6 "From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."
Sin started among the angels-Lucifer. This satan or the Devil was once called Lucifer. Along with Michael he may have been one of the two Archangels, but he was cast from heaven with his rebel force, and continues to fight. Satan may seem to be winning the war, but one day he will be defeated and stripped of his power eternally. (He is defeated at Calvary) . We may say, "How could this conflict come about in God's perfect universe?"
11 Thess.2:7 The apostle Paul calls it the "mystery of iniquity." While we have not been given as much information as we might like, we do know one thing for certain: The angels who fell, fell because of sin. (Sin came from Heaven) (also Redemption) .
11 Peter 2:4 "For God spared not the angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment." (NO salvation for them) .
Jude 6 puts the onus of responsibility on the shoulders on the angels themselves -" And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation ... "
The greatest catastrophe in the history of the universal creation was Lucifer's defiance of God and the fall of perhaps one third of the angels who joined him in his wickedness.
When did it happen? Sometime between the dawn of human history and of Satan entering the garden of Eden. The important question is not, "When were angels created?", but, "When did they fall?"
It is difficult to suppose that their fall occurred before God placed Adam and Eve in the garden. We know for a fact that God rested on the seventh day or at the end of all creation, and pronounced everything to be very good. Up to this time even the angelic creation was good.We don't Know how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before the angels fell. All we can say is that satan, who had fallen before he tempted Adam and Eve, was the agent, and bears a greater guilt because there was no one to tempt him when he sinned, as Adam and Eve were faced with the tempter.
Now Lucifer was the most beautiful of all created beings in heaven. He was probably the ruling prince of the universe under God against whom he rebelled.
Isa 14:12-15 Lucifer is described -" How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
Ezek 28: 12-17 "full of wisdom and perfect beauty ....14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee .....thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground"
So the war which started in heaven continues on earth and will see its climax at Armageddon with Christ and His angelic army victorious. Scripture sometime refers to angels as stars. This explains why before satan's fall he was called the star of the morning.
Rev .1:2:4 "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth."
The Apostle Paul understood and spoke of the war of the rebellion in the heavens when he referred to the former Lucifer, now satan, as "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Eph.2:2).
Eph.6: 12 "For we wrestle net against. flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." We can describe all unrighteousness and transgression against God as self will against the will of God. This applies to human beings today as well as angels.
Lucifer, the son of the morning, was created,as well as other angels, for the purpose of glorifying God. Instead of praising God forever, Satan wanted to rule over heaven and creation in the place of God
He wanted supreme authority. He said in Isa.14
I will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.
I will be like the most High.
Lucifer was not satisfied being under God, he wanted to be worshipped not to worship. Under Satan's pride lurked the deadliest of all sins, the sin of covetousness. He wanted what did not belong to him. Today, as always in the past, no one sins alone - others are influenced by their sin.
Rev .12: 7 tells us that along with Lucifer angels chose! to deny the authority of God and lost their high position. They chose to take part in the war of Lucifer. As a result of their fall, those angels have been reserved unto judgment.
11 Pet.2 :4 "For God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness; to be reserved onto judgment."
Matt 25:41 "Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye accursed, into everlasting perpared for the devil and his angels" (Not MAN)
But until this happens they constitute almighty force capable wreaking havoc among individual, families and nations. We need to watch out for they are dangerous, vicious and deadly. They want you under their control and they will pay any price to get you. If pride could bring about the downfall of Lucifer in heaven, then it can bring mortal man down too. We must be on our guard against pride, or we are headed for a fall, like the fall of Lucifer and his angels, who turned into demons.
God cannot tolerate sin forever if He is just . He will not permit the perversion of Lucifer to mock Him. The answer to the evil of the world is found in the unalterable law of the Word of God. Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Satan' s attacks which began at the dawn of history will continue until the Battle at Armageddon. Satan's attacks are based on the little word "If"and all the time he has sough to discredit the claims of the Word of God and to rob of the strength and comfort faith. In the first conversation in the garden the serpent, , embodying Lucifer, asked "hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? ( Gen. J : 1)To this reply came,Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (Gen.3:3) Lucifer replied"Ye shall not surely die: " ( G en. 3 : 4) . He says,God does not know what he is talking about he puts it as a question to raise doubts. It is deadly to doubt God's Word. Evan began to reason with the enemy.
Is it possible that God would be so unjust as to forbid this seemingly innocent thing. Gen 3;6 it was pleasant to the eye . In her own mind she began to doubt the truth and wisdom of God. The poisoned tip of sin entered in when she reasoned in her own mine against the wisdom of God. Time after time he injects his subtle If's This tree is to be desired to make one wise Eve listened, she reasoned with herself, she looked, she touched, she took, she tasted. Satan never fails to appeal to the appetites of the flesh, and to the seemingly sensual satisfactions that come from the inventions of sin. Our senses are inlets through which Satan can work and inject his deadly If's
Eve ate first and then gave Adam to eat. if they had fixed their minds on God and trusted in His wisdom, recognizing the danger that lurked in the fruit He had forbidden
Had they only realised the consequences of disobedience. Had they only seen the danger of Satan's IF. Had they only envisioned the flaming sword barring them forever from the garden. Had Adam and Eve resisted the Devil he would have fled forever defeated. But they fell, and thus death passed onto all men. Gen 3:12 This is where death began. Sin works the same with us whatever our condition, nature or environment. We are deprived by nature because we inherited it from our parents. Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression"
The stream has been polluted. We must bear the sentence of guilt and the stain of sin. Everyone shall give an account of himself to God. Listen to Satan's If's of death being injected into the minds of people - If you live a good life: If you do what is right: If you go to church:If you work for the benefit of others; if, if, if....
But the Bible teaches that these if's are not good enough to met God's requirements for salvation. Our good works and intentions are not enough. Jesus said "Ye must be born again"
Rom 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
