What is a SEARED conscience?

[murjahel]

I believe, one of the plagues of sin in this world right now, is the ‘seared conscience’. One of the ‘doctrines of devils’, is allowing a ‘consciences’ to be ‘SEARED WITH A HOT IRON’.

Some are not feeling conviction with their ‘conscience’, but, I am sure that the Holy Spirit is still doing His job of convicting, of explaining His grief, His vexation at the sins. Yet, it seems that the ‘consciences of some’ are seared, and unfeeling of the conviction.


I Timothy 4:1
"THE SPIRIT SPEAKETH EXPRESSLY, THAT IN THE LATTER TIMES, SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS, SPEAKING LIES IN HYPOCRISY, AND HAVING THEIR
CONSCIENCES SEARED WITH A HOT IRON..."


Some do not worry about guilt, or a judgment for sin, and go on, uncaring that they have a conscience that is seared and insensitive to sin.

The gnostic sect still tells mankind, that the God of the Old Testament is an evil God, and gave the commandments, so they too are evil. Breaking them is good, according to the gnostics. That idea is becoming more and more prevalent in the churches of today.

Some have turned from the loving God Who has explained sin, and the division it causes between He and us, and have begun to blame God for not just accepting sinful man as he is.

God has sent Jesus to die, to offer salvation to all who would accept it, but many are with ‘seared consciences’ not feeling ‘ashamed of their sins anymore, not grieving for what grieves God, not having a conscience that feels grief for the dishonor their sins have done to God.

Therefore, with the ‘seared consciences’ there is not ‘repentance’ from the sinners, to God, nor to the ones they offended, and wronged.


Some today preach a doctrine of ‘no judgment.’ The adherents of that heresy, will belittle any who mention hell, judgment, or even the word ‘sin’. Many have quit preaching ‘hell’ and ‘judgment’. The idea that God would not let anyone be judged, may be popular, but it is not Biblical.

I grew up as a preacher's kid... I saw much while growing up that indicated even back then there were 'seared consciences.' Some men beat their wives, and then sat next to them on Sunday morning, holding their Bible and smiling like they were holy. There was no guilt nor shame.

Some sexually abused a daughter, never repented, but wanted to be part of the ministerial team.

Some lied, stole, gossipped, and never repented, apologized, nor changed their ways.



Do people with 'seared consciences' go to heaven?
I wonder sometimes...

In this current time, we still find that seared conscience... Where are the repentances, the making a wrong right, the apologizing for stealing, for lying, for calling others foul names... is that not something one should do, if they have heard the Spirit speak conviction to their heart?

Perhaps it is not a 'seared conscience' in such cases, maybe it is lack of ears that hear the Spirit convict for sin...

I am not extreme arminian, nor extreme calvinist, but more in the middle...

Yet, in arminianism, they feel need to repent of every little wrong, or they won't go to heaven...

in calvinism, they feel they go to heaven despite the sins after salvation...

but whatever one is,
is it not Godly anymore that one repent and keep the fellowship with God going, and apologize to those wronged by sinful deeds??

Is lack of that a 'seared conscience'???

 

[Thom79]

Thank you for sharing that message brother.

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

A seared conscience is actually a guilt conscience! People with seared consciences carry about with them the perpetual consciousness of sin! (Thayer's Greek - English Lexicon of the New Testament)

 

[murjahel]

no... I don't find that those I have seen, that I think have a 'seared conscience' actually carry around a consciousness of sin... most sinners do feel guilty, but those with a seared conscience seem to be unaware of guilt, not ashamed anything wrong they have done... I think those with a seared conscience feel no guilt, though they should...

if one has repented, righted what could be righted, they should feel no guilt, but if they haven't, then they should, and do... unless they have a seared conscience...

am I right?

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

A conscience seared with a hot iron is a conscious of sin. The words "seared with a hot iron" is one Greek word which means the marks of their guilt are burnt in upon their consciences. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary)

The Greek is never wrong. I will give you another from another lexicon.
It means the effects of their sin are burnt in their consciences. (New Strong's Expanded Dictionary of Words in the Greek New Testament)

Those who have seared consciences seek to cause others to sin by distorting the gospel by adding legal requirements to the gospel - either dietary or ceremonial. (Mounce's complete expository dictionary of old and new testament words)

 

[murjahel]

Seared is the Greek word kauteriazo
meaning...

to sear with a red hot iron; to brand; to be seared in conscience. Only here. It means to make callous, withered, hardened, and insensible to right and wrong.
Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.


to render unsensitive
Strong's Greek Dictionary.

The allusion here is doubtless to the effect of applying a hot iron to the skin. The cauterized part becomes rigid and hard, and is dead to sensibility. So with the conscience of those referred to
Barnes Notes on the New Testament

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

Hebrews 10:1-2 NKJV
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Help me understand this passage of Scripture.

 

[murjahel]

Hebrews 10:1-2 NKJV
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Help me understand this passage of Scripture.

What the author, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is saying is that the law, the sacrifices of lambs, and bulls, etc.. could not make perfect atonement for sins, but that they were shadows of what was to come, in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins... The sins that they repented were forgiven, in anticipation of Jesus coming... but still yearly, on the day of atonement, the High Priest went into the holy of holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat, to anticipate the perfect Sacrifice to come.

the 'no more consciousness of sin', speaks of the fact, that after repentance, after their sacrifice, there need be no more feeling convicted for those sins, for they were forgiven then, and now under the new covenant... we need not feel conviction for repented sins...

it does not mean we can go on a murderous rampage and no feel guilt for that sin.... it is speaking of the fact that there is no need to feel guilty for what is already forgiven... but we do need to repent of new sins, and try to live a godly life... salvation is not a license to be a mass murdering, blaspheming, wronging everyone else person... salvation makes us sensitive to sin, and we try to live right, and repent humbly for our failures, while we remain heaven bound...

the mass murderer who claims to still be headed for heaven, without remorse for his sins, is a liar.. and either never was saved, or backslid... but either way, he is headed for hell unless he repents... and he won't repent if he feels no conviction.... so God does not remove conviction from those who were saved years ago...

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

So if a christian commits murder and does not repent, he or she goes to hell?

Hebrews 10:15-17 KJV
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, [16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; [17] And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

But under the new covenant, God doesn't remember sins, and yet you say if you don't repent of a sin, you go to hell!

 

[murjahel]

The only sin after salvation that could doom the soul is the rejection of Jesus, which we could do... God does not make us robots unable to un-choose Him...

if someone murdered someone, that is a sin that needs repentance to maintain the close walk with the Lord, but is not the sin that would doom the soul... The Lord will convict... will draw the person... and soon will give the person the choice of Him, or continued sin and rebellion... that choice of whether one wants Jesus is the sin that would possibly doom them....

'Romans 8... says 'no OTHER creature' could separate us from Jesus, but the one looking back at us in the mirror is one that can choose to separate from Jesus...

 

[mrhappy3]

amazing really...what Grace. (the world would never understand)

 

[murjahel]

I have been studying on what steps are there to arriving at a seared conscience. None of us should want one, but there are steps to reaching that horrible state, and we need to beware of them.

1. If we hear God’s instructions in the Word, and do not do them, we open our soul to the sickness of deceptions, which then can make us feel good is bad, and bad is good. This begins the searing process...


James 1:22-25 (KJV)
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Therefore, if we know to not steal, and we choose to do it, soon we are deceived into thinking it is justified, all right, condoned by God. That deception leads to more and more deceptions. The deceptions plague our souls. We are sick spiritually if we allow deceptions into our souls.

If we lie, and condone the lie, as a ‘white lie’, and hope God understands, we are deceiving ourselves. The list could go on and on. Many deceived Christians have been sickened by deceptions, that start with the sin of ‘hearing the Word’ but not ‘doing the Word.’

2. Claiming we are sinless allows deceptions to molest our souls, leading to more of a seared conscience.

1 John 1:8 (KJV)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

A seared conscience is a deception of our soul, not able to hear or feel the conviction for sin, for we have denied that sin's possibility.

There is none of us here upon this earth who have reached sinless perfection. Our wills may be strong, our mind set may be on being as pure as we can be, but the weakness of our flesh should keep us remembering as Paul said, ‘O wretched man that I am’. If we allow ourselves the luxury of pride to think we have achieved perfection, that pride is the first of many sins that we will find on the Lord’s list of our continued imperfections.

3. Thinking we are special, and unique, and God cannot do well without us, is a sin that will allow further deceptions to sicken our souls, and sear our consciences.

Galatians 6:3 (KJV)
3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.


Notice how often the Bible indicates the source of deception to be ‘ourselves’. Surely, the devil is encouraging this deception, surely, he plants the seeds. Yet, God wants us to remember that we are not innocent in ‘deception’, there is a ‘choice’ made by those deceived, that they chose to allow the deception. The more we become 'deceived', the more the seared conscience is implanted into us.

4. If we let our worldly learning be a pride, and want to announce to the world how worldly wise we are, we are thereby open to deception, and have created a gap in the hedge of protection that we once had. Pride hinders the voice of the conviction of the Holy Spirit to reach our conscience, and a seared conscience is one step closer to full control.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (KJV)
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.


5. An unbridled tongue brings more and more deception into our souls.

James 1:26 (KJV)
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Deception is engendered by the unbridled tongue uttering more and more words that we will have to defend, and thereby deceive ourselves into believing they are defend-able. The unbridled tongue, able to call people horrible names, able to announce a desire for judgment upon those we should be interceding for... builds more and more a seared conscience within...

6. If we think we can sow sin, and reap blessings, we are going to open ourselves to more and more further deceptions.

Galatians 6:7-10 (KJV)
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Sowing sin, telling lies, stealing from our brothers and sisters, etc brings a harvest of a seared conscience that is soon insensitive to sin...

This is one source of deceptions of the soul that has much encouragement from evil spirits. Evil spirits will encourage us to do evil, sinful things. They obsess or possess (as in Luke 11:24-26) to inspire be the most wicked, and evil acts they can. Lust, greed, hatred, sexual perversion, encouraging any of the ‘works of the flesh’, to great portions in the life of the person being obsessed or possessed. Temptation to sin becomes extreme, wills are weakened to levels that make it impossible to stop the sins of the flesh.

The seared conscience does not come overnight, it is fed, strengthened, and given rule of one's spirit, through a series of sinful steps.

 

[Yitzchak]

So if a christian commits murder and does not repent, he or she goes to hell?

Hebrews 10:15-17 KJV
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, [16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; [17] And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

But under the new covenant, God doesn't remember sins, and yet you say if you don't repent of a sin, you go to hell!

If a christian continues in willful sin without repenting it can turn into iniquity...

In the Hebrew , there are four different words that are used. Sin , transgression , iniquity and trespass.

The word sin means to miss the mark , to not measure up to a standard.

The word for transgression is the Hebrew word that also means revolt or rebellion ,

The word iniquity is sometimes translated as depravity. What it literally means is crooked , damaged , bent out of shape...

The word trespass means to feel guilt , but not be sure whether you ahve done something wrong or not...

Some examples ...Let's say my son goes to University and is invited to hang out with his new friends there. He decides to engage in some social drinking , not intending to get drunk. But with the peer pressure and his youthful inexperience , he predictably ends up drunk...This is sin...The Hebrew word is Chattatth. Under the law there was a specific offering made for it.In this verse the Hebrew actually says that the offering becomes chattatth...I suppose a hint at vicarious atonement , but that is another subject..I digress..

Exo 29:14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.

The Hebrew word here is Chattatth..

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Now let's say , my son goes back for a second semester , but this time he has gotten tired of feeling convicted about his sin and he decides to get bitter at God and the church for making him feel guilty all the time..So he decides as an act of rebellion to go and get drunk three nights a week.
Now he is guilty of transgression, the Hebrew word is pesha..

This word shows up a lot in the Bible . here is one example. In the Hebrew , there was a choice made to use pesha instead of chattatth...

Exo 23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

This verse it brings it out very clearly. It says he added pesha to his chattatth.

Job 34:37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

Now there is a third category which is when pesha , rebellion continues and continues and then it can become iniquity..The Hebrew word for iniquity is avon..It means to be preverted , twisted out of the shape of it's original purpose...It means that someone's soul has incurred damage which has now become a bent in the direction of sin...So in my example of my son. let's say he continues in his rebellion for several years and becomes an alcoholic..His alcoholism is an iniquity. it is now a lifestyle where he is bent to go in that direction.

Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Iniquities are passed down through the generations where they either run their course and are repented of, or they run their course and God brings final judgement upon it as in the case of the Amorites..Their iniquity was not yet full , the verse says...

Deu 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

Now there is one final category for which there is a specific sacrifice under the law. That is the Hebrew word asham...Which means to feel guilty , but either the person is not sure if they sinned or it is a civil matter where damages were done , but they did not break a law...

Example , i am driving the speed limit and paying attention. but suddenly a child chases their ball into the street and I hit them with my car and they are injured or killed...Now the law does not find me guilty of anything , just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet i feel guilty and being human I torture myself trying to figure out if it was somehow partially my fault. Should I have been going slower , or payed more attention ? This is asham. Damages were done and I feel guilty...Noe sure if I sinned but I pray for God to forgive me because I feel guilty.....


Back to the question, at hand. What happens to a Christian who rebels and their transgression turns into iniquity ? One of the things that happens is they may have a seared conscience and a damaged soul. The restoration of the soul is usually a process as any Christian who is addicted to smoking can tell you. God may forgive the iniquity , but healing and restoring the soul that is now bent and damaged in that area often is a process.

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

We didn't become sinners by sinful actions, we became sinners because adam sinned!

Romans 5:19 NKJV
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

We don’t become righteous in God's eyes by our right works or right deeds or works of the law, we received righteousness as a gift by faith in Christ!

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus didn't become sin for us by sinning, he was sinless and so we never become right with God by right doing but by faith!

You cannot lose your righteousness in Christ by sinful actions because you never received it in the first place place by doing right things!

 

[murjahel]

The sin of Adam and Eve were the original sin that brought sin to them, and a sinful nature to their descendants ... The curse came to this world, and death reigned...

We have a sinful nature due to that original sin, but we are not damned for that, we are only sent to hell if we, ourselves, sin...

Romans 3:10-12,23
"...there is none righteous, no not one... there is none that doeth good, no not so much as one...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."


John 1:8
"... if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us..."
　
So, what is this thing called sin?

If one asked 100 Christians - What is sin? - there would probably be 100 answers. The lists would vary, according to denomination, dogma, or upbringing. But - what is sin - really??? We will here examine ten different Greek words that are used to refer to "sin." These will teach us what God wants us to know about the subject. It may vary greatly from what you have been taught about the subject of sin... but the Word of God is the accurate source that we should use to correct our misconceptions.
　
　
1. HAMARTIA

The Greek word hamartia is translated "sin." It literally means "missing the mark, missing aim, failing by missing the true end and scope of our lives (that is - God)."

I John 5:17
"All unrighteousness is sin (missing the mark)."

I John 3:6-10, 5:18
"...whoso abideth in Him sinneth not (does not continue to miss the mark)..."

Mark 3:28
"Verily, I say unto you, all sins (missings of the mark) shall be forgiven unto the sons of man."

As an archer fails to hit the target, hamartia is falling short of the target that God has given us. Our real target is to reach Jesus. Jesus is our target, and if we miss reaching Him... we have sinned (hamartia). Hamartia is "falling short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).
　
　
2. PARAKOE

Parakoe means "disobedience to a voice, failing to hear, hearing amiss - or not hearing rightly, unwillingness to hear." We get ourselves into trouble when we fail to give attention to God's Word and to checks (the quiet urgings to stop) of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's disobedience (unwillingness to hear) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

II Corinthians 10:6
"And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience (unwillingness to hear) when your obedience is fulfilled."

Sometimes, we are unwilling to heed or listen to the Word of God, or to the leading or direction of God's Spirit. When we feel the Spirit check our spirit to avoid, or to not do something, or to do something... failing to listen, heed, and obey that voice is sinful (parakoe).
　
　
3. ANOMIA

Anomia is "non-observance of a known law." There are some sins that are not debatable. The law against lying, adultery, lust, greed, taking the Lord's name in vain...etc. are well documented in Scripture. Any Christian should be able to see clearly in the Bible that God does not want us to do those type of things. To do them, is anomia.

Matthew 7:23
"...depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Hebrews 10:17
"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more..."

I John 3:4
"Whoso committeth sin transgresses the law, for sin is the transgression of the law."
　
　
4. PARABASIS

Parabasis means "overpassing of a line, stepping over a boundary." Just as there is a normal tendency to touch the wall where one sees a "WET PAINT" sign, so people are often tempted to step past the boundaries that God has set up for us. When one sees a sign that says "NO FISHING", one naturally begins to wonder how good the fishing would be there. It is a fact that God has set up boundaries for us. He wants to protect us from areas that would do us harm. He has drawn lines of separation, and does not want us to trespass on territory that is dangerous.
　
Romans 4:15
"for where no law is, there is no transgression. (stepping over the boundary)"

Romans 2:23
"... through breaking the law (stepping over the boundary) dishonourest thou God..."

Many people are like the three prospective stagecoach drivers who applied for the position. The three were asked how close they could come to the edge of the cliff with the stagecoach without falling over the cliff. The first thought he had to impress in order to get the job, so he bragged - "I could come within three feet, easily." The second thought he had to do better if he wanted the job. He answered, "I could come within one foot!" The third said, "I'd stay as far from the edge as I could!" The third one was hired. God wants us to see how far we can stay from sin and from parabasis. He does not want us walking so close to the boundary that we occasionally step over. Parabasis is sin.
　
　
5. PARAPTOMA

Paraptoma means "failing where one should have stood upright."

Ephesians 2:1
"And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses (falling when you should have stood) and sins (hamartia)."

Romans 14:23
"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin (falling where one should have stood upright)."

Galatians 6:1
"Now if a man be overtaken in a fault (falling where he should have stood upright), ye that are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, less thou also be tempted."

Matthew 6:14
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses (falling where they should have stood upright), your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

How often we misunderstand, and judge harshly when we see someone fall, sin, paraptoma, where they should not have. When others fall like this, we should be forgiving. When we paraptoma (fall when we should have known better), God is willing to forgive us.
　
　
6. AGNOEMA

Agnoema is "ignorance of what one should have known." It is found only once in the Bible.
　
Hebrews 9:7
"But into the second went the High Priest alone once every year not without blood - which he offered for himself and the errors (ignorances of what they should have known) of the people."

As Paul, before his conversion, thought he was doing God's will by persecuting the Christians: so many people think they are doing God's will, and yet are ignorant of the fact that they are sinning. These types of sin need atonement also. It is not just the motive that needs to be right. God wants us to learn His will, and if we have ignorantly, with good motives, sinned... we need forgiveness.
　
　
7. HETTAMA

Hettama means "a lessening of that which should have been given in full measure." God is not satisfied with partial obedience. Failure to do our complete duty is sin. He has told us to love our neighbor. He is not satisfied with us just "not hating" our neighbor. He told us to do good to those who despitefully abuse us... He is not satisfied with us just not getting revenge.
　
I Corinthians 6:7
"Now therefore, there is utterly a fault (giving less than you should have) among you because ye go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take the wrong?"
　
　
8. ASABAS

Asabas means "ungodliness, positive and active irreligion, a purposeful turning away from God..." This word does not include the wrong deeds that follow it, but rather it means the act of turning away, deciding in one's heart to not follow God.
　
Romans 1:8
"The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness (deciding to not serve God)."

II Timothy 2:16
"But shun profane and vane babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness (the mental decision of turning against God)."

\Sins progress from one to the other. People may think they are only dabbling with little sins... but progressively, the devil leads us from one sin to another... Soon, people will get to the place where they decide they don't want to serve the Lord... This is asabas.
　
9. ADIKEA

Adikea is "knowingly doing wrong deeds, crimes against God." When joined with asabas (deciding to not serve God), adikea is positive and active irreligion in motive and deed.

I John 5:17
"All unrighteousness (knowingly doing wrong deeds) is sin (hamartia)


I Corinthians 13:6
"...love rejoiceth not in iniquity (wrong deeds), but rejoiceth in truth..."

I John 1:9
"If we confess our sins (hamartia), He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (hamartia), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (adikea, knowingly doing wrong deeds)..."
　
II Thessalonians 2:10
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness (wrong deeds) in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved."

The love of the wrong deeds that men do, keeps many from finding God. The pleasures of sin, the lust for power, the lure of the world... has led many down a path to destruction. We need to love God's way immensely more than the wrong deeds (adikea) of the world.
　
　
10. PLEIMMELEIA

Pleimmeleia means "a discord or disharmony, a false note in music." When one sings out of tune, the whole choir is spoiled. When one instrument hits a wrong note, the conductor of the orchestra hears that discord. In the same way, when we are serving God, and doing well... one slip, sin, trespass, failure... is like a false note in the orchestral song of our lives.

Leviticus 5:15
"If a soul commit a trespass (a false note)... bring a ram without blemish..."

Numbers 18:9
"... every trespass (discordant note in the melody of our Christian life) offering of theirs which they shall render unto Me, shall be most holy for Me..."

Every note but one in a song may be perfect, but the one wrong note will spoil the song. It will be remembered long after the correct notes are forgotten. In the same way, our lives may contain much good, but the one sin or failure can ruin the well lived life. These sins need forgiveness and atonement also.
　
So, if you do not feel shame that you failed God in one, or probably most of these... you may have a seared conscience... Too often some rename 'seared conscience' to other names that sound better, but if the word means that they do not think they ever sinned, or that they can do 'sinful things' and it not be sin for them... they have a seared conscience...　
　
　
The ten words discussed show sin to be: forbidden acts, deeds, thoughts- wrong attitudes toward God- ignorance of what one should know- doing less than what you know to do- failing when you had the strength to not fail- missing the true target in life-!!! Anything that gets us off track with God, anything that takes us from being in His will is sin. Failure in one point, makes us guilty of all.
　
Galatians 3:10
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
　
James 2:10
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

Righteousness under the new covenant of grace is righteousness by faith!

Genesis 15:6 NKJV
And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 1:16-17 NKJV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. [17] For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Romans 3:21-22 NKJV
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, [22] even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

Romans 3:27-28 NKJV
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. [28] Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Romans 4:5-6 NKJV
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, [6] just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

Romans 5:17 NKJV
For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Romans 9:30-32 NKJV
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; [31] but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. [32] Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

Romans 10:3-4 NKJV
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Galatians 2:21 NKJV
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Galatians 3:6-8 NKJV
just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." [7] Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. [8] And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."

Philippians 3:9 NKJV
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

You can name all kinds of sin but Jesus paid for every single sin at the cross! It was a perfect finished work! If you want to pay for yours, or you think your sins can separate you from God, that's your problem!

Hebrews 10:12 NKJV
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

Colossians 2:13 NKJV
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

 

[murjahel]

II Corinthians 5:17-21
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

When we are saved, we become "new creations". The literal Greek words for that phrase means "a new species which never existed before, completely re-created. In other words, we are completely reborn, and we are to appropriate the benefits of this rebirth.

Ephesians 4:24
"Ye have put off the old man, and put on the new man..."

This new person that we have become is clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We do not wear the old unrighteousness that we once wore. Righteousness is not something we have by way of our actions or course of living. If that were so, we all would be unrighteous. We all have sinned, and continue to fail... None of us are perfect. There is in I John a verse that like the rest of the book is written to Christians.

I John 1:8
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

The battle with sin continues in this life till we are called home to heaven.

Some want to claim a sinless perfection, but they cannot truthfully say that they do not occasionally sin. The Christian will sometimes still "fall short of the glory of God." Yet, we can still be righteous.

Righteousness is not a goody-goody way of acting. It is not something we have to strive to get our works perfect enough to obtain. The Bible says that "all our righteousness is as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6)

The righteousness of God is given to us as a free gift. (II Corinthians 5:21)

Too often, Christians have confused righteousness with holiness. They are not the same thing.

HOLINESS IS YOUR CONDUCT AND MANNER OF LIVING.

RIGHTEOUSNESS IS YOUR NATURE.

The word translated righteousness means "in right standing." When a person accepts Jesus, the person is moved into a place of right standing with God. We don't get righteous by our works, but by relationship with Jesus. He gives us righteousness in the process of reconciling us to God, and bringing us into a place of right standing with God.

II Corinthians 5:19
"...not imputing their trespasses unto them..."

When we become saved, God no longer holds our former trespasses against us. Because we have no sins being held against us - we have a position of right standing, i.e. righteousness with God. With this new nature that we have been given there are many benefits. We need to realize that righteousness is a free gift of God. He chooses to make us righteous, and all we have to do is accept this gift.

Luke 12:32
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Are you righteous? ? ? The answer should be "YES". The blood of Jesus did not simply cover your sin over when you were saved. No! Rather, the blood of Jesus remitted your sin... it did away with your sin completely. You, as a saved person, are RIGHTEOUS.

Don't try a false humility by defrauding yourself of what is rightfully yours... Righteousness is a free gift of God to you. Too many have what we call a "sin consciousness." A sin consciousness produces defeat and a false sense of humility. Many Christians carry around a sense and burden of past sins that have been washed away.

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."

So why do many, as Christians, carry around a "sin tag"??? Every time they start to feel the righteousness of God, the devil will jump upon their shoulder and remind them of all they ever did wrong. God cannot remember those sins, and it is not God who is reminding them of those sins. Yet, some think it is "spiritual" to berate themselves, and scold themselves over and over for sins that God won't even remember.

So our righteousness is a relationship given to us at salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Holiness or sanctification is something different.

To be "sanctified" means to be "set apart." When we serve the Lord, we may, or may not, choose to be set apart from the world, and set apart to God for His service. Holiness is a choosing on our part to set ourselves away from certain things so we may be set apart to the service and following of our Lord.

I Peter 1:14-16
"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He Who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy..."

To be holy, we need to flee from all things and thoughts that would defile us. We need to set ourselves apart from those deeds of sinfulness for which we repented at salvation. To be near to God, we must set ourselves apart from sin.

Romans 6:6
"...our old man is crucified in Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin..."

Since we were freed from the guilt of sin at salvation, we were holy that moment of salvation. That type of holiness was instantaneous with salvation. Our sinful lusts, passions, evil conduct, deceit, covetousness, wrath, blasphemy, etc. all died with the "old man" at the moment of salvation. We became dead to sin, and alive with Christ. We were holy, sanctified. The blood of Jesus had completely cleansed us from all sin.
We are to progress in that sanctification as we continue in our Christian life. This is the progressive nature of sanctification. As we continually yield ourselves to God, and set ourselves apart to His service, we are sanctified.

Romans 6:13, 19
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God... even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness..."

We were made righteous at salvation by entering into a relationship with the Lord. As we begin to live and choose to serve Him, we maintain a position of holiness, or sanctification. This service, this setting ourselves apart to be like Him, is holiness.

Therefore we are commanded to be "holy." "Be ye holy" (I Pet. 1:16) leaves us no other option. We must strive to continually set ourselves apart for God. It is not elective.

Hebrews 12:14
"Follow... holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord..."

Without holiness, we will not continue to be saved. It is an option for us to be holy, but it is an option that is mandatory if we want to "see God."
Holiness is not innocence. Newborn babes are not holy. Adam and Eve were not holy. Holiness is partaking in moral choices, and choosing to set ourselves away from the sinful, and next to our Lord. When we do this, we are holy. Holiness is the choosing of the relationship with Christ when the devil offers the substitutes of all that is not of God.

Holiness is not automatic. It receives activation by choice. We were made to be a new creation at salvation. But holiness is choosing to have that new creation to stay as near to the Lord who saved them as possible.

Holiness is choosing to stay away from all sins that would ruin that new-found relationship with the Lord.

Holiness will make you love what you once hated, and hate what you once loved. The life you live as a holy person is the different life that the "old you" could never have lived. We, as free moral agents, can still choose to sin, or to stay in relationship with the Lord.

Holiness is a temperament that protects us from evil. It is the exercising of our free will to choose to resist every temptation of the devil. Temptation will come, and will come often. It may be subtle or overt. At temptation, we are put to a test. It will prove us. It will attempt to make us neglect our relationship with the Lord. If we love God, and value our relationship with Him, we will set ourselves apart to serving and worshipping Him. If we fail in the temptation, we will find ourselves lacking in that relationship.

Holiness is the state of choosing to walk in the light, and in the fellowship with the Lord.

I John 1:7
"If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth (literally -keeps on cleansing) us from all sin."

Some in Christianity have tried to make lists of what deeds make one holy. This is a backward, hypocritical way of trying to achieve holiness. It is not in following lists of do's and don't's. Holiness is a choosing to not do anything that would separate us from the relationship with Jesus. Whatever that may be, we choose not to do. Holiness is not in the doing, or not doing, of those things however.

Holiness is the maintenance of the relationship with Jesus.

 

[murjahel]

Luke 10:29
"...he, willing to justify himself..."

Too often Christians get the point of always wanting to 'justify themselves'... The churches, the message boards, are too often visited by those who want to 'justify' their sin, their waywardness, their foul language, their habitual sins... They argue and argue, challenge, twist Scripture, etc... all due to the fact that inwardly there is a still small voice telling them that something is not right...

That voice is the Holy Spirit convicting, drawing one to Jesus via repentance... Some will harden their hearts to the 'nasty word' repentance... and slowly, they develop a 'seared conscience'.


Matthew 13:15
"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears and dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart and they should be converted, and I should heal them."

This is a shame, for I have seen some people that were once on fire, Holy Spirit filled, soldiers for the Lord, and now are indulgent in sins, hardened of heart, not listening for the conviction of the Lord anymore, and are seared in conscience, insensitive to their lack of a loving relationship with man or God...


I John 1:8-9
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

God wants to cleanse us from sins, from pains, from the things in life that distracted us from our relationship with Jesus.

Conviction is a friend, a method of the Holy Spirit to bring us to the footstool of God, to repent, to be forgiven, to be refreshed in Jesus... We should love conviction, and do, if we are not so high in pride that we think we are incapable of sin....

Pride fights conviction... if it wins, we get a seared conscience, unable to even feel the awefulness of our sins...

Romans 7:24, 8:2
"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The law of the Spirit of Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death."

In salvation, we are free from living under law, sin, and death. Some try to live their Christian life under the law and under grace.. No! we should live entirely under grace.

The spirit of bondage to the law, and the trying to deserve God's blessings will bring a defeated and unrewarded miserable life, as we see evident in many "saints."

We never earn God's salvation via obeying the law, but we do, after the grace, unmerited favor, of salvation, come to a place where we want to do right things, we are 'saved unto good works' not saved 'by good works'...

When we fail in our 'good works' we need to refresh our relationship with Jesus... we do not want to let conviction from the Spirit of God be unnoticed... we do not want to have a 'seared conscience' due to ignoring the gentle, loving, conviction of the Spirit.

We all have seen the kind of Christian who is miserable, sober, and has not the full joy that one should have living for Jesus. They point to how many years they have been a Christian, how long they have been a member, what committees they are on in the church, how much they have given to the church, and demand respect, honor, and are mad if not given it. This is wrong! They are defeated, and cannot get many answers to prayer, and have long ago given up on intercessory prayer... for answers do not come to those who think they deserve the answers... God gives all of His gifts through GRACE, MERCY, and UNMERITED FAVOR!

Galatians 2:21
"I do not frustrate the grace of God..."

Many do "frustrate" God and His plan to have us dwell in His grace... Ignoring, shutting out conviction is dangerous to the saint... it frustrates the grace of God... Grace continues to allow conviction even after salvation, so our lives can be glorifying to our Lord...

Do not limit the word "grace" to the event that brought you into salvation. It is still "grace" that brings you all of God's blessings, and through "grace" that you make the "machinery" of the Christian life to work. Before you could drive a car, you walked... and it took much energy, and limited your mobility... Once you learned to drive, you had ability to make trips of many miles and arrive easily... Too many saints have been brought into the luxury and blessing of God's grace, and then sit in this new vehicle, trying to walk...

Imagine sitting in a car, pounding your feet up and down, trying to walk, when all you have to do is turn the key, step on the gas, and steer! Why do intercessors not simply use the gift of "grace" that God has provided for them??? Grace brought you into a new relationship, and gave you a new way of receiving from God.

Hebrews 4:16
"let us come boldly to the throne of grace..."

The seared conscience is not a desirable trait... it is something we avoid by easily repenting, encouraging the Spirit to examine our hearts... like the Bible teaches,
'let a man examine himself'... and when we do, the Spirit gladly accommodates us, and shows us the dirty corners, or the dirty inner cup... Praise God for this, it is what keeps our relationship close and joyous...