Committing Sin Versus Evil

Luke 11:4, “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” 1st John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

There are two categories of sin:

1. Sins of COMMISSION (doing what we ought not do) - 1st John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
2. Sins of OMMISSION (not doing what we ought do) - James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Sin is transgressing God's Law (1st John 3:4). Evil is premeditated sinning. Therefore, all evil is sin, but not all sin is evil. For example: Getting angry in the heat of an argument might lead someone to commit a crime of passion, assaulting or even God forbid, killing the other person involved. That is a horrible sin. 

However, if a person gets mad, takes a bus home to get their gun, comes back on a different bus an hour later with the gun, and ultimately shoots the person they were arguing with—that is evil (premeditated murder). An abortion is evil because it was scheduled. It was premeditated murder. A sinister plan was contrived to murder a human being in the safety of the child's mother's own womb. Please say it isn't so!!!

When Moses got angry and smote the rock twice, that was a sin. The Lord had instructed Moses to strike the rock once, for the water to flow to quench the thirst of the Israelites. Yet they still complained again, moaning about this and that, and everything else too. Moses snapped in anger and smote the rock twice. Well, that was very unfortunate. God had originally intended to use that rock as an Old Testament type (illustration) of Christ, Who was smitten only once for our sins (Hebrews 10:10). Christ was not smitten twice, only once. The Epistle of Hebrews makes this truth very clear. 

Roman Catholics pervert this fundamental truth with their Sacrament of the Eucharist. Catholics believe that every time a Catholic partakes of The Eucharist (i.e., communion), Jesus is being crucified again. Catholics are taught something weird called Transubstantiation (how that for a big word?). My oh my, what does that intimidating theological word mean? It simply refers to the false idea that the communion juice once consumed, literally turns into the blood of Jesus in the human body, giving the recipient spiritual life. Likewise, the unleavened bread is said to literally convert into Christ's physical flesh. None of this is true in the Bible, it is a vain ritual. The Lord's Supper is simply done in REMEMBRANCE of Christ's blood and body sacrifice on the cross.

In the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to pray in Luke 11:4, “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” Carefully notice that Jesus didn't say to ask God to deliver us from sin, but from evil. You cannot be delivered from sin. We all sin. But we don't have to do evil (planned sin, willful sin). I cannot avoid sinning, but I can avoid plotting to sin. I cannot prevent sinning, but I can stop going to a sinful place to deliberately commit sin. I cannot avoid lusting, but I can avoid looking at something unholy that will cause me to lust. Do you see the big difference? The Lord teaches us when we pray, to ask God to deliver us from EVIL. I don't want to do wrong. I want to think right, do right and live right. That is my constant mindset.

This little Bible study will help you. May we all purpose in our heart as believers not to do evil. Psalm 11:7, “For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” I love that Scripture. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and so do I as His redeemed child. It feels good to do good! It feels great to be right with God. I praise the Lord for His righteousness, which is by faith alone. The only righteousness that I have is the righteousness of God which He has imputed to me by faith.

 And then as His redeemed child the Lord is pleased when I try to do right. But when and where I utterly fall and fail, GOD'S FREE GRACE DOTH MUCH MORE ABOUND. It is free to me and you, but grace came at a high price to God and His only begotten Son. Romans 5:20-21, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen! The only way to obtain God's grace is He must give it to you freely, and He does so only through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus.