Online Tracts
He Didn't Have To Sin
By A. T. Rowe
The revival had been going on for several weeks. It was a new place for what the people called "this holiness doctrine," and many of them said, "We never heard anything like this new doctrine." But they kept on coming to meeting until the house would not hold the people. Many stood outside, and interest was high; conviction was settling upon a number, and the whole country apparently was stirred.
One Sunday morning when the minister had reached about the middle of his sermon, an intelligent, clerically garbed man with snowy-white hair arose and spoke out abruptly, "Hold on, young man, better preach the truth to these people. I've been a minister for 21 years, and my Bible tells me, 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him.' It says, too, 'There is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.' No man can live without sin. I can't do it. I sin every breath that I draw; yes, in thought, word, and deed, many times a day; why, we may sin and not know it. And you, a young man, come here and presume to teach that people can live without committing sin. I won't stand for it."
He sat down. The audience at first gasped, then smiled, and now waited, apparently to see what the young minister would say.
He spoke, "Brother, I'm sorry you interrupted, but since you have done so, the people here have a right to know the truth about this question. Will you kindly tell us where that Scripture is that you first quoted, 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him?' "
"Yes, Sir; just give me a minute and I'll find it." After several minutes he spoke, "I don't seem to find it, but I will if you will give me time."
"All right," replied the young minister, "take until tonight if you wish."
Just then a man in the audience, wishing to help the old man, said, "I think you'll find that Scripture in the sixteenth chapter of Galatians, I'm not just certain."
"No," yelled another, "it's in Third John."
And the preacher rejoined, "Maybe it's in the twenty-third chapter of Revelation," knowing that there were only six chapters in Galatians, and that it was not in Third John, nor any other place in the Bible. The preacher then said, "Friends, the text that has been quoted is not in the Bible‹neither the Old nor New Testament. There is a standing reward of a hundred dollars for anyone who will find it. If you will give me your attention, I shall be glad to explain the other text the good brother quoted, and also explain as best I can in the brief time I have, this troublesome sin question."
Cries of "Give the young man a chance to explain" filled the house while the old, white-haired man kept muttering, "I know it's there; I know it is; I've read it many a time; I've been preaching twenty-one years‹do you think I don't know what's in my Bible?" His wife, sitting by his side, was heard to whisper, "Pap, it isn't there." But this did not satisfy the old gentleman.
The minister began: "First, I repeat, the Bible nowhere says, 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him,' but in order to be fair to the good brother who has repeated it, we shall wait until this evening for him to find it. Let us take up the sin question from a biblical standpoint.
"Paul says in Romans 6:1-2: 'What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?' that is, that we may have a continuous supply of grace? and he answers his own question, 'God forbid.' Evidently he taught that Christians should not sin. This is perhaps one of the greatest questions that is troubling the world today religiously‹whether we have to sin or not. If by sinning we mean making human mistakes, we answer that we cannot live without sinning; but if by sinning we mean willfully transgressing God's law, we can and do live without sinning if we are saved and living Christian lives. Mistakes are not always sins, but sins are always mistakes, for an individual is making the big mistake of his life to live in sin when he should know that 'the wages of sin is death.' (Rom. 6:23).
"What is sin? 'Sin is the transgression of the law.' (l John 3:4). 'To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.' (James 4:17). We may sin by omission‹omitting to do what we know we should do; or by commission‹doing that which we know we should not do. Both of these things involve principles of moral conduct.
"In business, in the home, and in everyday life, we may be lacking in knowledge or judgment and thereby do the thing that proves a mistake, and the improper thing to do. For example, in renting or buying a home or an automobile, going into debt, lending money, making investments, etc., but these are not within themselves moral issues. Sinning is willful wrong by omission or commission, in thought, word, or deed.
" 'But,' we are asked, 'may we sin and not know it? Is it not possible for us to sin in our sleep?' Answer: when we sin, we know it; it is impossible to sin in our sleep. The supposed Scripture, 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him,' is not Scripture, but is merely a favorite saying of those who advocate the 'Sin you will, sin you must' doctrine. It is only homemade 'chimney-corner' Scripture, such as the supposed text, 'Every tub must stand on its own bottom.'
" 'But,' we are told, 'our minister says he sins daily in thought, word, and deed.' Perhaps he does; we shall accept his own testimony. But that does not say that everybody must sin. Let us consider here a few propositions on this question:
"1. Here are three men: No. 1 commits one sin a day, No. 2 commits two sins a day, and No. 3 commits three sins a day. Which one of the three is the Christian ? You answer, and rightly, that none of them are Christians. If they were, they would not be sinners, for it is impossible to be a sinner and a Christian at the same time.
"2. If all Christians sin and all sinners sin, what is the real difference between a Christian and a sinner? You naturally answer that if this statement is correct, there is no difference between a Christian and a sinner, since both sin. If a Christian may sin and still be a Christian, then it resolves itself into a question of degree, and if this be the case,
"3. How many sins may a Christian commit and still be a Christian? Or how few sins should a man commit to be rightfully called a good Christian, and how many a bad Christian, and how many sins would it take to make a sinner? And what is the difference, then, between a sinner, a good Christian, and a bad Christian? You are compelled, my friends, to answer that a Christian does not sin, nor does a sinner live a Christian life, no matter how many so-called churches he may belong to.
"4. If Christians sin and sinners sin and they are both either sinners or Christians, what is the use of the two words, 'Christian' and 'sinner'? A man is called a farmer because he farms, a preacher because he preaches, a sinner because he sins, and a Christian because he lives Christlike. The two words are used to represent two things: Christian, one who follows Christ; sinner, one who sins and follows the Devil, the author of sin. 'He that committeth sin is of the Devil.' (l John 3:8). 'Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.' (l John 3:9).
"5. Is it possible, then, for the genuine Christian to live daily without committing sin? Yes, it is not only possible, but the genuine Christian lives that way naturally because he is born of God and God is the Pilot and Director of his life‹he is God's man, and naturally he does God's work. (Please read Matt. 1:21; Heb. 12:14; Titus 2:11-12; Rom. 6:14.)
"6. But, I am asked if it is not pharisaical to claim to live free from sin, and not to ask the Lord each time we pray to forgive our sins. I answer: Read the prayer of the Pharisee. He justified himself; he gave no credit to God for making him what he claimed to be; he pleaded self-righteousness rather than God's righteousness, and in no sense can he be compared to a Christian, who attributes all his ability to live above sin to God alone. On the other hand, the publican, who was a sinner, and acknowledged it to God, asking forgiveness for his sin, went down justified or forgiven, and there was no need for him to go again into sin.
"But I must not neglect the genuine Scripture that the good brother quoted, 'There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.' This was spoken about a thousand years before Christ was born. Since that was spoken, a wonderful thing happened: Jesus was born as the universal Saviour of the world. He is able to deliver and does deliver from all sin.
"My friends, I leave it with you. If you will humbly repent of your sins, I am sure God will forgive you, and He will give you an abundant supply of grace to keep you from committing any more sins."
In the meantime the old gentleman, evidently concluding that he was beaten, gave up the battle and left the house.
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