By Brother Michel Lankford
Messiah’s first public Commandment was that people should REPENT, (Matthew 4:17).
As It Is Written: “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
(Matthew 4:17 NASB95)
In order to repent successfully, we first have to know what repent means. From the original biblical languages to repent literally means the following:
- To CHANGE one’s MIND AWAY from what God considers to sin.
- To CHANGE one’s DESIRES and INTENTIONS AWAY from what God considers to sin.
- To CHANGE one’s ACTIONS AWAY from what God considers to sin.
- Then to actively RETURN to YHWH Almighty and to His Ways; to what HE considers to be Good and Righteous.
It is absolutely critical to remember that from a Biblical point of view, unless we do these four elements in any given area of our lives, then we have NOT successfully repented.
We Must Know What God Considers to be Sin.
We cannot successfully fulfill the four elements required for genuine repentance, unless we come into agreement with God’s definitions. Think about it. You cannot turn away from what God considers to be sin, if you do not understand and agree with God’s definition of sin in the first place. You cannot RETURN to God and to His ways, if you don’t recognize what HIS YHWH Almighty’s Ways are.
FACT: In the Original Languages, (Both Hebrew and Greek), to ‘SIN’ Means “To MISS the MARK.” It means that God has a specified Standard of Righteousness and Excellence; and to SIN means that I have come short or I have MISSED God’s Specified Mark; or MISSED the BULL’S-EYE Mark of Excellence and Righteousness that God has set on ANY given issue.
FACT: You CANNOT identify that you have sinned or that you have MISSED God’s BULL’S-EYE Mark of Excellence and Righteousness if you don’t recognize what God defines as His BULL’S-EYE Mark of Excellence and Righteousness. After all, how can you aim for a bull’s-eye, if you don’t recognize what God’s BULL’S-EYE Mark is.
“You cannot aim for, much less hit a target that you don’t see.”
Bro. Michel Lankford
The Torah Defines the Target
In order to hit the target, you have to know what God’s BULL’S-EYE Mark of Excellence and Righteousness is. As it turns out, the target that we are supposed to aim for and to hit is God’s Laws, His Commandments and His Instructions found in the Torah, (the First 5 Books of the Bible). How do we know this? The Bible states it directly
As It Is Written: “Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle the enemy comes against the house of the Lord, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law.
(Hosea 8:1 NASB95)
As It Is Written: ““Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.
(Daniel 9:11 NASB95)
In case you are tempted to delude yourself that breaking God’s Law defining sin is strictly an Old Testament concept, and that God’s definitions of sin somehow changed in the ‘New Testament,’ please think again, because you would be wrong. God’s definition of right and wrong; good and bad, or Righteousness and sin have NEVER changed.
“Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin IS the transgression of the law.”
(1 John 3:4, KJV 1900)
As It Is Written: “Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect—being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).
(1 John 3:4 Amplified Bible)
As It Is Written: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
(1 John 3:4 NASB95)
Lawlessness
Greek Strong’s # 458-459 –(ANOMIA Lawlessness IS SIN)
The condition of being without Law
Being ignorant of the Law
Violating/ Breaking the Law
Having contempt for the Law
“To be destitute or in violation of the Mosaic or Jewish Law“ A.KA. Illegality; iniquity; to break, transgress or walk in violation of the Law- (see also 1 John 3:4)
(See Thayer’s and Strong’s Lexicons)
FACT: God’s Laws, Commandments and His Instructions starting in the Torah is the Target.
FACT: Breaking or Violating God’s Laws, Commandments and His Instructions starting in the Torah is what it means to MISS the MARK of God’s target. We know this because even John the Beloved and most faithful apostle said that transgressing and violating God’s Laws, Commandments and Instructions is STILL the definition of what it means to SIN, even more than 50 years AFTER Jesus died and rose again.
ISSUE: Here are some difficult issues that modern Christians refuse to confront:
FACT: More than 50 years AFTER Jesus died and rose again, BREAKING God’s Commandments is STILL the definition of what it means to sin.
If the death burial and resurrection of Messiah means that God’s Law was supposedly abolished and done away with; and people should not try to obey God’s Rules anymore because we are now under ‘Grace,’ then how did John the beloved Apostle not know of this monumental change of doctrine?! WHY is it that breaking God’s Law is STILL the definition of what it means to SIN, even more the 50 years After the death and resurrection of Messiah?! oops! Somebody is misunderstanding Scripture somewhere.
Check Yourself for Sin
Sin is anything that Misses the Mark or comes short of God’s definition of LOVE (e.g. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Matthew 22:36-40; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Leviticus 19:34). Since God’s Word IS TRUTH, (John 17:17); and True Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;” (1 Corinthians 13:6).
Sin is anything that Misses the Mark or comes short of God’s definition of FAITH(Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4; Hebrews 11:1-6; Romans 14:23b)-‘Whatever does not come from faith is sin.
Sin is anything that Misses the Mark or comes short of God’s definition of OBEYING YHWH, and outside of obeying Messiah, who Himself also Obeyed His Laws; (e.g. Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10; John 5:19; 8:31-32; John 14:15, 21, 23; John 15:10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 5:1-3). Anything that BREAKS or DISOBEYS God’s Laws Commandments and Instructions is sin, (1 John 3:4; Hosea 8:1; Daniel 9:11).
Sin is anything that Misses the Mark or comes short of God’s definition of purposefully and intentionally glorifying YHWH (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17-23).
Sin is any time that I know what YHWH considers to be good, and I choose not to do it, or I choose to do something else instead of what Yahweh has taught me to be what He considers good (James 4:17; cf. Isaiah 5:20-24).
