Shall you not die if you keep sinning? That’s what many Christians believe. They think that it doesn’t matter how you live, as long as you believe in Jesus. But don’t these words sound familiar and remind you of someone, who said the same thing and ended up lying? I’m talking about the devil. The devil also said that man would not die, if man disobeyed the commandment of God, while God said that man would die if man disobeyed His commandment and eat from the fruit of the forbidden tree. He managed to deceive man with his lies and convince man that eating from the forbidden fruit would do no harm and wouldn’t lead to death, but that it was good for man to eat, since man would become as God. The devil succeeded in deceiving Adam and Eve with his lies and still succeeds in deceiving many Christians with the same lie, that it doesn’t hurt to do evil. That sin doesn’t lead to death. But what does the Bible say about sinning in the New Covenant? Shall you not die if you walk after the flesh and keep sinning?
God doesn’t make man afraid but He reveals the truth and warns man out of love
From the beginning of creation, God spoke the truth. God revealed the truth to people. He warned man, and made man a partaker of His plans. God did that back then and God still does that.
God still speaks and reveals the truth. He still warns people through His Word and the Holy Spirit. But the people decide whether to listen, believe, and obey the words and commandments of God (commandments of Jesus) or not.
A wise man, who fears the Lord, listens to the words of God. A wise man believes, obeys His words and is a doer of His words.
But a foolish man may listen to the words of God, but shall not believe His words. Therefore a foolish man shall not keep His words and obey His commandments, but shall reject His words. (a.o. Psalm 14; 53, Proverbs 1:5, 10:8, 23; 14:16, Luke 6:43-49, John 12:48 (Read also: The hearers vs the doers and Is Jesus thrown out of church?))
God’s warning to man
God had planted a garden eastward in Eden and put man, whom God had formed, in the garden of Eden. God had made out of the ground grow every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
God blessed man and said, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth (Genesis 1:28)
And so God appointed man on earth and gave man dominion to rule over the earth and all there is within.
God gave man the responsibility to cultivate and keep the garden and God gave a commandment to man.
God said, that they could freely eat of every tree of the garden, but they were not allowed to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that man would eat thereof man would surely die.
He informed man and revealed to him, what would happen if man decided to disobey God’s commandment.
God didn’t make man afraid by informing him, but God warned man out of love, because God’s thoughts for man were thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give man an expected end.
Man kept the commandment of the Lord, which was good and contained life, and walked with God until the serpent approached the woman (Genesis 2).
The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field
Now the serpent, which the Lord God had made, was placed under the dominion of man, since God gave man dominion over the earth and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field. Therefore the serpent was the perfect candidate for the devil to accomplish his mission and take the place of God and usurp the dominion of man over the earth, so that the devil would become the god of man and the ruler of the earth.
The devil heard what God had spoken to man and he knew that His words were the truth. He also saw the relationship between God and man and the walk of man with God and the obedience of man to God and His words.
The devil came up with a plan to tempt man in a cunning way to sin and ensure that man would believe his words and do what God had forbidden man to do.
The serpent caused man to doubt the words of God
Just as God often approaches people with a question, the devil also approached the woman with a question. The serpent said to the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The woman answered the serpent and said, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest ye die.
Although the serpent knew that the words of God were the truth, he tried to convince the woman that the words of God were lies, by questioning the words of God and mixing a partial truth of God with his lie and with his lie arousing the lust and desire in man by making desirable what was forbidden by God.
The devil caused the woman to doubt the words of God and made her curious and enchanted her with his deceptive words and wonderful promise that man would be as God, knowing good and evil and therefore be wise and independent.
We know, that the devil fell from his position through pride and his lust and desire to become as God. Therefore the devil knew the ‘formula’ to tempt man and make man believe his words, which carried the death, since his words led to the death of man.
“Ye shall not surely die”
The serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God does know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
The serpent convinced man that he was telling the truth. That he was the one, who had the best interest of man, instead of God.
With his lies, the devil portrayed God in a bad way, by indirectly saying that God had not spoken the whole truth but hid the truth from man and that He had not the best interest of man at heart.
While God was the One, Who had the best interest of man at heart. Whose thoughts for man were thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give man an expected end. Unlike the devil, whose intentions were evil and whose thoughts were wicked and led to the destruction of man.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil, which carried the death, became desirable for man
The words of the serpent changed the view of man. Suddenly the woman saw the tree from a whole other perspective, than before, when she only heard and believed the words of God and obeyed His commandment.
The tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which produced the forbidden fruit and carried the death, was no longer considered evil and forbidden and a danger for man. The tree became desirable for man, because according to the words of the devil, the fruit would make one wise and become just like God. The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes.
The woman began to doubt the words of God, whereby man would live and began to believe the words of the serpent, which would lead to death, whereby what God had forbidden became desirable and seemed the right thing to do.
By faith in the words of the devil, the woman and her husband did what God had forbidden to do (out of love and for the protection of man).
The woman took some of the fruit and ate. She gave also unto her husband with her, who didn’t stop her but was also tempted to sin and became disobedient to God and ate from the forbidden fruit, which indeed gave them knowledge of good and evil, but led to death, just as God told them and warned them about.
Instead of becoming as God, as man had imagined, man fell from his position. Man lost his dominion on earth to the devil and was put beneath the angels. Man became a slave of the devil and of sin and death. The spirit in man died and the spiritual connection and relationship between God and man was broken.
And so the devil had gained victory and became the god of fallen man and the ruler of the earth, by making man doubt the words of God and making man believe his deceptive lie, which arose the desire in man and led to disobedience to God (sin).
The true nature of the devil was revealed
The devil revealed his true nature in the Garden of Eden and showed that he was a liar, a thief, a killer, and a destroyer and nothing has changed since then.
The devil is still a liar, a thief, a killer, and a destroyer and still goes around as a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (a.o. John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8).
He still causes people, including many Christians, to believe his words. Because the devil speaks what the carnal man wants to hear and gives what the carnal man wants and thinks he needs.
The devil is a master of deception and of responding to the will, feelings, needs, lusts, and desires of carnal people. He seems so humanistic and loving, meanwhile, he deceives and destroys people and leads people to eternal death.
And since the devil’s tactic still works and people still believe in his words, which are lies, and still be deceived and tempted to sin, why should the devil change his tactic? Why change something if it still works?
The lie that the serpent used in the Garden of Eden still works
The Word is clear about loving the world, walking after the flesh and the fruit of the flesh aka the works of the flesh (sin), and still warns the people and calls them to repentance and the removal of sin, not to make people afraid (as the devil makes people believe) but out of love for people and their benefit and protection and to give them a hopeful future and eternal life.
But the majority of people are not born again in Christ and are not sons of God (this applies to both males and females), but are still sons of the devil (this applies to both males and females), who have a sinful nature and keep listening to their father, the devil (the father of fallen man) and believe in his words, which causes them to walk in pride after the flesh in rebellion to God, as enemies of God and His Word
For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the Lord (Jeremiah 23:11-12)
And the born-again Christians, who walk after the Word and the Spirit, he tries to make lukewarm, disobedient and become apostates of God in a very subtle way, through the lies of false prophets and false teachers and the wolves in sheep clothing, who go to church and/or are appointed as preachers (pastors) or elders in the church. (Read also: The wolves in sheep clothing, who wreak havoc in the church).
Because just like the devil used the most subtle animal among all the animals that God created, to fulfill his mission, the devil still looks for subtle (cunning) carnal people, who are prideful, puffed up by their carnal knowledge and full of themselves, and rely upon their (natural) wisdom and ability and speak their own words and think highly of themselves and consider themselves better than everyone else, to reach his goal and fulfill his mission.
As he questioned the words of God in the Garden of Eden by his question and by changing the truth of God into a lie, he still lies and causes man to doubt and disobey the words of God.
Many Christians, who are spiritually blind and walk after the flesh, still believe his words and still fall for his pious lies, which lead to destruction and the eternal death of man.
Shall you not die if you keep sinning?
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:12-14)
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8)
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Romans 13:12-14)
But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24)
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him; Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:5-10)
The Word says, that you must put off the old man. This is not a choice, it’s a command of God to those, who are born again in Christ and are sons of God. Since the works of the old man, sin, leads to death instead of eternal life.
The Word holds every person accountable and puts the blame (if the person refuses to obey the words of God and refuses to put off the works of the old man) on the person. God has given everything to man. Therefore people have no excuse to not do what God commanded man to do.
God has given everything; His words, His Son; the Living Word, and His Holy Spirit, to humanity to be released from the power of darkness and be transferred into the Kingdom of His Son and become a new creation in Christ and be reconciled with God and have dominion over sin and walk holy and righteous as His son after the Spirit in obedience to His Word on earth.
The true sons of God believe the words of the Father. They submit to His words, do what Jesus says, and keep His commandments. The Word builds them up, and reforms, instructs, corrects, and chastises them.
However, the devil convinces people that sin doesn’t lead to death. He makes people believe that they can’t help sinning and never holds the person accountable and never puts the blame on the person, but blames others. Because of that, a person has an excuse to stay the old man and keep walking after the flesh and keep sinning.
It’s never the fault of the person, it is always someone else’s fault; God or someone else.
The people believe the devil’s words and act and live according to his words, whereby the devil keeps the person in bondage; in a victim role, and the person has an excuse to not change and keep doing the works of the flesh and keep living in disobedience to God and His Word and walk in darkness.
And the humanistic churchgoers and preachers and elders, who believe the lies of the devil, the creation, instead of the truth of God, the Creator, always sides with the victim (the sinner, the rebel and violator of the Word) and applaud sin, whereby they approve of evil and proclaim evil as good and good as evil (Read also: What is a reprobate mind?)
Can’t you help sinning?
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. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 5:20-6:2)
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.? (Romans 6:15-18).
The devil comes with the same question as in the Garden of Eden, namely; Has God said, …?
Then he comes with the same lie as in the garden of Eden, which is, You shall not die if you sin (keep sinning), because …
- You are no longer under the law, but under grace (Read also: Can you keep sinning under grace?)
- You believe in Jesus and are saved by Him, therefore you are always saved (Read also: Once saved always saved?)
- You can’t help sinning, we are all born sinners and will always remain sinners (Read also: Do you always remain a sinner?)
- You can’t help doing that, you just live in a broken world (Read also: Can you use the broken world as an excuse?)
- You can’t help the way you are, God has created you like that, you are born this way. (Read also: Why you must be born again?)
- You can’t help doing the same thing(s) as your (grand)parents, you just live under a generational curse (Read also: Do generational curses exist?)
- You can’t help lying, it’s just part of your culture (Read also: Every culture disappears in Christ)
- You can’t help commuting adultery, adultery runs in the family
- You can’t help committing adultery, it’s your spouse’s fault because your spouse didn’t give you what you needed and didn’t fulfill your (sexual) needs
- You can’t help having feelings for someone of the same gender, because you are just born this way, God has made you that way and wanted you (Read also: What does the Bible say about homosexuality?)
- You can’t help wanting a divorce, because your partner doesn’t believe and doesn’t do what you want, and doesn’t fulfill your needs (physically, mentally, and spiritually (Read also: What does the Bible say about divorce?))
- You can’t help masturbating, because you are human and have (sexual) needs and if you are single or your spouse doesn’t fulfill your sexual needs, then there is nothing wrong with masturbation (Read also: Is masturbation a sin or not?).
- You can’t help stealing, you don’t earn that much and they won’t miss it anyway
- You can’t help committing fraud, your employer should have paid you more, they have enough money anyway
- You can’t help committing tax evasion, the government should not impose so many and such high taxes
- You can’t help behaving or acting that way, it’s your parent’s fault, they are responsible for your behavior, they should have …
According to the devil, it’s never people’s fault. The devil shall always respond to the will, feelings, lusts, and desires of the flesh of the (old) man and show empathy for the flesh. Therefore he speaks words, that the old man wants to hear and gives man a permit to do what man wants and fulfill the feelings, lust, and desires of the flesh, so that the old man stays alive and keeps sinning and death keeps reigning in man’s life.
Those, who belong to the devil shall justify sin and the sinner
Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother (1 John 3:6-10)
Those, who listen and believe the words of the devil and say the same things as the devil to justify sin and the sinner, don’t belong to God and are not born of Him and are not His sons, but are workers of iniquity, who speak the words of their father and do the works of their father, the devil.
It doesn’t matter whether someone calls himself or herself a Christian or an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, bishop, and so on, every person, who believes the lie of the devil, that you won’t die if you walk after the flesh and disobey the words of God and keep sinning and live as an enemy of God, but that you shall live, doesn’t belong to Christ and doesn’t speak His words and doesn’t keep His commandments, but belongs to the devil and is his servant and speaks his words and does his works (Read also: Destroying the works of God instead of the devil).
A son of God shall never believe the lies of the devil and approve of sin and applaud sin and the sinner, but shall expose the lies of the devil with the whole truth of God, instead of a partial truth of God, and shall call the sinner to repentance and the removal of sin, just like Jesus.
A son of God knows, that the wages of sin is death, and just like his father, he doesn’t want any person to perish, but to have eternal life and therefore calls the people to repentance, out of love (Read also: What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?).
Shall you live if you live after the flesh in sin?
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:12-14)
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:22-23)
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin (John 8:34)
The words of God are spirit and life and the words of the devil are carnal (flesh) and death
By faith in the words of the serpent, man became disobedient to the words and the commandment of God and ate of the forbidden fruit, which carried death. As a result, death entered into man and the spirit of man died. Man became separated from God and death reigned in fallen man, whereby fallen man (old man) would bear the fruit of death, which is sin, and man would die at the appointed time and leave the earth and enter Hades.
This proved, that God was telling the truth and the devil lied.
The devil still uses the same lie and tries to convince you and make you believe, that if you disobey the words of God and don’t keep His commandments, but do what God has forbidden you to do and therefore sin, you shall not die, but live.
Now it’s up to you, to believe the words of God, the words of Jesus, and do His words and obey His commandments in your life and repent and become born again and put off the works of the old man and put on the new man, or to believe the words of the devil, that you can live the way you want and may keep sinning and you shall not die, but live.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
