Je, hamtakufa kama mkiendelea kutenda dhambi? 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. He managed to deceive man with his lies and convince man that eating the fruit from the forbidden fruit would do no harm and wouldn’t lead to death, but that it was good for man, since man would become as God. The devil still succeeds in deceiving Christians with the same lie, that sin doesn’t lead to death. But what does the Bible say about sinning in the New Covenant? Je, hamtakufa kama mkiendelea kutenda dhambi?
God doesn’t make man afraid but He reveals the truth and warns man out of love
From the beginning of creation, Mungu alisema kweli. 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, amini, 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 not believe His words. A foolish man shall not keep His words and obey His commandments, but shall reject His words. (Oh. Zaburi 14; 53, Methali 1:5, 10:8, 23; 14:16, Luka 6:43-49, Yohana 12:48 (Soma pia: The hearers vs the doers na Is Jesus thrown out of church?)).
God’s warning to man
God planted a garden eastward in Eden and put man, whom God had formed, in the garden of Eden. God 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 (Mwanzo 1:28)
And so God appointed man on earth and gave man utawala to rule over the earth and all there is within.
God gave man the responsibility to cultivate and keep the garden and God gave one 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. Man walked with God until the serpent approached the woman (Mwanzo 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 man’s dominion 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, Ndiyo, 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 to man. But 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.
She began to believe the words of the serpent, which would lead to death, whereby what God had forbidden became desirable and seemed right 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.
They both 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.
Through sin, Man fell from his position and lost his dominion
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 awakened the desire in man and led to disobedience to God (dhambi).
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. He still goes around as a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (Oh. Yohana 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, hisia, needs, tamaa, and desires of carnal people. He seems so humanistic and loving. Meanwhile, the devil deceives and destroys people and leads people to hell.
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 Bible is clear about loving the world, walking after the flesh, and the fruit of the flesh aka the works of the flesh (dhambi). The words in the Bible still apply today. The Word still warns the people and calls them to repentance and the removal of sin. Not to make people afraid (as the devil makes Christians believe), but out of love for people. For 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.
They are not sons of God (hii inatumika kwa wanaume na wanawake). But they are still sons of the devil (hii inatumika kwa wanaume na wanawake), who have a sinful nature and keep listening to their father, shetani (the father of fallen man), and believe 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; ndio, in my house have I found their wickedness, asema Bwana. 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, asema Bwana (Yeremia 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.
How does the devil do that? Through the lies of false prophets and false teachers and the wolves in sheep’s clothing, who go to church and/or are appointed as preachers (wachungaji) or elders in the church. (Soma pia: The wolves in sheep’s clothing, who wreak havoc in the church).
The devil still changes the truth of God into a lie
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.
Wakristo wengi, 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.
What does the Bible say about sinning?
Basi, dhambi isitawale ndani ya miili yenu ipatikanayo na mauti, mpate kuitii katika matamanio yake. Wala msitoe viungo vyenu kuwa silaha za dhuluma kwa dhambi: bali jitoeni wenyewe kwa Mungu, kama wale walio hai kutoka kwa wafu, na viungo vyenu kuwa vyombo vya haki kwa Mungu. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, bali chini ya neema (Warumi 6:12-14)
Maana kuwa na nia ya mwili ni mauti; bali kuwa na nia ya roho ni uzima na amani. Kwa maana nia ya mwili ni uadui juu ya Mungu: kwa maana haitii sheria ya Mungu, wala kweli hawezi kuwa. Basi wale waufuatao mwili hawawezi kumpendeza Mungu (Warumi 8:6-8)
Usiku umepita sana, siku imekaribia: basi tuyatupilie mbali matendo ya giza, na tuvae silaha za nuru. Wacha tutembee kwa uaminifu, kama siku; si kwa fujo na ulevi, si kwa ufisadi na ufisadi, si kwa ugomvi na husuda. Bali mvaeni Bwana Yesu Kristo, wala msiuangalie mwili, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Warumi 13:12-14)
Lakini ninyi hamkumjifunza Kristo hivyo; Ikiwa mmemsikia, na wamefundishwa Naye, kama ukweli ulivyo ndani ya Yesu: Mvue katika mazungumzo ya kwanza yule mzee, ambayo inaharibika kwa kuzifuata tamaa zenye udanganyifu; Na mfanywe wapya katika roho ya nia zenu; na kwamba mvae utu mpya, ambayo baada ya Mungu imeumbwa katika haki na utakatifu wa kweli (Waefeso 4:20-24)
God commanded to Put off the old man
Basi, vifisheni viungo vyenu vilivyo katika nchi; uasherati, uchafu, mapenzi ya kupita kiasi, tamaa mbaya, na tamaa, ambayo ni ibada ya sanamu: Kwa vitu gani’ kwa sababu ghadhabu ya Mungu huwajia wana wa uasi: ambayo ninyi pia mliziendea zamani, mlipoishi ndani yao. Lakini sasa ninyi pia yawekeni haya yote; hasira, hasira, uovu, kufuru, mawasiliano machafu kutoka kinywani mwako. Msidanganyane, kwa kuwa mmevua kabisa utu wa kale pamoja na matendo yake; Na kuvaa mtu mpya, ambayo inafanywa upya katika ujuzi kwa mfano wake yeye aliyemuumba; Ambapo hakuna Mgiriki wala Myahudi, kutahiriwa wala kutotahiriwa, Mshenzi, Msikithia, kifungo wala huru: bali Kristo ni yote, na katika yote (Wakolosai 3:5-10)
Neno linasema, that you must put off the old man. This is not a choice, this is a commandment of God. 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, dhambi, leads to death and hell instead of eternal life and heaven
The Word of God 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 gave everything to man to fulfill his commandment
God has given everything to man to fulfill His commandment. Therefore people have no excuse to not do what God commanded man to do.
God has given everything; His words, Mtoto wake wa kiume; Neno Hai, 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. They do what Jesus says, na kuzishika amri zake. The Word builds them up, and reforms, instructs, hurekebisha, and chastises them.
The devil convinces people that sin doesn’t lead to death
Hata hivyo, the devil convinces people that sin doesn’t lead to death. He makes people believe that they can’t help it if they keep sinning and never hold the person accountable and never put the blame on the person, but blame others. Kwa sababu hiyo, 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. Kwa sababu hiyo, the devil keeps the person in bondage; in a victim role, and the person has an excuse to not change and keep sinning (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, Muumba, 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 (Soma pia: What is a reprobate mind?)
Can’t you help if you keep 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? Mungu apishe mbali. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Warumi 5:20-6:2)
Nini sasa? tufanye dhambi, kwa sababu hatuko chini ya sheria, bali chini ya neema? Mungu apishe mbali. Hamjui, kwamba kwake yeye ambaye mnajitoa nafsi zenu kuwa watumwa wake katika kumtii, ninyi ni watumwa wake ambaye mnamtii; kwamba ni wa dhambi inayoleta kifo, au wa utii uletao haki? Lakini Mungu ashukuriwe, kwamba mlikuwa watumwa wa dhambi, bali mmetii kwa mioyo yenu ile namna ya mafundisho mliyopewa. Baada ya hapo kuwekwa huru kutoka kwa dhambi, ye became the servants of righteousness.? (Warumi 6:15-18).
The devil comes with the same question as in the Garden of Eden, yaani; 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 (endelea kutenda dhambi), kwa sababu …
- You are no longer under the law, bali chini ya neema (Soma pia: Je, unaweza kuendelea kutenda dhambi chini ya neema?)
- You believe in Jesus and are saved by Him, therefore you are always saved (Soma pia: Mara baada ya kuokolewa daima kuokolewa?)
- You can’t help sinning, we are all born sinners and will always remain sinners (Soma pia: Je, unabaki kuwa mwenye dhambi daima?)
- You can’t help doing that, you live in a broken world (Soma pia: Can you use the broken world as an excuse?)
- You can’t help the way you are, God has created you like that, and you are born this way. (Soma pia: Why you must be born again?)
- You can’t help doing the same thing(s) as your (kuu)parents, you just live under a generational curse (Soma pia: Je, laana za kizazi zipo?)
- You can’t help lying, it’s just part of your culture (Soma pia: Every culture disappears in Christ)
- You can’t help commuting uzinzi, 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 (ngono) 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 (Soma pia: 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 (Soma pia: Biblia inasema nini kuhusu talaka?))
- You can’t help masturbating, because you are human and have (ngono) needs and if you are single or your spouse doesn’t fulfill your sexual needs, then there is nothing wrong with masturbation (Soma pia: 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, hisia, tamaa, and desires of the flesh of the (mzee) 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, tamaa, na tamaa za mwili, so that the old man stays alive and keeps sinning and death keeps reigning in man’s life.
Wale, 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. Watoto wadogo, mtu asiwadanganye: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, kama vile Yeye alivyo mwadilifu. 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: na hawezi kutenda dhambi, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, na watoto wa shetani: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother (1 Yohana 3:6-10)
Wale, 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. They are not born of God and are not His sons (wanaume na wanawake). But they are workers of iniquity, who speak the words of their father and do the works of their father, shetani.
It doesn’t matter whether someone calls himself or herself a Christian, an apostle, nabii, evangelist, pastor, bishop, Nakadhalika. Watu, who believe 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, don’t belong to Christ. Therefore they don’t speak His words and don’t keep His commandments. But they belong to the devil and are his servants. Therefore they speak his words and do his works (Soma pia: Destroying the works of God instead of the devil).
A son of God doesn’t believe the lies of the devil, expose and destroy them
A son of God shall never believe the lies of the devil and approve of sin and applaud sin and the sinner. But a son of God 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, kama Yesu.
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. Therefore a son of God calls the people to repentance, out of love. (Soma pia: What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?).
Shall you live if you keep sinning and go to heaven? Or shall you die if you keep sinning and go to hell?
Kwa hiyo, ndugu, sisi ni wadeni, si kwa mwili, kuishi kwa kuufuata mwili. Kwa maana ikiwa mnaishi kufuatana na mwili, ndio atakufa: bali ikiwa kwa Roho mwayaua matendo ya mwili, mtaishi. Kwa maana wote wanaoongozwa na Roho wa Mungu, ni wana wa Mungu (Warumi 8:12-14)
Lakini sasa tumewekwa huru mbali na dhambi, na kuwa watumishi wa Mungu, mna matunda yenu kwa utakatifu, na mwisho uzima wa milele. Kwa maana mshahara wa dhambi ni mauti; bali karama ya Mungu ni uzima wa milele katika Kristo Yesu Bwana wetu (Warumi 6:22-23)
Jesus answered them, Hakika, hakika, Nawaambia, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin (Yohana 8:34)
The words of God are spirit and life and the words of the devil are carnal (nyama) na kifo
By faith in the words of the serpent, man became disobedient to the words and the commandment of God and ate the forbidden fruit, which carried death. Matokeo yake, death entered into man and the spirit of man died. Man became separated from God and death reigned in fallen man. Because of that fallen man (Mzee) would bear the fruit of death, ambayo ni dhambi, and man would die at the appointed time and leave the earth and enter Kuzimu.
This proved, that God was telling the truth and the devil lied.
you decide to believe the words of God or the words of the devil
The devil still uses the same lie. He 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 keep sinning, you shall not die, but live and go to heaven.
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.
‘Kuweni chumvi ya dunia’
