Back in the days when warfare had more to do with hand-to-hand combat and bows and arrows than missiles and nuclear bombs, there was a priority placed upon physical strength and dexterity. Men took pride in their ability to defend their families and their land. Consequently, they spent time developing those skills. At that time, when an archer aimed at the center of the target, if he was slightly off, the spotter would yell to him, “khatatha!” The Aramaic word actually meant “missing the mark,” and it was a reminder to the archer to concentrate harder while attempting again to hit the bull’s-eye. In Greek, this word is hamartia, which is the same word used for sin in the New Testament. When we sin, we miss the standard that God has set for us. That standard is perfection.
Sin is any action that goes against the commandments the Lord has given us. In addition to the 10 Commandments, there are 603 other laws in the Old Testament. Why is sin such a draw for us all? Adam and Eve set the stage by disobeying the Lord, and suffered spiritual death for that sin. Because we are descendants of that initial couple, we also are born with sin nature. Sin is more natural to us than perfection. We can see that a toddler lies without us teaching the difference between truth and lie. The same toddler knows selfishness without our prodding, with one of his first words being, “Mine.” Yet, the true draw of sin is its associated pleasure.
Some people erroneously think of God as a killjoy, not wanting us to experience the pleasure of sin. On the contrary, God’s laws are all meant to protect us from the sins that hurt us. At the same time, Satan has taken all that is God’s, and all God created, and tries to imitate God. Yet Satan’s copies are nothing like God’s originals. For example, God created sex as a blessing for married couples. Yet more important than that blessing is the example it is meant to be of the intimacy that He desires with us. We are the brides of Christ, and our Lord yearns for us to have an intimate relationship with Him, with nothing to compare that relationship to. Instead, Satan has convinced the world that the pleasure of sex should be shared with anyone and everyone. Along the same lines, our relationship with God can carry us to the mountaintop. Yet Satan convinces the world to depart the mundane experience of life by enhancing that with drugs and alcohol. Yet under the influence of either, we no longer are communicating with the Lord who created us but with the prince of the power of the air, who has been given dominion over the earth for a time. God gave us His laws and commandments to demonstrate His love for us!
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:3-5
Sadly, even as believers we continue to miss the mark of perfection, yet God reminds us sweetly to keep aiming at perfection. Additionally, He continues to cleanse us, anytime we ask:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Paul reminds us in Romans 7:15 that we continue to do what we hate, and the best part of that remark is that by hating sin, we demonstrate that at least a part of our hearts have grown to reflect the heart of the Lord. If you are struggling with sin, confess that sin to the Lord, that He may cleanse you from your unrighteousness. Keep in mind that God only wants the best for us all, and His commandments will lead us to that place. Do you really love Him? Keep aiming those arrows for the bull’s-eye!
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galatians 5:17
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