How do I know when something is a sin?

The bible clearly lists various things as sins and therefore it is easy to know that these things are morally wrong. Things like, idolatry, greed, covetousness, lying, gluttony, complaining, murder, bribery, stealing, gossip, jealousy, adultery, etc. These and many more are either a violation of God's moral laws or a violation of moral and ethical laws set out by an authority like a government or ruling entity. Violating these causes you to fall into sin and probably face some form of consequences.

But what about things that are not so obvious? Is smoking a sin? Is drinking a sin? What about anger, or not giving to the needy, or hurting someone's feelings? Do I sin if I choose not to go to church or if I want that extra piece of cake? What happens if I get a speeding ticket? Have I sinned in God's eyes for violating a law on the road? The list can go on and on, so the question remains, how do I know when something is a sin, especially if it is not as obvious, and not necessarily listed in the bible?

Why is the World in such Chaos?

The world today, compared to pre-2020, has changed. This is a fact that is evident on so many levels as are listed below. For those who have some insights into Bible prophecy, and are aware of the signs, these things are pointing to an imminent change in dispensation, (Maranatha), but for the majority of humanity who sadly remain blindly uninformed, their responses are either one of ignorant support for a united world order who offer a false peace and safety, or one of fear due to ominous repercussions ahead.

The Bible has a lot to say about these 'last days'. If you know what the Bible predicts, you will see a clear and undeniable pattern of events occurring right before your eyes. These events are converging increasingly and their effects on the world and humanity are becoming more frequent and more intense.

A new Q&A sub-site available for daily edification

To all my friends that frequent this site. 

If you are not aware of it, I have created a sub-site called, 

The Big Picture (Q&A) 

where I am posting short, daily answers to common, and not so common, bible questions. I encourage you to follow the link and visit this site as it will have something edifying or encouraging on a daily basis.

I'd also welcome it if you have a question to ask. Feel free to post it via the dedicated form accessible via the link "Ask a Question" in the header of the home page.

I appreciate your support and friendship and trust that these blog sites are a blessing for you.

Grace and peace to you.

Rest for Israel, Peace for the Body

From a language perspective, when used as nouns, peace means a state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony, whereas rest means relief from work or activity by ceasing action or sleeping. When used as verbs, peace means to make peace, whereas rest means to cease from action, motion, work, or performance of any kind. In the common context, rest has more to do with ceasing from a physical activity, whereas peace is mostly connected to a calm state of mind. We can simplify it further to say that rest is mostly a physical thing whereas peace is more of a soul, or spiritual state.

An interesting observation and trend is noticed in the scriptures when rest and peace are tallied up between the Jewish books in the Old and New Testaments versus the Pauline epistles.

• Rest: Bible = 268; Paul = 7
• Peace: Bible = 382; Paul = 47

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 9 --- Final recap and summary)

Final recap and summary of comparisons of the transitional gospels

In the previous study we discussed how Paul, during the first half of his ministry, —that is, his missionary ministry represented in ACTS, —preached two gospels. The general trend that Paul would follow is;

He would preach the gospel of God to those Jews and Gentiles (friends of the Jews) who came together, typically, but not exclusively, in the Jewish synagogues. The gospel of God in summary was,

• believe in Jesus' resurrection and 2nd coming, repent, be water baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, obey the law, prove your faith with works, and endure to the end.

Then, to those who believed Paul's preaching of the above gospel, he would introduce them to the 'mystery' gospel of Christ.

• that Jesus died for their sins and that they could trust in nothing else but the all-sufficient cross-work of Christ (death, burial, resurrection) for salvation.

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 8)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 8 --- Accompanying signs)

We continue with the comparison of the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ by looking at key elements that distinguish them from each other. I recommend to start at the beginning of this comparison to gain the necessary context of this series of posts.

The Kingdom gospel and the gospel of God had accompanying signs

The earthly ministry of Jesus was validated by a myriad of signs (or miracles) that He performed. These signs, according to prophecy, were to validate His ministry and prove to the Jews that He was their Messiah. To confirm this, John ends his gospel with a remarkable statement;

John 21:24-25 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.