The title of this message is Not a Matter of Sin but a Matter of “I.” This statement does not sound Chinese, nor does it sound like a word from the Bible. However, according to my personal experience, if you want to abide in the Lord and enjoy His life, you must understand that this is not a matter of whether you sin but of whether it is you who live. If it is you who live, then even if you do not sin, you are still abiding in yourself. When it is not you who live, you are blessed.
Even if I do not sin and I am a “saint” today, I am still “I” without any change. Then this “I” will be the root of trouble. As long as “I” am here, there will be trouble. If we see this point clearly, we will abide in the Lord even when we would not like to. If it is that you merely do not sin, it is highly possible that you are still one hundred percent in yourself. In other words, while you may not sin, it is still possible that you are one hundred percent not abiding in the Lord. To abide in the Lord is not a matter of whether or not one commits sin. Of course, when one abides in the Lord, he cannot sin. However, not committing sin is not equal to abiding in the Lord.
Confucius never heard about Christ or knew the Lord, yet he could say, “One cannot pray when he sins against heaven.” He did not know anything regarding the Lord, but his ethical speech and ways were commendable. He was truly a perfect man. At the age of seventy he was able to do the desires of his heart yet not transgress what was right; that is, he did not sin. Notwithstanding, he did not abide in the Lord and had nothing to do with the Lord. This is strong proof that abiding in the Lord is altogether not a matter of sinning or not sinning.
As natural beings we have our natural concepts from birth. Thus, when we hear the Lord’s word and the gospel of God, we remember our sins. Of course, this is right. With regard to the gospel of God, our sins certainly are a problem. Therefore, all those who preach the gospel always ask people to repent, and also the people themselves realize that they are sinful and consequently need to repent. However, this kind of realization is too natural. According to the light of the gospel truth, a so-called sinless person also needs repentance. In Greek, the meaning of repent is not mainly on repentance. It is not that you have sinned and made mistakes, so you regret and correct yourself by making a turn. Rather, it is that you have done something which may not have had anything to do with sinning, but afterward you still regret and correct yourself by making a turn. For example, sometimes the sisters repent after going to a store to do some shopping, even though shopping itself is something apart from sinning. The Greek word for repent is composed of two parts: one part implies “change” and the other part means “mind.” The combination of the two means “a change of mind.” Therefore, to repent is to have a change of mind, issuing in regret. It is to have a turn in purpose.
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