2004 Term 4 Week 2 - SIN and sin

How can the Bible say that Jesus death and resurrection means that we are no longer slaves to sin, yet we still sin? Romans 6:6. SIN is distinct from sin. SIN refers to the state of Humanity, sin refers to the things we do to express our Sinful nature. Jesus points to lust and anger (within the heart) as being sin as well as adultery and murder (expressions of the heart) – Matthew 5:21 & 22, 27 & 28. I distinguish between the two by saying SIN (within the heart) and sin (expressions of the heart). So the problem with humanity is not their sins, but their SIN. The problem is not that they murder, but that they have the desire to cause harm to others. In the new creation, brought about by Jesus, SIN has been dealt with (Jesus died for all SIN). Now it was this SIN that caused sin. It is good news as we are no longer controlled by SIN (Romans 6:6). And so sin doesn’t have to be our natural response. We can be good (only because Jesus has done what was necessary to allow us to be good).
The analogy we used was that of smoking. The more one smokes (sin) the more one gets addicted to nicotine (SIN) the more one wants to smoke. And so SIN/sin reinforces itself. The good news of the gospel is that nicotine (SIN) no longer exists. There is no longer any such thing as nicotine, the only reason you still smoke is out of habit. You are not addicted any more and can never be addicted again. The penalty of SIN is death (Romans 6:23) and that Jesus died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18) so that we would no longer be slaves to SIN.