The Greek word translated as ‘sin’ is ‘paráptoma’, literally meaning ‘to deviate’ or to go off track by falling. When a brother or a sister in Christ deviates away from the path that the Lord has put them on, the law of liberty in Christ tells us to restore such a person to the right path.
Many times, when we see the word ‘sin’ in the bible, we think about the stuff Christians call sin… getting drunk, using drugs, sexual sins and on and on… however, in this scripture, what the bible calls sin, is deviating from God’s path to another path, from the path of abundant life, to the path of destruction. There are two main Greek words that are translated as sin in the New Testament, ‘hamartáno’, which means to get off track or to miss the target, and ‘paráptoma’, literally meaning ‘to deviate’… at their root, both words mean, ‘ to get off track, or to get on the wrong path’.
Most committed believers will not commit what they believe to be sin, but many fall prey to being deceived into ‘getting off track’ or deviating from God’s perfect plan for them to another path. The devil uses offense, temptation, deception, fleshly desire, pride, strife and many other things to get God’s people on the wrong road. The roads to destruction are broad, and there are many of them, but the ROAD to blessing is narrow, and there is just one road. The devil does not want you on the road to blessing, and he will do everything in His power to get you to deviate!
When we see someone deviating, and trust me, it is very easy to see another person deviating… (sometimes not as easy to see when we personally deviate)… when you see someone getting off track, get involved! Pray for them, talk to them, pray over them, love on them, serve them, speak loving, gentle words to them and do whatever the Spirit leads you to do… This is the law of Christ!
The Passion Translation says it this way, ‘My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, may the one who overflows with the Spirit seek to restore him. Win him over with gentle words, which will open his heart to you and will keep you from exalting yourself over him. Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles. If you think you are too important to stoop down to help another, you are living in deception.’ (Galatians 6:1-3 - TPT)
You may help someone today, and tomorrow, they may be helping you – that is how you share one another’s burdens. By staying on the path that the Lord has for us, by staying connected to the people that the Lord has ordained for us to be connected with, by staying the course that we have been led to take, by sticking to God’s plan for our lives, we will fulfill our destiny and do mighty exploits and we will have life, and have it more abundantly!
