The BASICS: Lesson 3-2b: The Doctrine of Reversionism and Recovery

Sin (266)(Gk. hamartia) literally conveys the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow (in Homer some hundred times of a warrior hurling his spear but missing his foe). Later hamartia came to mean missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose. Hamartia in the Bible signifies a departure from God's holy, perfect standard of what is right in word or deed (righteous). It pictures the idea of missing His appointed goal (His will) which results in a deviation from what is pleasing to Him. In short, sin is conceived as a missing the true end and scope of our lives, which is the Triune God Himself. As Martin Luther put it "Sin is essentially a departure from God."

Ryrie adds that sin

"is not only a negative idea but includes the positive idea of hitting some wrong mark."

Reversionism and Recovery Seven Steps Downward
1.Trifling with sin (ROM 13:14)
2.Yielding to sin (ROM 6:13) 3.Habitually serving sin (2PE 2:8)
4.Abandoning ourselves to sin (Eph 4:l9)
5.Being abandoned by God to sin (ROM 1:24; ROM 1:26; ROM 1:28)
6.Encouraging others to sin (ROM 1:32)
7.Experiencing hell on earth (JAM 3:6; 1TI 5:6)

Seven Steps Upward
1.Resisting sin in our attitudes (JAM 4:7)
2.Overcoming sin by faith in Christ (GAL 5:16)
3.Habitually being victorious over sin (ROM 6:14; 1JO 5:4-5)
4.Entering into the secret of a victorious life "hid with Christ in God" (ROM 8:37; 2CO 2:14; COL 3:1-3)
5.Being taken by God into deeper fellowship (As we have trusted God, so God now entrusts to us) (1TI 1:12; 1CO 4:2)
6.Delivering others from sin (JUD 1:22-23)
7.Experiencing heaven on earth (Jud 24-25; PHI 4:6-7)

*This material was originally a highlighted topic in "The Basics". Additional topics can be found here.