|
|
GoBeDoministriesGo Be and Do as the Lord commands!
Study the Prophecies of Revelation and Daniel |
last update: 21 October 2005 |
||||||||||||||||
|
For your FREE copy of Warning! Revelation is About to Be Fulfilled by Larry Wilson, visit Wake Up America Seminars. |
Censured!When was the last time you
heard a discussion on SIN outside of a church? Have you heard it spoken
on the evening news? It seems the word SIN is forbidden, even banned
from our use. I believe the last time I saw a form of the word in public
it was smeared on the side of a wreck of a bus covered with crudely
written warnings to repent or suffer the wrath of God in Hell. Could it
be that people today relate the word SIN with offbeat, fringe
"lunatics" and pass it off as a relic of the dark ages that is
better forgotten? I'm not sure that SIN is
even spoken of much in church any more. Instead it has been replaced
with much kinder sounding words such as "sickness,"
"dysfunction," "weakness," and the like. Perhaps
this has come about from a misunderstanding of the Gospel. Even
"Christians" don't like to be reminded of things in their
lives they feel they are powerless to overcome. Sin flourishes in just
such a setting. It will not go away on it's own! So, even in the church,
where there is to be deliverance from sin, people are imperceptibly
shackled. There bonds are hidden by satan's fog of ignorance and
superstition. I would like to allow God's
Spirit Wind to blow away this fog and expose the truth about SIN! God's
Word very clearly defines sin and offers remedy for it. I will look at
nine passages in groups of three that help us better understand what sin
is, our involvement with it, and how we can have deliverance. Because of the immobilizing
fear that often accompanies the word SIN I believe it is necessary first
to assure the reader that God has already defeated sin and satan! Even
though God hates sin with a passion He loves the sinner. The Apostle
Paul declares in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love
toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God
must deal with the sin in our lives, therefore it is a must that we come
to Him through Jesus. That is why God accepts us as we are. If we could
heal ourselves before going to a doctor we wouldn't need the doctor
would we? Just as we may feel right about going to a doctor when we are
sick, we can feel comfortable going to God, in our sinful condition, to
obtain deliverance. Sin Defined The first three passages define sin.
These three definitions
pretty well cover it don't they? Sin is doing what we shouldn't do, not
doing what we should do, and doing anything (even "good") from
the wrong motivation! If you understand that
those who sin are condemned to death, you may be feeling quite hopeless
right now. If you realize from these passages that you have more sin in
your life than you thought you did, they have done there job. Arenas of Involvement Before we look at the cure for sin, let's look at three passages that show the basic areas of our lives that sin attacks. These areas correspond to the three definitions we have just looked at.
If we look closely at these
passages, we can see a direct correlation of the three areas in which
satan works to captivate the human soul. That correlation is suggested
in the following table.
As was stated earlier, these areas or arenas correspond to the three definitions for sin. (This comparison is not absolute but rather a suggestion as they might make sense in another order as well.)
Victory Over Sin The Good News of the Gospel is not God's forgiveness alone, but also that He will work in us not to sin in the first place. Notice the following verses:
Of course, these texts like all scripture must be read in context. I'm sure you've met people who say "I'm perfect. I don't sin." These dear people most likely got that idea from these texts. But they fail to look at the whole picture. John also states earlier in 1 John 1:8-10, If we say that we have no
sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not
sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. With such
provision, as Christ has offered us, we need not sweep SIN under the
rug, pretending it doesn't exist! If we will only let Jesus come into
our heart, He will bring His perfect life into us. He will cleanse us
from the inside out and fill us with His love and righteousness. Even so
come Lord Jesus!
|
Inclusion does not indicate
endorsement
|
||||||||||||||||
|
©GoBeDo 2004-2005 21 October 2005
|