THE BELIEVER AND SIN
Ephesians 2:13-22
- Intro.
- all that are saved do not have the same Christian experience
- some live victoriously, while others live in defeat
- some are happy and excited, while others are discouraged and depressed
- what is the difference
- are some Christians more acceptable by God than others
- the only people that God accepts are those that have trusted in Christ – Ephesians 1:6
- God does not accept us because of what we do, don’t do, or promise to do
- if God acted in this way, none would be accepted – Isaiah 64:6
- all Christians are accepted equally in Christ
- why is the Christians experience different (victorious or discouraged)
- is one more saved than another, or more of a child of God than another
- the difference is in what we do about our sins after we are saved
- every Christian sins – I John 1:10
- Satan uses our sins to discourage us from being what God wants us to be
- discouragement is one of Satan’s most effective tools against a believer
- even the best Christians in the Bible sinned (Noah, David, Abraham, Peter)
- the great blunder of many Christians is in failing to understand God’s provision for sin
- lets look at several important Bible fact concerning the believer and sin
- Christ died on the cross for all our sins
- this is an important fact, and cannot be over emphasized
- there is no sin that Jesus did not die for – I Peter 2:24
- Jesus died for all sins: past, present, and future – Hebrews 10:12
- the substitutionary death of Christ is the greatest truth we could ever learn
- Jesus died in our place
- there is not a single sin left unpaid
- any sin that we will yet commit is already paid for
- God does not find it hard to forgive us
- in fact, God does not forgive sin, He forgives the sinner
- "forgive" means to bear the burden
- Jesus Christ bore the burden of our sin at Calvary
- God forgives us without any charge
- it is an insult to God, if we do not accept the forgiveness that He so freely gives
- God will not make us pay for a single sin, if we are trusting in Christ – Acts 16:31
- it is not easy to accept the fact that Jesus completely paid for our sins
- it seems to go against human nature (pride is probably the cause)
- we feel that we must do something or suffer something for our sins
- while hanging on the cross Jesus cried, "it is finished"
- a word that was used in the business world
- it was often written across a bill, and it meant "paid in full"
- it is important to understand the meaning of "it is finished"
- the world is filled with religions that do not understand the meaning
- they do not believe that Jesus completely paid for their sins
- these religions add things to the finished work of Christ, as a requirement for salvation
- when Jesus died on the cross, everything necessary for our salvation was finished
- sometimes we preachers say, "if you sin, you will pay for it"
- that is not exactly true, because if we were to pay for sin we would have to go to hell for an eternity
- God does chasten His children – Hebrews 12:6-8
- chastisement is not payment for sin; it is child correction
- after salvation, God does not deal with us as sinners, but as children
- what should we do about our sin – I John 1:8, 10
- confession brings forgiveness – I John 1:9
- confession does not mean to beg, plead or live in misery until we convince God that we mean business
- confession means to agree with God about our sin
- sin after salvation will cause a break in fellowship with God
- son-ship and fellowship are two different things
- confession also brings cleansing – I John 1:9
- forgiveness and cleansing are two different things
- the parents of a little girl that played in a mud puddle when already dressed for church can do one of three things
- forgive her and send her to church all dirty
- cleanse her, but still be mad at her
- forgive her and cleanse her
- when we confess our sins, they are blotted out and they no longer exist – Isaiah 43:25
- how many times will God forgive us
- some people think that God gets tired of hearing us confess sin
- the principle of "seventy times seven" – Matthew 18:21-22
- this is what God expects of us
- God’s grace is even greater
- "faithful" – I John 1:9
- it means every time
- there is no limit to God’s forgiveness
- the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
- if we said, "Lord, this is the 79th time I’ve confessed this sin"; God would interrupt and say, "no, this is the first time that I can remember"
- we can have unbroken fellowship with God, if we confess our sins and accept His forgiveness
- we must learn to forgive ourselves – Philippians 3:13-14
- many Christians worry over things that God has forgiven and forgotten
- we should not add continual regret to the finished work of Christ
- the difference between a happy and discouraged Christian is in what they do with their sin
- conclusion
- sin has its consequences, but if we confess our sins, He will forgive, cleanse, and forget
- don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking that God is not ready and willing to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness