THE BELIEVER AND SIN

Ephesians 2:13-22

  1. Intro.
    1. all that are saved do not have the same Christian experience
      1. some live victoriously, while others live in defeat
      2. some are happy and excited, while others are discouraged and depressed
    2. what is the difference
      1. are some Christians more acceptable by God than others
      2. the only people that God accepts are those that have trusted in Christ – Ephesians 1:6
      3. God does not accept us because of what we do, don’t do, or promise to do
      4. if God acted in this way, none would be accepted – Isaiah 64:6
    3. all Christians are accepted equally in Christ
      1. why is the Christians experience different (victorious or discouraged)
      2. is one more saved than another, or more of a child of God than another
    4. the difference is in what we do about our sins after we are saved
      1. every Christian sins – I John 1:10
      2. Satan uses our sins to discourage us from being what God wants us to be
      3. discouragement is one of Satan’s most effective tools against a believer
      4. even the best Christians in the Bible sinned (Noah, David, Abraham, Peter)
    5. the great blunder of many Christians is in failing to understand God’s provision for sin
    6. lets look at several important Bible fact concerning the believer and sin
  2. Christ died on the cross for all our sins
    1. this is an important fact, and cannot be over emphasized
      1. there is no sin that Jesus did not die for – I Peter 2:24
      2. Jesus died for all sins: past, present, and future – Hebrews 10:12
    2. the substitutionary death of Christ is the greatest truth we could ever learn
      1. Jesus died in our place
      2. there is not a single sin left unpaid
      3. any sin that we will yet commit is already paid for
    3. God does not find it hard to forgive us
      1. in fact, God does not forgive sin, He forgives the sinner
      2. "forgive" means to bear the burden
      3. Jesus Christ bore the burden of our sin at Calvary
      4. God forgives us without any charge
    4. it is an insult to God, if we do not accept the forgiveness that He so freely gives
  3. God will not make us pay for a single sin, if we are trusting in Christ – Acts 16:31
    1. it is not easy to accept the fact that Jesus completely paid for our sins
      1. it seems to go against human nature (pride is probably the cause)
      2. we feel that we must do something or suffer something for our sins
      3. while hanging on the cross Jesus cried, "it is finished"
        1. a word that was used in the business world
        2. it was often written across a bill, and it meant "paid in full"
    2. it is important to understand the meaning of "it is finished"
      1. the world is filled with religions that do not understand the meaning
      2. they do not believe that Jesus completely paid for their sins
      3. these religions add things to the finished work of Christ, as a requirement for salvation
      4. when Jesus died on the cross, everything necessary for our salvation was finished
    3. sometimes we preachers say, "if you sin, you will pay for it"
      1. that is not exactly true, because if we were to pay for sin we would have to go to hell for an eternity
      2. God does chasten His children – Hebrews 12:6-8
      3. chastisement is not payment for sin; it is child correction
      4. after salvation, God does not deal with us as sinners, but as children
  4. what should we do about our sin – I John 1:8, 10
    1. confession brings forgiveness – I John 1:9
      1. confession does not mean to beg, plead or live in misery until we convince God that we mean business
      2. confession means to agree with God about our sin
      3. sin after salvation will cause a break in fellowship with God
      4. son-ship and fellowship are two different things
    2. confession also brings cleansing – I John 1:9
      1. forgiveness and cleansing are two different things
      2. the parents of a little girl that played in a mud puddle when already dressed for church can do one of three things
        1. forgive her and send her to church all dirty
        2. cleanse her, but still be mad at her
        3. forgive her and cleanse her
      3. when we confess our sins, they are blotted out and they no longer exist – Isaiah 43:25
  5. how many times will God forgive us
    1. some people think that God gets tired of hearing us confess sin
    2. the principle of "seventy times seven" – Matthew 18:21-22
      1. this is what God expects of us
      2. God’s grace is even greater
    3. "faithful" – I John 1:9
      1. it means every time
      2. there is no limit to God’s forgiveness
      3. the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
      4. 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"
      5. we can have unbroken fellowship with God, if we confess our sins and accept His forgiveness
  6. we must learn to forgive ourselves – Philippians 3:13-14
    1. many Christians worry over things that God has forgiven and forgotten
    2. we should not add continual regret to the finished work of Christ
    3. the difference between a happy and discouraged Christian is in what they do with their sin
  7. conclusion
    1. sin has its consequences, but if we confess our sins, He will forgive, cleanse, and forget
    2. don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking that God is not ready and willing to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness