The Good News About Sin Part 2

The Good News About Sin Part 2

A believer’s perspective on life:

·        We are imperfect and we know it.

·        We understand that God is Holy, righteous, good and truthful. He is 
      perfect in every way.  Only through Jesus’ work, can we as sinners be  
      reconciled to God.

A sinner saved has these qualities: 

 (Note: These qualities develop over time)

• One who does not habitually sin
• One who has a biblical worldview
• One who acts on their faith 
• One who trust in God's promises  
• One who loves God and desires to live in obedience to Him. 
• One who desires to live a Christ centered life. 
• One who loves others and fellow believers in Christ.
• One who puts the need of others even above His own.   
• One who has growing faith and displays signs of spiritual maturity.
• One who is undergoing Sanctification: A process by which God conforms  a person to the image of Christ. 
• One who reads, studies and abides in God’s Word. 
• One who has received the Holy Spirit and lives by the Spirit
• One who is able to recognize the sin in their lives 
• One who regrets their sin and is willing to repent of their sinful behavior. 
• One who understands the need for a Savior.
• One who is able to discern the truth from error. 
• One who recognizes false teaching  
• One who is bearing fruit and being productive and effective for God’s kingdom. 
• One who displays the Fruit of the Spirit (the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)

So, what is the good news about sin?

The Good news about sin is that God Himself dealt with of the sin problem we all possess from the original fall of man. Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross was the solution for a sinful humanity that could not save themselves from spiritual death. Those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, have a new right relationship with God even though they still posses a sin nature. Jesus' blood pays the debt for sin once and for all. When believers do sin, the Holy Spirit convicts them of their transgression and that conviction leads to repentance. God will still discipline His people out of His love and desire for them to be Holy.  God will also allow His people to experience difficult circumstances as part of His good purpose.  

James 1:2-4  says this about trials:

 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". 

Romans 5:3-5 says this about suffering: 

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

So God has a good purpose for trials as well as suffering and that is good news for believers.
 

True followers of Jesus understand that their sin separates them from God and has detrimental effects on others, they know they must turn back to God in order to get the help they need to get back on the right path to a life pleasing to Him. Because of God's unfailing love, believers can rejoice over His persistence in wanting them to remain in a right relationship with Him. Believers can rejoice over the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who convicts them of their sin and leads them back into repentance.

As we develop a greater understanding of our sin nature, we also develop a greater awareness about God’s desire to see us live a life set apart to Him.

God wants believers to be effective and influential Ambassadors for Jesus and the Gospel. Because of this fact, followers of Jesus need to make whatever life style changes necessary that will honor God and transform them into having Christ-like character. Remember, sin causes harm to ourselves and others. In some cases the sin in ones life can cause others to stumble in their walk with God. To be sure that we don’t act on our temptation to sin, we must be determined to live a God centered Spirit filled life. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can turn away from sin. To help us live this Spirit filled life we must include daily prayer, the reading and studying of God’s Word, and application of God's principles. Ultimately our goal is to live under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It all comes down to us making a choice to live this way. True Followers of Jesus have the desire to live differently from the “world” and do what they can to avoid its trappings. That is why I say we have to make life style changes so that we do not conform to this world. It is God’s desire that we prepare ourselves for being in His presence for eternity. This means we need to take steps in anticipation for this event and not get distracted by the world.

Read these verses from Romans and meditate on their meaning:

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Our goal should be to honor, love, worship and praise God in everything we do.  Unless we daily turn from sin and change the way we think from a world influenced perspective toward a Godly eternal perspective, setting ourselves apart to God will be difficult. It is hard to live in a fallen world. There will always be tension between the God centered life and the self centered one. Both are battling to gain predominance in our lives. So what we must do is to ask God to help us live a life pleasing to Him. When God reveals to us what we must do, we must act on His revelation.  Acting on God’s revelation shows Him we are faithful and serious about living a life set apart to Him, willing to sacrifice worldly pleasure for His sake and desire. We are also conveying our love and devotion to Him through our obedience. The Bible says that those who show obedience to the Lord truly love Him.

1 John 5:3 NIV 
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

John 14:15 NIV 
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Lastly, here is some good news for followers of Jesus:


Because of God’s love, sinners saved are no longer condemned:

Romans 8:1 NIV 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,


Because of God’s love, sinners saved have the gift of eternal life:

Romans 6:23 NIV  

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Because of God’s love, sinners saved are under God’s authority and protection: 

Romans 8:31 NIV  

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?


Because of God’s love, sinners saved will never be separated from God:

Romans 8:38-39 NIV  

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Because of God’s love, sinners saved will receive a new imperishable Body when Jesus returns:
 
1 Corinthians 15:42-43 NIV  

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NIV

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead

will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.



Because of God’s love, sinners saved have a Home in Heaven prepared by Jesus who will come back to get them to bring them to that place:

John 14:2-3 NIV  

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Because of God’s love, sinners saved will not die nor suffer once in Heaven:

Revelation 21:4 NIV 

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Actually, there's really no good news about sin. The only good news is that God loves us in spite of our sin and does not want us to perish. The proof of God's love is demonstrated by God's plan of salvation through Jesus' work on the Cross. Believer's know they can trust God and His promise of forgiveness and eternal life. This hope of eternal life is available to anyone willing to put their faith and trust in Jesus.    

I love these verses below because they remind me that we have a merciful God who has gone out of His way to make Himself known to us. He is patient with us, giving us time to receive His gift of eternal life. This gives me hope for all those in my family still separated from God. 

1 Timothy 1:15-16  NLT
This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

2 Peter 3:9 NIV  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

No matter the depth of our sin, God’s Love is so much deeper. We truly have an awesome God. 

In conclusion, the good news about sin and spiritual death is that it has been defeated. Because Jesus paid the price for our sin, all who believe get to experience amazing love, amazing grace, hope, great blessings and eternal life.

Just Sayin……………Dave

The Good News About Sin Part 1

The Good News About Sin Part 1

Because of the sinful actions of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, we all inherited a sin nature. Yet, if we add Jesus back into the equation, we see that God had a solution for our sin problem. Jesus was sent to rescue us from our grave spiritual condition which eternally separates us from God. But because God loves us, He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. You see as sinners we can't pay the debt for our sin so God devised a plan for our salvation which includes the doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement.

Substitutionary Atonement:  
Refers to the action of Jesus Christ paying the debt for our sin by substituting His life for ours.

Jesus Christ died in our place when He was crucified on the cross. We deserved to be the ones placed on that cross to die because we are the ones who are sinners living sinful lives. But Jesus took the punishment on Himself in our place. Jesus willingly substituted His life for ours. Jesus is the only one who could have paid the price for our sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

1 Peter 2:24 NIV

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Isaiah 53:5-6 NIV

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,  each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

God sent His Son to die because of His love for us, not wanting any of us to perish.

John 3:16-17 NIV

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

1 John 2:1-2 NIV

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Sin problem:

Sin can be viewed in many ways but essentially unsaved sinners live apart from God and habitually break His Commandments. Their thinking is futile, their hearts are darkened, they are fools, and live to fulfill their own selfish and lustful desires.

Romans 1:20-25 NIV

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Even though true followers of Jesus have been reconciled back to God and forgiven for their sin, their capacity to mess up is still a possibility. The Good News is that followers of Jesus are no longer under the bondage of sin. This means they are free from the grip of sin because they have a new desire to live in obedience to God, and His Word.

Romans 6:6 NIV

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Followers of Jesus also have help from the Holy Spirit who gives them supernatural strength and the conviction to not act on the temptation to sin. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV 
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Hebrews 2:18 NIV 
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

OK, so here is the problem, if you are a follower of Jesus and you make a deliberate choice to sin on occasion, does this mean you have not truly received God’s salvation? The Bible tells us that salvation is a gift from God and once you receive Him as Lord and Savior you are saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV 
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.

Romans 8:1 NIV
 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Romans 10:9-13 NIV

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." At the same time the Bible tells us that we are all sinners:

 

Even though we are sinners, God declares us righteous through Jesus who covers our sin.  This is known as Justification. We are no longer enemies of God. We are now at peace with God.  

Romans 5:1 NIV
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 John 1:9 NIV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus died for sinners like us:

Romans 5:8 NIV

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Apostle Paul goes on to explain the spiritual condition of one who is set apart to God and one who is set against Him:

Romans 8:5-14 NIV

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.     You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin,

yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,  

because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

The point is this, Christians can still sin, but our lives will not be characterized by sin. If our lives are characterized by sin, then we are children of the devil and not of God. If we sin daily in word, deed and thought, then I would say our lives are characterized by sin and we have a real problem with God.  

Truth: A true believer's life will not be characterized by sin 


Part 2 coming soon



Just Sayin........................Dave

Why I Must Continue To Play Golf

These are the reasons why I must continue play this game:

Not only do I enjoy the game of Golf, it is good for me physically, I find it to be therapeutic, the more I play the more I improve my skills, it helps me process my frustration as well as experience my joy, I learn how to develop my focus and concentration, I get to hone my analytical skills, it is good for me to face challenges, I get to compete against others as well as myself, and when I play well, I get a sense of satisfaction. For these reasons, Golf is a good game for me. However, there is a problem with my participation in this game that I love, I just don’t get to play very often. Nowadays, when I do play, I usually experience days of sore muscles, frustration over bad play and experience many strategic decisions gone awry. Yet, there is always that one good golf shot during my round that will bring me back to the course again. That one shot, inspires me and gives me hope that I can play better next time.

Beyond the game of Golf, my relationship with God is the one relationship I can count on to inspire me, give me hope and direct my path. To reap the benefits of this relationship, I have learned that a daily connection with the source of amazing love, hope, truth and grace is the only way to go. In the same way, if I practiced all the aspects of my Golf game every day, I would be a much better and more consistent player, reaping the great benefits of having a fined tuned swing and approach to the game. So speaking of benefits, connecting with God every day inspires me to take action on what the Holy Spirit is prompting me to do. As I act on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will experience aspects of the abundant life which includes God’s love, grace, wisdom, blessings, provision, direction and even correction.

For me, the best way I connect with God is to read and study His Word and by taking time each day to pray. Because I am a follower of Jesus I have the benefit of being connected to the King of the supernatural realm. Jesus tells us not to live foolishly, but to access His wisdom and direction.

Ephesians 5:15-17 New International Version (NIV)

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

And because the Holy Spirit plays an important role in a believer’s life, we are never too far from getting the help we need to navigate through the turmoil of a sinful and broken world.

We can know this: God promises that He will give us wisdom when we ask for it. The point is we have got to ask for it and believe that He will keep this promise to enlighten us.  

Jesus tells us to seek answers to the questions we have:

Matthew 7:7-8 New International Version (NIV)

Ask, Seek, Knock

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

God promises to give us wisdom:

James 1:5-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

Proverbs 2:6

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding

Ephesians 1:8

He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

The key to attaining wisdom is to regularly ask for it. There is no prohibition in the amount of times we ask, In fact, we are told to pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 New International Version (NIV)

 pray continually

We are also told to pray and petition God in every situation. The benefits to these actions lead to peace and a sense of God’s power and presence, helping us to overcome our fears and anxiety.  The presence of God is comforting and strengthens us to walk through any difficult circumstance that comes our way.

Here is what we are told to do:

Philippians 4:6-7 New International Version (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, 

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Getting back to Golf: the more I make the effort to play Golf, the more Golf becomes a regular event in my life, the more consistent my swing, the better my score, and the greater my joy. Also, the benefit of using those golf muscles regularly will not only keep me from being in pain for a whole week, but also keep those Golf muscles active and healthy. So there is a physical benefit that goes along with my personal joy in doing something that I love.

If I want to live inspiration, filled with wisdom, peace and joy, I need to put the source of all wisdom, God, on my daily calendar and ask Him to lead me down the road to attaining His supernatural perspective. The more I am connected to God, the more I will live set apart to Him and the less I will rely on myself and my human emotions, feelings and limited perspective to make decisions. Only God can give us the eternal perspective to make the right decisions that coincide with His plan for our lives. That perspective elevates each day with value, and makes us aware that every moment becomes an opportunity to live beyond our circumstances. If decision making were left up to me alone, I would exist on limited vision and perspective. I would miss out on God’s desire for me to live a God-centered, Spirit filled life.

God said this about His desire for His people, and I believe it is for all of us to take to heart:

Jeremiah 29:11-12 New International Version (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

The reason why God says all this is to remind us that His plan for each of us fulfills His good purpose:

Romans 8:28 New International Version (NIV)

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Philippians 2:13 New International Version (NIV)

 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

His plan reflects His unfailing love and desire for His people to stay in relationship with Him for all eternity, and that is why God gives us faith:

Ephesians 2:4-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 New International Version (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Ultimately, God demonstrates His great love; Jesus gave His life to save ours:

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

As we have learned, God went to great lengths to demonstrate His love for us. With that said, let’s not forget to make time for God each and every day to show Him that we love Him as well. For followers of Jesus, spending quality time with God is also a great way to appropriate the many blessings believers have access to. Also, let’s sprinkle in some healthy activity in our lives as well. There is nothing better than being spiritually and physically active, exercising our minds and bodies for better overall health. Also, consider serving others. The Holy Spirit has given each person at least one spiritual gift to use for His kingdom and glory.

Again, I must continue to regularly play the game of Golf in order to become a better and more consistent player.  I must also continue to spend time with God each day, in order to be regularly reminded of the blessings I have as a follower of Jesus.

When we allow for God’s influence in our lives, He will be able to direct us toward living abundantly and living well beyond our circumstances, especially when life gets really tough and unmanageable. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, fear no longer overwhelms us and sin no longer keeps us in bondage. The truth is, God is the key to abundant living in this fallen world. God is the key to everlasting joy.

Just Sayin……………….Dave