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