​Building Strong Families, Churches, an​d C​ommunities.

The
Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral rule, or the state of having committed such a violation. In some sects of Christianity, it is often used to mean an action that is prohibited or considered wrong, not only to physical actions taken, but also to thoughts and internalized motivations and feelings. Any thought, word, or act considered immoral, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful".Sin is also viewed in terms of its effects on relationships, both among people and between people and God. Sin is seen as the refusal to follow God's plan, and the desire to be like God and thus in direct opposition to him. To sin is to want control of one's destiny in opposition to the will of God.

Romans 1: 24-32
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed  26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Cause of Sin in the world
A child does not have to be taught how to do wrong. As a matter of fact, parents spend most of the 18 years and beyond with their children teaching them to do right. That is because of the nature we all inherited when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 1-3). Adam and Eve listened to Satan. Satan did not create sin; he chose sin and they chose to listen to him, consequently disobeying God. In reality, many of us like Satan, Adam and Eve, chose to sin because when God created us all, He created us with our own free will to choose.

James 1:13-15
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Romans 7:5
For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.

The Effects of Sin
​The acts of sin do create relational problems. Sin alienates the sinner from God and severs relationships with friends, families, and acquaintances. It has damaged, and completely severed, the relationship of humanity to God.   

Romans 7:5
For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.

Penalty of Sin
It is a fact that whatever we sow, we will reap. If I plant apple seeds, I will reap apples and not grapes.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remedy For Sin
That relationship can only be restored through acceptance of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross as a sacrifice for mankind's sin. (John 3:16-17). Jesus is the answer. Before Jesus died on the cross, animal sacrifices were made by the priest as atonements for our sins. Due to the multitude of the sins of the world, the animal sacrifices could no longer suffice for our sins. Thus, Jesus became to sacrifice once and for all by shedding His blood on the cross for the sins of the world.

Acts 13:38
"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.


Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
Hebrews 10

1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings  you were not pleased. 7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.'  " 8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Romans 5: 6-10
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Acts 3:19
Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Power Over Sin
When we were not saved, we were slaves to sin. We could not help our selves if we really wanted to. Sin was not viewed as wrong. It depended on the surrounding circumstances. We did what we taught was right in our own sight. (Romans 6:15-23). But now we are saved we see things differently and Christ has given us the power over sin. We do not have to sin, unless we want to because that nature was crucified with Christ, and we were raised with Him in a newness of life.

1 John 5:18
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.


Life Through the Spirit
Romans 8:11-17
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man...

Life By the Spirit
Galatians 5:16
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Romans 6:12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

John 8:36
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

​Galatians 5:22-25
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.Jesus died for you to deliver you and give you power over the sins that would cause you to suffer in eternal damnation.


********

​Some questions to consider

* If God threw Satan and  one-third of the angels out of Heaven because of their sins, why would he allow sinful man to enter?

2 Peter 2: 4-64
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly.


* Did Jesus Christ die on the cross for our sins to hide our sins from God so that we could continue sinning without guilt and punishment?

Romans 6: 1-14
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

1 John 5:18
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.


* How can I be saved?

​Acts 16:31
​So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Romans 10:9
​If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.


​2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.


John 1: 12

But as many as received Him; to them He gave the power to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name. 


Overcoming Sin

Jesus said,  "He that believes in me, as the scriptures had said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water"  John 7:38

ChristianDisciple