Sin
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God; And your sins have hidden His
face from you, So that He will not hear.
What is Sin?
To act contrary to the will and law of God - to sin,
to engage in wrongdoing, sin (Louw-Nida
Lexicon).
NIV 1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law;
in fact, sin is lawlessness.
Gospel plan of salvation
• Believe John 3:16
• Repent Luke 13:3
• Confess Romans 10:10
• Be Baptized Acts 2:38
Acts 22:16 'And now why are you waiting? Arise
and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
on the name of the Lord.‘
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the
ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who
loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
blood,
1 John 1: 8 If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil walks about like a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour.
We must overcome the problem of sin in 2 ways:
• By sinning less and less
• By knowing what to do when we do sin
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write
to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone
sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous. 2And He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but
also for the whole world.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him. 13Let no one
say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He
Himself tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted
when he is drawn away by his own desires and
enticed. 15Then, when desire has conceived, it
gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
brings forth death.
First stage is temptation
• Desire
• Enticement
Temptation = Desire + Opportunity
Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was
in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Second stage is “sin” itself
When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin
Sin = Desire + Opportunity + Action
Third stage involves the consequences of
unrepented and unforgiven sin, which = “death”
James 1:15 “and sin, when it is full-grown, brings
forth death”
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving,
abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their
part in the lake which burns with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death.“
Desire + Opportunity + Action + No Forgiveness
= Spiritual Death
1. We must change our desires
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which
is your reasonable service. 2And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will
of God.
Gal 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his
way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10
With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let
me not wander from Your commandments! 11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I
might not sin against You!
Prov 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:
pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the
froward mouth, do I hate.
2. We need to limit our opportunities
Psalms 101: 3 I will set nothing wicked before
my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.4 A perverse heart shall
depart from me; I will not know wickedness
1Cor. 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company
corrupts good habits.”
3. We have to learn to exercise self-control
Matt 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil
Matt 26:41“Watch and pray, lest you enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak.”
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
1 Cor 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.
4. We must obtain forgiveness for our sin
1Jn 2:1 And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2And
He Himself is the propitiation for our sins
Propitiation is a means whereby sin is covered
and remitted
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
How to overcome sin
• We need to change our desires to God’s desires
by studying His Word
• We need to limit our opportunities by avoiding
things that tempt us
• We need exercise self-control by praying for
strength and feeding our conscience with
righteous things.
• We need to obtain forgiveness for our sins by
repenting, praying, and confessing them to God.
Sins of omission - Sins which come from failing to
do what is right
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do
good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Overcoming these sins are similar
• We change our desires so we want to do what is
right
• When we have the opportunity to do something
right we should do it
• We exercise self-control by taking action when
we should at the opportune time
• We obtain forgiveness for omission of sin the
same way
1. We are servants of righteousness
Romans 6:1 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?
2. We can still suffer the consequence of sin
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not
mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will
also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of
the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the
Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
3. It leads to sinning willfully, which will cost you
your salvation.
Heb.10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a
sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of
judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies
without mercy on the testimony of two or three
witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you
suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the
Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant
by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted
the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said,
"Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And
again, "The LORD will judge His people." 31 It is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him.
• Are you studying your Bible everyday to help
you develop the right kind of desires?
• Do you watch and pray, lest you enter into
temptation?
• Do you avoid circumstances and companions
that you know will tempt you to sin?
• Do you ask God daily to forgive you of your sins
and to help you overcome sin in your life?