THE FALL: Every single person who was ever born has a sin problem. Sin entered the world when man chose to willfully go against the commands of our Creator in the Garden of Eden. Before the fall, man had no influence or knowledge of sin. The first man Adam, was born without sin. He was free from it’s power, but when he chose to rebel against God by eating of the forbidden fruit, his first transgression had eternal consequences, which was God’s judgment of Adam's sin, which is eternity in hell.
Genesis 3:6 ”And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
WHAT SIN IS: The Scriptures give us the perfect definition of what sin is.
1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
God gave Commandments and sinners rebelled against His authority. God's moral laws are written on our heart. We have broken all of them, in thought, word and deed. For example, “Thou shalt not steal.” Have you ever stolen? “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Have you ever lied? Have you ever lusted after a woman? Jesus said that's adultery. It exposes your heart and the fact that you are guilty before a holy and perfect Judge. It refutes the idea that many like to think of themselves as a good person. According to God’s standard, we have all “fallen short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Numbers 15:31 ”Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.”
1 Samuel 15:24 “And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”
1 John 5:17 ”All unrighteousness is sin:”
Romans 7:7 ”What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ ”
BONDAGE TO SIN: Because of the fall, those who live a life of sin and unbelief are slaves to sin. The unsaved are spiritually dead in sin. They are spiritually blind and spiritually deaf to the things of God. God will not even hear their unrepentant prayers. They’re children of the devil (1 John 3:10).
Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
Ephesians 2:1”And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”
1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
PRICE OF SIN: Because you’re living a life of sin, the Scriptures teach us that you deserve Hell. If you die in your sins, you will be in eternal punishment. You will be condemned by God. God’s wrath abides on you forever.
John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death”
Proverbs 14:12 ”There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Luke 12:5 “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
SET FREE FROM SIN: Seeing that now you understand the origin of sin, what it is and it’s terrible price tag, there is hope. You can be set free from the power of sin. Jesus came into the world to save His people from sins. There is victory in Jesus. There is no other way to heaven but by Jesus alone who is God the Son. The second person of the Trinity.
Matthew 1:21 ”And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
John 1:1 ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
(See John 1:14; 1 John 5:7)
HOW YOU MUST RESPOND: Repent & Believe the Gospel
None of us are good and deserve God’s mercy. Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace that we must receive by faith in Christ Jesus, the Lord, alone. (See Ephesians 2:8-9)
Mark 1:15 “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
You must have a heart to see your sins to be exceedingly sinful before God. You must see that according to God, you’re a criminal who needs saving. Repentance is always a directional thing. A change of mind which manifests in a change of direction. God wants sinners to see that they're going the wrong direction by turning away from sin, and turning towards God. Repentance is a revolution of mind and attitude. It changes your views towards sin, righteousness, and the Scriptures.
Psalm 51:3-4 “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
Turn away from all of your wicked ways by believing the Gospel, that Jesus died, was buried as the penalty for sin and resurrected the third day.
Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
THE GREATEST EXCHANGE: Through Faith in Jesus Christ, repentant, believing sinners are united with God. They’re justified by faith and have peace with God. God has forgiven them of all their sins that they have committed because of the sacrifice of God the Son for the elect's sake. He bore their punishment and by His wounds they are healed. This is the victory.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ”For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY? WILL YOU REJECT CHRIST OR RECEIVE HIM AS LORD
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