DEFINITION: WHAT IS IT?
1. SIN is THE OPPOSITE OF GOD & GOOD
"Everything God does is good and fair; all his commands can be trusted." Psalm 111:7 (NCV)
"It is impossible for God to do anything evil; He cannot sin or do wrong." Job 34:10 (Mes/NLT)
2. Sin is THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE
Jesus: "As sin and evil increase in the world, people's love will grow cold." Matt. 24:12 (NCV)
3. SIN IS ALWAYS SELFISHNESS
"Wherever there is . . . selfishness, you find disorder and every kind of evil sin." James 3:16 (NCV)
4. SIN IS ALWAYS UNBELIEF IN WHO GOD IS
Jesus "(The Holy Spirit will show) that the world's sin is unbelief in me." John 16:9 (LB)
Examples: Anytime I am... | I show my unbelief in . . . God's Promises God's Perfect timing God's Wisdom God's Forgiveness God's Power |
Action Plan: Take a little time this week and find verses to go with each of the fill-ins in the chart above. Find verses on God's promises, he perfect timing, his wisdom, etc. Try using BlueLetterBible or BibleGateway to help you on your search.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH SIN?
1. I WAS BORN WITH A SELFISH DESIRE TO SIN
". . . I feel I am a slave to my sinful desires. Sin masters me. I don't even under-stand the things I do. I want to do what is right, but I don't do it! Instead I do
the wrong things that I don't want to do! . . . I can't help myself because of my sinful nature inside me" . . . It's a law at work in me that is at war with
my mind! Romans 7:14-15, 17, 23 (NCV)
2. SIN BREAKS MY FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
"Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That's why he doesn't answer your prayers or let you see his face." Isaiah 59:2 (CEV)
3. Everytime I sin, SOMETHING DIES INSIDE ME
"Our evil desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead." James 1:15 (CEV)
4. MY Sin may be A Secret but IT'S NEVER PRIVATE
"You may be sure that your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23 (NIV)
5. Sin DOES LONG TERM DAMAGE
"Don't deceive yourself: You can't make a fool out of God! Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest. If you plant in the soil of your sinful nature, you'll harvest destruction. But if you plant in the soil of your spiritual nature, you'll harvest everlasting life!" Galatians 6:7-8 (GW)
6. DISOBEYING GOD IS NEITHER FUN NOR FUNNY
"A fool's fun is in being bad." Proverbs 10:2 (LB)
"Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool." (ESV)
"Because of your stubbornness in refusing to repent and turn from your sin you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God will judge all people according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who seek God . . . but for those who are self-seeking and reject the truth and practice sin, they will face God's anger." Romans 2:5-8 (NIV/NLT)
Action Plan: Have you been taking sin lightly, or thinking it is fun or funny? Watch that section of the message again (starting at 1:04:50). Is there anything in your life that you need to change because of this truth?
HOW DO I BREAK FREE?
1. UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS DID FOR ME
"Jesus personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross, so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right." 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)
"Although Jesus died on the cross in weakness, he now lives by the mighty power of God. We, too, are weak, but we live in him and have God's power," 2 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)
2. LET GOD GIVE ME A NEW NATURE
"Those who have been born again into God's family will not continue in habitual sin, because God's life is in them now." 1 John 3:9 (NLT)
"If you have the Spirit of God living in you, you are controlled by your new nature!" Romans 8:9 (LB)
3. CHANGE THE WAY I THINK ABOUT SIN
"Jesus died to defeat sin once for all. Now he lives in and for God. In the same way, you should think of yourselves as dead to sin but alive to the power of God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:10-11
Do not let sin control the way you live anymore or do what your sinful nature wants to do. Don't let any part of your body become a tool of evil used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. Offer your body a tool for doing good for the glory of God." Romans 6:12-13 (NLT)
4. CHALLENGE THE LIE BEHIND EVERY TEMPTATION.
Action Plan: Watch or listen to the Doable Discipleship episode on How Jesus Fixes Everything.
Doable Discipleship: This week's episode of Doable Discipleship features an interview with Liz Puffer on how to walk with people through the most difficult times of their life. New episodes release every Tuesday. To watch or listen, click here
Talk It Over: Have you ever discussed the weekend message in your small group? Talk It Over provides weekly small group discussion questions as a way to bring the weekend message into your small group. To view this week's Talk It Over, click here.
