- Overcoming Sin - Today we are going to review the importance of overcoming sin. This study is not intended to judge one sin over another, but to help us see and overcome sin in our own lives. Luke 13:1-5 1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’ [STOP] As we have read, Jesus makes it very clear how we must repent. Does Jesus say that one type of sin is worse then another type of sin? * No Regardless of the sin we are faced with, we must repent and turn away from it. Questions / Comments? Luke 13:6-9 6 Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?" 8He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down." ’ [STOP] Cross-reference - Romans 3:10 as it is written: ‘There is no one who is righteous, not even one; tells us that no one is righteous and we have all fallen into sin in different ways. Who does the fig tree represent in the above passage? * Us As the fig tree, we all deserve to be cut down. Regardless, the Lord has giving us a second chance through grace, and a means to be freed from our sin. Questions / Comments? Romans 6:1-4 1 What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. [STOP] For those who seek forgiveness through Jesus, why do we no longer continue to live in sin? * Our sinful lives have died as Jesus died for us. As we recognize that Jesus died for our sins and accept our baptism as a symbol of our sinful lives dying as Jesus died for us, we are hopeful that we may have everlasting life with Him. Questions / Comments? Romans 6:5-10 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [STOP] Our innate desire to sin will die as Jesus did. The only difference is that Jesus died for our sins. After the sinful life we lead dies, we are set free from our sin (verse 7). If we die with Jesus, we believe that we will live again with Him and know that death will no longer have dominion over us, as sin leads to death, Jesus died to free us from our sin so that we may have life with Him. Questions / Comments? Romans 6:11-13 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. [STOP] What we have just read states how important it is to stay away from sin in every possible way, not giving into temptation, as well as being alive in Jesus. We should also present ourselves as individuals who have gone from living in sin, leading towards death; to life, by seeking forgiveness and abiding in Jesus. How can we present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness? * Showing others what Jesus has done in our lives. Questions / Comments? Romans 6:14-18 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. [STOP] Prior to being saved, we were obedient slaves to sin, heading towards death. Being saved, we are obedient to Jesus and through His righteousness have been set free from sin. What is the significance of verses 17? * Verse 17 shows us the transition from sin to obedience as well as the importance of teaching others who we are entrusted with. Questions / Comments? Romans 6:19-23 19 I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. 20When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [STOP] As previously stated in Romans 3:10 as it is written: ‘There is no one who is righteous, not even one; through our natural limitations, we have all presented ourselves as slaves to impurity in different ways. As we were slaves of sin, we were blinded to righteousness. Looking back on our sinful lives, we are asked what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? This could potentially be a quick fix for a personal trial or anything else that fulfills a personal need that takes us away from the will of our Lord. We must be thankful that with sanctification, God has given us the free gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. Questions / Comments? Matthew 11:28-30 28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Luke 3:3-6 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." ’ Questions / Comments? Work Cited: OBB Bible Browser http://www.oremus.org/bible/ The New Revised Standard Version