THOSE WHO ARE DEAD TO SIN
WHEN A CHRISTIAN DO SOMETHING WRONG IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE A CHRISTIAN .
A. Quite often the world’s standard for a Christian is perfection.
B. If we slip in the slightest way there are people who are waiting to pounce.
C. Charges such as hypocrite, fake, and “I am just as good as you” are quite common.
2. This morning I want to consider with you a perspective on who Christians are.
3. This description is directly tied to sin.
4. If we can understand a Christian’s relationship with sin, we can better know who Christians are.
5. Moments ago we heard a few verses from Rom. 6.
6. Paul said a child of God is “dead” to sin.
7. If this were the only passage which describes Christians and sin, we would draw a conclusion.
A. By itself a few verses from Rom. 6 sound like a Christian severs all ties with sin.
B. If we only read this chapter it sounds like those who enter into Christ are removed from sin.
C. If we back up to Rom. 3 we find some additional information.
D. Let’s
see what Rom.
8. Notice the expression “fall short” at the end of verse 23.
A. This is in the present tense.
B. After becoming a Christian Paul said we still sin, though we have “died” to sin (Rom. 6).
9. How can a Christian both continue to sin and be dead to sin?
10. The answer is found in the word habit.
A. Consider a person’s relationship to sin prior to conversion.
B. Before entering into Christ sin is often committed on a willful basis.
C. Sin is frequently viewed as fun, good, and a great way to live.
D. Sin means going with the crowd.
E. It is not uncommon for sin to involve activities which are reckless.
11. The Christian dies to this way of life.
12. Sin is no longer a willful way of life or a way of life that is desirable.
A. The person who used to say whatever he wants now tries to control his speech.
B. The woman who used to be filled with anger and rage strives for self control.
C. Acts that were considered wild and fun are now viewed through new eyes.
D. Instead of treating sin as pleasure and amusement, the old ways are seen as evil.
E. Instead of continuing to follow the crowd, the new way of life means following God’s will.
F. Reckless behavior is traded in for spiritual enlightenment.
13. The person who is a Christian undergoes a radical change which is described as death to sin.
14. Eph. 4:22-24 says the “former way of life” is “put away.”
15. Col. 3:10 affirms Christians have “put on a new man.”
16. A new way of life is started, but sin is always knocking at the door.
17. Christians abandon sin as a willful way of life, but they are not perfect.
18. At times God’s people still slip.
IN
ADDITION TO THE SCRIPTURE
A. In this chapter we read about a man named Simon.
B. This individual had been a sorcerer; he used magic to impress people.
C. As Simon did his tricks everyone was impressed (verse 10).
2. Verse 11 says he deceived the people for a long time.
3. The day came when a gospel preacher came to town.
4. Philip the evangelist preached and the people believed.
5. Those who believed were baptized (12b).
A. Verse 13 tells us that Simon also believed and was baptized.
B. This man became a Christian. His sins were forgiven. He had the new life.
C.
6. As Simon continued to learn about Christianity, he saw some interesting things.
7. One of the items he saw is found in verse 18 – READ.
A. Simon saw power. It was a kind of power that he found to be attractive.
B. This man did not try to steal this ability or con it from the apostles.
C. He offered them money. He was willing to pay for the power possessed by the apostles.
8. His offer was a sin. We know this because of what is said in verse 21 – READ.
9. In the next verse we find that Simon was told to “repent” and “pray the Lord.”
10. This Christian was not perfect. He had died to sin but he soon slipped.
11. This is not an isolated case.
A. When one looks at the letters of the New Testament a general theme is found.
B. Many letters were written to congregations.
C. In these letters there are several examples of congregational problems.
D. The people of God were born anew but they still sinned.
E. One of the most profound examples of this is the Corinthian congregation.
F.
Paul wrote to the “
G. The Corinthians were guilty of many sins.
12. This should not surprise us.
13. Listen to what John said in 1 Jn. 3:6, 9 – READ.
14. A similar passage is found in 1 Jn. 5:18.
A. If you search the internet these passages will be found on some atheistic web sites.
B. Critics use them to allege that the Bible is contradictory.
C. Rom. 3:23 says that all sin but 1 Jn. 3 and 5 say Christians do not sin.
D. There is no contradiction when the passages are studied.
E. The references in 1 Jn. are in the present tense.
15. A Christian does not continually sin because this way of life has been abandoned.
A. Perhaps a good way to illustrate the point is to appeal to ice.
B. This year we had some days which left ice on the streets and parking lots.
C. As we crossed certain areas we may have slipped on foot or in our cars.
D. We slipped at times but we were not always slipping.
E. A similar thing is true of sin.
F. Christians have abandoned sin as a way of life but we are not flawless.
16. There are times when the new way of life in Christ is not fully realized.
17. There are times when, to use the words of Rom. 3:23, we “fall short.”
18. Many in the world look at Christians and expect to find flawless behavior.
19. Many in the world expect us to be without the slightest flaw.
20. Even Christians can have this expectation from other church members.
A. I have seen cases where elders did one thing wrong and a Christian said,
B. “He is an elder.”
C. Deacons have been dealt with in the same way and so have preachers.
21. If perfection is the standard people are looking for, they are not going to find it.
A. I am not a perfect person. Our elders are not perfect. The same is true for every deacon.
B. We have some aged men and women here who offer great examples.
C. They may seem to live lives that are just about perfect, but they also sin.
D. Paul said that all fall short. Even he was not without sin.
22. Think about what John said in 1 Jn. 1:9.
23. The writer was speaking to Christians.
24. He said “if we confess our sins.”
A. Who is doing the confessing? Children of God.
B. What are Christians acknowledging? Sins.
C. Does the person who is a Christian still sin?
D. According to 1 Jn. 1:9 the answer to this question is yes.
E. This is confirmed by Acts 8 and letters like the Corinthian correspondence.
25. Not even the apostles were perfect.
26. In Rom. 7 Paul described a struggle in his life.
27. Even the man who wrote a substantial part of the New Testament continued to sin.
28. In teaching His people about prayer Jesus had some things to say about temptation:
29. “Lead us not into temptation; forgive us our trespasses.”
30. If Christians cannot or does not sin, these points have no significance.
31. In Eph. 6:12 Paul said we “struggle” against “principalities and powers.”
A. What does this struggle involve?
B. It is all about sin. Will we give in or will we not?
C. The Bible says Jesus is our advocate.
D. If a Christian is perfect, why do we need an advocate?
E. We need an advocate because we all sin from time to time.
32. If we persist in sin and willfully disregard God’s laws we will lose our lawyer.
33. When we do the best we can and walk with God, we have on-going forgiveness of sins.
34. There are times when the best Christians sin in thought, word, and deed.
35. Does this mean that children of God are immoral and ungodly people?
36. No. It simply shows that the Bible is right.
A. Christians are the best people in the world.
B. They do not lead perfect lives, but they strive to be the best examples they can be.
C. This morning we truly hope you have named the name Jesus Christ.
D. Like Simon and others, if you believe, God instructs you to be baptized.
E. Be baptized and die to sin.
F. After baptism you have a new life and continued cleansing is available.