Hamartia (sin) in the letters of Paul

 

1)      Two weeks ago we looked at a common New Testament word for sin (hamartia).

2)      We noted how “sin” is a word that no longer really grab people’s attention.

3)      We live in a time when “sin” does not sound all that bad.

4)      One word that still gets noticed is “immorality.”

5)      Immorality sounds bad and it is bad.

a)      When we see the word “sin” in the Bible, we can essentially substitute the word immorality.

b)      I am persuaded some think “murder is immoral” but “lying is just a “sin.”

c)      A lie is also an immoral act.  It may not send someone to jail, but it is immoral.

 

6)      Today we want to further our knowledge of immorality by looking at this special word in Paul’s letters.

7)      We have already heard the first reference in Paul’s correspondence that have this term.

a)      This passage is Rom. 3:9.

b)      No matter what race we are from, Paul said we “all sin” (all are immoral).

c)      This is what God says, but it is not what the majority believe.

 

8)      We have gotten to a point in society where people think that God is not all that concerned about behavior.

a)      Much of our nation has lots is immoral compass.

b)      Our nation as a whole no longer knows what is moral and immoral.

i)        People in the business world are sometimes told to go to “sensitivity training.”

ii)      This training is not instruction on how to learn what sin is and how to avoid it.

iii)    It is indoctrination on the acceptance of sin.

iv)    Our world is more twisted than a pretzel.

 

9)      Many have surely heard about the high school in Massachusetts.

a)      17 girls made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together.

b)      Not one of the girls is over the age of 16.

c)      I listened to some of the conversations about these young students.

d)      Experts said things like “The girls had low self esteem.  They have a need to be loved and wanted.”

e)       No one that I heard was willing to stand up and say, “This type of activity with unmarried women is immoral.”

f)       Rather, this type of thing is virtually encouraged.

g)      This high school has a on-site day care center.

h)      Girls wheel their baby strollers up and down the hallways.

 

10)  In the Old Testament prophets condemned those who called evil good and good evil.

11)  Condemning what is taking place in a Massachusetts high school is considered wrong.

12)  The world says be supportive, tolerant, and understanding.

13)  Don’t say what they did was immoral.

14)  The only “wrong” the world sees is with the age of some of the men the girls found.

 

a)      People need to be brought back to know that there is immorality in the world and all are guilty.

b)      Let’s look down a few verses from Rom. 3:9 – verse 20 – READ

c)      Here is our word again and we see something else from it.

d)     People can come to a “knowledge” of their immorality.

e)      Perhaps some are so uninformed about God they do not know they are involved with immorality.

 

15)  Many would seem to give very little thought or attention God.

16)  Oh, sure, they think about Him at a wedding or a funeral.

17)  There is Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving…about 6 times a year people briefly think about God.

18)  Maybe if something is needed a person will pray from time to time.

19)  Many never come to a knowledge that their lives are riddled with sin (immorality).

20)  God wants people to know about their spiritual status in His sight.

21)  One of a Christian’s responsibilities is to let people know they have violated God’s will.

22)  This part of the great commission.

a)      Jesus said “go into all the world and preach the gospel.”

b)      What are we to be telling people?  It is not that they are fine.

c)      People are to realize that God exists, He is a holy God, and they have violated His will.

d)     They need His Son to save them from their transgressions (sin/immorality).

e)      Sin is a world-wide problem.

 

23)  In life some things in life catch on like wildfire.

a)      One spark can turn into a blaze that consumes an entire forest.

b)      Rom. 5:12 has our word “sin” (immorality) and says this immorality came through “one man.”

c)      Only one person needed to sin one time and that eventually catches up with all accountable people.

d)     Immorality is contagious.  It thus requires a treatment and that treatment is the gospel.

 

24)  When people turn to the gospel, they find a complete cure for their problem.

a)      There are some things in life when things look pretty hopeless.

b)      A person may be too sick for treatment to be given.

c)      Someone else’s age may preclude them from being helped.

d)     Another may be located in the wrong place.

 

25)  Rom. 5:20 is a great text about sin (immorality) – READ

26)  No person is too immoral to be saved by God.

a)      Have we ever wondered who has been the most immoral person to ever walk on the earth?

b)      Would it be a serial killer?  Would it be someone who physically abused dozens of people?

c)      Would it be a cult leader who has misled thousands or millions?

d)     Paul once said he was the “chief of sinners” because he had persecuted the church.

e)      Suppose we could actually identify the world’s most sinful person.

f)       Further suppose that we could list every single act of wickedness they had performed.

g)      Rom. 5:20 assures us that God’s grace would more than cover their immoralities.

 

27)  Immorality is a serious problem (it will keep people out of heaven), but God has a cure that always works.

a)      Once we find the cure (Christ), God says we are to do something; we have an obligation.

b)      This duty is stated in the next chapter – Rom. 6:6 – READ

c)      God wants the “body of sin” (a life of immorality) to be put away.

d)     When a person become a Christian, he no longer lives as he once did.

e)      How are those 17 new moms in Matthew going to live?  Do we expect a big change?  Probably not.

f)       The school will not turn them to Christ.  They were content to pass out pregnancy tests.

g)      Those girls will likely be provided with a child care facility so they can continue with life.

h)      God says people need to wake up and start living a different type of life.

i)        Here is what that means.

 

28)  The man used to going out and drinking with his buddies doesn’t do that any more.

29)  The drug user puts away his drugs.  He just doesn’t “decrease” he says “no” to that way of life.

30)  Those involved with fornication realize they are immoral and terminate that activity.

31)  The gambler says he is through trying to increase his wealth at the expense of others.

 

32)  This is such an important part of the Christian life that verse 12 in this chapter says – READ

33)  Notice that “sin” (immorality) is explicitly joined with “lust.”

34)  If you are following along, look also at verse 14 (all these passages have the same word) – READ

a)      Sin (immorality) was something we once “served” (verse 17).

b)      If we are a Christian, we have been “freed from that” (verse 18).

c)      If we go back to it, we will die (verse 23).

d)     If we choose to live as a faithful Christian and flee immorality, we will be “saved” (verse 22).

 

35)  This theme is so important it is scattered throughout the New Testament documents.

36)  Col. 2:11 says “putting off the body of sin.”

a)      Sometimes it may be good to look at our life if we are a Christian and see what we have lost.

b)      Many use a scale from time to time to see what they weigh (have they gained or lost weight)?

c)      We can look at our Christian life and see if we have “gained” and “lost” some things.

 

37)  Have we lost some immoral acts?

38)  What types of activities have we put away because we became a Christian?

39)  If some honestly asked what some have stopped doing, they would probably say “not much.”

40)  Others, if they were truthful, would say, “we have not gotten rid of any sin  We decided to keep it.”

41)  Part of becoming a Christian is repentance—we look for things that are immoral and get rid of them.

42)  We are to be shedding the ways of the world and embracing the qualities of Christ.

a)      Many times immorality is in our own lives.

b)      It is possible to be involved with immorality because of others.

 

43)  I recently heard a very sad story.

a)      Two men, both of whom were young, went into a convenience store.

b)      One of the young men intended to rob the place, the other did not have that intent.

c)      The one who had no criminal intent was standing at the counter paying for an item.

d)     His buddy came to the counter and hit the clerk with a pipe.

e)      The batterer then took the money, gave it to his friend, and both walked out the door.

f)       Both got into the same car and drove away.

g)      Apparently the police came pretty fast and they began to chase the two young men and caught them.

44)  Now it looks like both of the young fellows are going to be prosecuted.

45)  A young man chose the wrong friend and then chose to stay with his bad friend.

46)  The immorality of others can have affect us, even to the point of putting us in prison.

a)      1 Tim. 5:22 gives us an important principle:  do not “partake” in the sins of others.

b)      We can be involved in the immoral acts of others but God says do not do that.

c)      If we do that, we had better be prepared to pay the price (both in life and in eternity).

 

47)  School children are often exposed to this type of temptation.

48)  Someone has a party with drugs or alcohol.  Everyone they know is going to be there so they go.

49)  Not only might a young person go, they choose to indulge in what is offered in that environment.

50)  The word we are looking at says “that is the way the world lives.  That is how the heathens act.”

51)  Two verses later in 1 Tim. 5 (verse 24) Paul said the sins of some are “open.”

a)      This is right.  Some immorality is so blatant and obvious no one can miss it.

b)      Some do not hide their immorality.

c)      Last Friday I heard about something new which ties into both verses 22 and 24.

 

52)  Those familiar with the Internet may have used “Google earth.”

53)  A person can pick a location on our planet and zoom in on it.

54)  With the closest magnification, some of the details on Google earth are pretty impressive.

a)      Some young people have decided they want to have swimming parties.

b)      They use Google earth to find houses that have nice swimming pools.

c)      Bear in mind that young people looking for these pools do not know the home owners.

d)     They are simply “shopping for a nice swimming pool.”

 

55)  Once they find a pool that looks good, they get the address.

56)  Then they use social Internet sites like myspace to set up a pool time and party with their friends.

57)  Homeowners are waking up to, as the report said, “frolicking teens” in their swimming pools.

58)  Do not partake in the sins of others, even if they might seem like fun.

59)  Some men’s sins are open – God was exactly right and the relevance of His word is truly amazing.

a)      Our culture is saturated with immorality.  Some of it is obvious and some of it is not.

b)      Whether people choose a little immorality or a lot, the end result is the same:  condemnation.

 

60)  God wants a group of people who are moral, godly, distinct from the world, full of Christian graces.

61)  Is that who we are?  It needs to be, and the process begins by becoming a Christian.

62)  We believe Jesus is the Son of God, decide that immorality is the wrong way to live, and confess Christ.

63)  Then we are baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).