Sin (hamartia)

 

1)      When it comes to choices and activities, how do we know if an action is “moral” or “immoral?”

2)      How can we determine if something is “right” or “wrong?”

3)      These are questions on a regular basis and we need to be able to answer them.

a)      In the secular world we usually appeal to standards for these types of judgments.

b)      In the manufacturing industry workers may use a measurement device or system.

c)      In the realm of morality, we typically make judgments based on a moral standard.

 

4)      That standard may be our own standard; it may be the one accepted by society; it may be God’s standard.

5)      There is an important word in the New Testament that is used several times.

6)      We find this word at least 175 and Bible translators typically chose to translate it “sin.”

7)      The original thought behind this word is “missing the mark.”

a)      This term also described the missing a goal, or falling short of a standard.

b)      When we think of immorality, we are talking about an action that “misses the mark.”

c)      It is an action that somehow falls short of a specific standard.

 

8)      We may be immoral because we fail to do all we should (we do not put forth enough effort to reach the goal).

9)      We may also miss the mark (sin) because we choose the wrong thing.

10)  For today and two additional weeks I want to immerse ourselves in a study of the word sin.

a)      My plan is to take us through a study of the New Testament and examine this word.

b)      This will help us come to a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about immorality.

c)      We will look at the Gospels today, then Paul’s epistles next, and finally the rest of the NT.

d)      By having an understanding of some key words, we can better understand some specific moral issues.

 

OUR STUDY STARTS WITH MATTHEW 1:21, THE SCRIPTURE THAT WAS READ.

 

a)      Our world may not think that immorality (sin) is very significant.

b)      Oh, for “serious cases” of immorality people might think someone should be punished.

c)      For the most part, people often “miss the mark” and they are not all that bothered by it.

d)     Mt. 1:21 tells us that immorality is a very serious problem.

e)      When we miss the mark, and we are accountable for that action, our relationship with God changes.

f)       A person who has never become a Christian needs “salvation.”

g)      This is why Jesus came.  The Lord is to save people who are immoral—those who missed the mark.

h)      Mt. 1:21 says Jesus saves people from their sins (their immorality).

 

2)      What if tomorrow someone asked us:  “Have you ever been immoral?”  What would we say?

3)      We might be tempted to say “no.”  Asking if we have been immoral may offend us.

4)      We might think of “immoral people” as the drunk on the street and the man running around on his wife.

5)      Our definition of immorality may not be the same definition used by God.

6)      If we have somehow missed the mark (just one time), we are guilty of sin and we need Christ.

7)      Paul once Jesus came to die for the “ungodly” (not those who are moral).

8)      Our word usually translated sin is next found in Mt. 3:6 and this passage discusses baptism.

a)      There are various baptisms described in the New Testament.

b)      We now live in a time where God has whittled things down to just “one baptism” (Eph. 4:5).

c)      For a time there was Holy Spirit baptism, the baptism of John, Jesus’ baptism of suffering, etc.

d)     Mt. 3:6 tells us about the baptism performed by John the Baptist.

e)      When people were immersed with his baptism, they “confessed their sins.”

9)      I suspect there were some people who were a bit embarrassed by either what was said or heard.

10)  Today some still want to confess their immoral acts before baptism.

11)  This confession was part of John’s baptism, not part of the baptism Jesus instituted in Mt. 28:18-20.

12)  Today people must repent of their immorality before baptism (Acts 2:38), but not publicly confess it.

13)  When people think about what they have done, that is usually enough to show them the need for a savior.

a)      When we look at sin (immorality) we usually find many negative things associated with it.

b)      Immoral acts often leave people with guilt, regret, anger, sadness, and other negative consequences.

c)      God has some good news that is expressed by the word translated “sin.”

d)     Listen to Mt. 12:31 – READ

 

14)  When a person is immoral they may wonder if God can or will forgive them.

15)  What did Jesus say in this verse?  “ALL MANNER” (types) of sin (immorality) can be forgiven.

16)  In the world, a person may not always find freedom from immorality.

a)      A person may told they can only be forgiven of immorality after several years pass.

b)      Perhaps they are told they can only be partially forgiven or partially trusted because they have sinned.

c)      Mt. 12:31 says every type of immoral act, no matter how bad, can be forgiven.

d)     There are some conditions to God’s forgiveness.

e)      What a person was involved with or in cannot be maintained.

f)       This is seen in Mt. 12:31.  If people wanted to blaspheme God, that could be forgiven.

g)      If they wanted to reject Jesus the Son, that could be forgiven.

h)      If people persisted in their belief and rejected the Holy Spirit, they could not be forgiven.

i)        Refusing the Father meant the people still had someone to listen to (the Son of God).

j)        Rejecting the Son of God meant there was still someone to listen to (the Holy Spirit).

k)      If the Holy Spirit was rejected, there was not going to be any else.

l)        The Godhead has only three members; reject each one and a person has no hope.

m)    People had to cease their sin of rejecting God if they wanted salvation.

n)      A condition of being forgiven for immorality is being willing to abandon sin.

o)      If a man is a thief, his immorality cannot continue if he wants to please God.

p)      Repentance means a crook cannot keep what he illegally obtained.

q)      If a person is married to two wives, he cannot maintain those relationships.

r)       If God’s terms and conditions are met, a full pardon is available.

 

17)  We often hear Mt. 26:28 read before we have the Lord's Supper.

a)      Jesus said His blood was being shed for the “remission of sins.”

b)      Here is our special word translated “sin.”

c)      Jesus’ blood was shed for man’s immorality.

d)     If we were moral, we would not need the benefits of the Lord’s blood.

e)      God tells us we are not moral (in the Biblical sense of the word).

 

18)  When we are old enough to know right from wrong we all commit immoral acts.

19)  Our immorality may not be murder.  We may not be a bank robber or someone guilty of fornication.

20)  We do engage in immoral acts.  Our immorality (sin) requires payment.

21)  Next on our list is Lk. 7:47.

a)      Jesus was once honored by a woman and the Lord knew something about this lady.

b)      He said she had “many sins.”

c)      Imagine the Lord saying to someone “Here is a very immoral person.”

d)     Jesus did that.  Jesus followed this up with some additional words in verse 48.

e)      He said all the woman’s immoralities were “forgiven.”

f)       We may look at someone we consider grossly immoral.

g)      We may wonder how and if God could ever forgive such a one.

 

22)  Luke 7 tells us not to wonder about that type of thing.  God stands ready to deal with immoral people.

23)  It does not matter how fully a person has been immersed in sin.

24)  No level of immorality is too difficult for God to forgive.

25)  God also tells us that immorality goes hand in hand with prayer.

a)      Luke 11 has a version of what some have called the “model prayer.”

b)      In this prayer Jesus taught people to pray, “forgive us our sins.”

c)      SINS in Lk. 11 is a different word from the prayer in Matthew’s account of the model prayer.

d)     Matthew’s account has a word that is translated “debts” or “trespasses” (ASV).

e)      I suspect brethren would be shocked if someone prayed a bit differently in public.

 

26)  Imagine someone praying in an assembly such as this and saying, “forgive us our immoralities.”

27)  That would probably make shock some folks.  What did that brother mean—immorality?

28)  Sin seems to have a nicer ring to it than the word “immoral.”

29)  Maybe we have gotten accustomed to not realizing just how terrible sin is.

a)      If we have forgotten, it is not because the Lord has failed to tell us.

b)      Jesus said in Jn. 8:21 that people will “die” in their sin unless they accept His remedy.

c)      Sin is immorality; it is so bad Jesus said it brings about spiritual death

d)     We may prefer to say “sin” instead of immorality, but there is no real difference.

e)      Missing the mark puts us on bad terms with God if we have never become a Christian.

 

30)  To start “hitting the target” if you will, we need to believe in Jesus Christ – Jn. 8:24 – READ

31)  When Jesus said “believe in Him,” He did not say “believe only.”

32)  When we came to services this morning we probably “believed in” the car that brought us here.

33)  We had faith in our car, but we did not have faith alone.

34)  We had to access the vehicle by opening the door.  We had to put a key into the ignition.

35)  If we had believed in our car without acting on that belief, we would still be at home.

 

36)  God wants the world to know about sin (immorality) and then obey the gospel to be forgiven.

37)  Men must come to realize that God says breaking His law makes them immoral.

38)  Most will not believe they are immoral unless they are convinced.

a)      Jesus spoke of this matter in Jn. 16:8.

b)      Jesus said the Holy Spirit was going to come (this promise was made to the apostles).

c)      As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit did arrive (this is recorded in Acts 2).

d)     The Lord said the Spirit would “reprove the world for sin” (missing the mark).

e)      Peter did this on the Day of Pentecost.  He said those who heard him were immoral.

f)       One of their sins was asking that Jesus be crucified.

g)      The Holy Spirit did tell people they were immoral and this made them respond to the gospel.

 

39)  What Peter and the other apostles preached was finally written down in book form.

40)  We now have this information recorded in the book we call the Bible.

41)  Through the pages of God’s word, the Holy Spirit convicts men of immorality.

42)  God does not say to the world, “You are fine, and I am in fellowship with you.”

43)  God says to men:  You are immoral; I am holy and you are not.”

44)  From the word of God we are told that we need to obey the gospel because destroys man.

45)  Immorality is like a flesh eating disease; it will overcome us if we do not find and accept the cure.

46)  We need to be freed from immorality, and the Bible tells us how to do that.

47)  Some will not read or listen to the scriptures.  Some will hear but not heed God‘s word.

48)  For those who choose to reject God’s word, their immoral acts are collected and stored.

49)  Without the blood of Christ as we looked at from Mt. 26:28, their immorality will condemn them.

50)  If we have 100 people here in the room today, and the average age is 25, that equals 2,500 years.

a)      How many immoral acts do we think have been committed in this combined period of time?

b)      Immorality is a serious problem that we must overcome through Christ.  Have we?