Mastering Sin

Rhetorical Questions(Hypophora)

What is sin?
How do we use the word sin today? (We are sinners and Christ died for our sins)
Without sin, would we need a savior?
Two Fold-Believers in Witness and Personal life/Unbelievers to understand the gospel message.

(Genesis 4:3-7 AMP) And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and for his offering, [Heb. 11:4.] But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed. And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.

-should rule over it. (NKJV)

-you must subdue it (NET)

Used also with Eve: (Genesis 3:16) Your desire will be for your husband and he shall rule over you.

Agenda

Defining Sin
Origin of sin
Symptoms (sign or indication) of Sin
Effects (results or consequence) of Sin
Mastering Sin

1. Sin defined: What is sin?

(1John 3:4 HCSB) Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law. (Lawlessness or transgression of the law)

(Romans 13:9 HCSB) The commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment--all are summed up by this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

2. Origin of Sin: Where did it come from?

(Genesis 2:17 HCSB) but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."

God is a God of covenants.
God Made a covenant with Adam (the “Adamic covenant”)
Because Adam Failed, God must allow the consequences of sin to play out.

3. Symptoms of sin: How do we know it exists?

(Romans 5:12 HCSB) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.

(Ezekiel 18:20 HCSB) The person who sins is the one who will die.

Death is the evidence of our sin. We are all condemned to death. We are on death row. We don’t have prison bars around us and we may have blue skies over our heads as a roof, however we are all waiting for our turn to die and one-day death will seize upon all of us.

Creation Groans:
(Romans 8:19-22 NET.) For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility — not willingly but because of God who subjected it — in hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God's children. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now.

4. Effects of Sin: What are some of the consequences of Sin?

a. We See: Divorce, Abuse, Murder, Disease, Depression, Hopelessness, Lies, Suffering, and Evil.

b. The World says: Psychology, Shoes too tight, no hugs when little. Man inherently is good until environment or circumstances make them snap.

God says: man is inherently wicked and in need of a savior:

(Romans 3:10-12 NAS77) as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

Temptation and Lust is how we cultivate sin: (James 1:13-15 NET.) Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

(1John 2:16 NET.) because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.

(Genesis 3:6 NET.) When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

Lust of the Flesh- Drug Abuse, Fornication, Alcoholism, Smoking
Lust of the Eyes- Pornography, Wandering eyes and Thoughts, Idolatry
Pride/Arrogance/Greed- indulging in selfish material pleasure at the expense of others.

5. Mastery of Sin: How do we have victory?

By practicing righteousness

(1John 3:7-10 NAS77) Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

How do we practice righteousness? By getting right with God.

“Out side of Christ’s sacrifice we are dead in our sins”

Salvation: We must be Born Again.

“Before we can master sin, we must make peace with our master”

(John 3:3 NAS77) Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

How are we saved? By Grace

(Eph 2:8-10 NAS77) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

a. Repentance- Realize your condition before God as a Sinner who has sinned against a Holy and Just God. Confess and Reject your sins.

b. Trust- Place your trust in Christ as the Lord of all of your life.

Then what? Practice righteousness.

a. Fellowship within a body of believers

b. Begin Discipleship

c. Read the word of God

d. Pray

Christ’s promises to His children: We place our Faith, Trust and Hope in His promises.

(1Corinthians 15:22 HCSB) For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

(John 16:33 NAS77) "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

(John 11:25-26 NAS77) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Believer and unbeliever have to face sin daily. For the unbeliever there is condemnation and bondage to sin. For the believer there is victory and mastery of sin through the righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Summary:

1. Defining Sin.

2. Origin of sin.

3. Symptoms (sign or indication) of Sin.

4. Effects (results or consequence) of Sin.

5. Mastering Sin.