LESSON FOUR
Sin Defined
We established earlier that loving Jesus/God means to
keep His Words. How do we know what His
Words are? They are recorded in the
Bible.
Did you know that there are almost 6,000 ancient
manuscripts of the New Testament of the Bible, and if we add in ancient
manuscripts of it in different languages, that number jumps to over
25,000? Here’s the miracle of it… Those
ancient manuscripts agree with each other over 95% of the time. Most of the disagreements are simple spelling
variations, or simple changes in word order, which does not affect the message
or context.
The New Testament has more manuscript evidence
supporting it, than any other ancient writing in existence. NO other ancient writing of any kind comes
even close. Further, other ancient
writings with multiple manuscripts have large discrepancies between them.
Want to know how to love God? Then keep His Words. Start with learning the
difference between walking in the Spirit, versus walking in the flesh. See Galatians 5:16-23, and then protect
yourself against the devil, who deceived Adam and Eve. Put on the armor of God to protect you. See Ephesians 6:10-18.
Now, what about the second commandment of the
Christian – to love one another? We are
to love others the way God (who is literally Love personified) says to. If we love others our own way, or the way the
world says to, we are not following God’s Words.
Loving others is described in great detail in 1
Corinthians chapter 13, and many other places in the Scriptures.
It’s important that we know we can
trust the Bible, and that we read it, so that we know what it says.
Hosea 4:6a says:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge! Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you”
God gives us what we need. Are we seeking Him, and His Truth? As Yahweh God is Love Personified, did you
know that Jesus Christ is Truth Personified?
Look up John 14:6 in
the NRSVue, and then fill in the blanks, below:
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the _______________ and the life. No one comes to the Father except through ______.” -John 14:6
We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth:
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” -John 4:24
Now we’ve defined sin.
Sin is not loving God or others, since God said if we love Him/Jesus, we
will keep His Words. We sin against others by not loving them God’s way, and we
sin against ourselves when we sin against God.
We’ve seen that sin entered the world through the
original sin of Adam and Eve, but how/why does that affect us now, and why is
it that ALL humans sin, and have done so, since the Original Sin?
If we want to understand the Power of the Blood, we
will have to first look at this more closely.
__________________________________________________________________
Hosea 4:6 says that
the people are cut off for lack of what?
We must worship the
Lord in spirit, and in what else?
In your own words,
write what sin is:
Lesson Three -- Lesson Five
"It’s like a person building a house by digging deep and laying the foundation on bedrock. When the flood came, the rising water smashed against that house, but the water couldn’t shake the house because it was well built. 49 But those who don’t put into practice what they hear are like a person who built a house without a foundation. The floodwater smashed against it and it collapsed instantly. It was completely destroyed." -Luke 6:48-49 CEB
"The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock! Let my God, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high!" -2 Samuel 22:47 CEB
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:32 CEB
"Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6 CEB |
The terms "Christian" and "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" have been thrown around so much, that for many people, they have lost their original savor. What is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it going to church? Is it being a "good person?" Is it via doing certain rituals, or following certain traditions? No, it is so much simpler than that.
Jesus says:
"Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me." -Revelation 3:20 CEB
Let Jesus into your heart and life. Put your faith and trust in Him, and in Him alone.
Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth? He came to pay for our sins. Have you ever broken any of the Ten Commandments? Did you know that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that just looking at someone with lust in your heart is the same thing as committing adultery in your heart?
Many people will say I'm a good person. Sure, I've stolen a few paper clips in my time, and I've told some lies, but I've never killed anyone, so I'm good enough for heaven. Don't be so sure. Have you ever felt hatred toward someone? If so, then you are guilty of committing murder in your heart:
"Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them." -1 John 3:15 CEB
If you have stolen, lied, lusted after someone, hated someone, loved someone or something more than God, etc., then you have broken at least 5 of the Ten Commandments. Do you really think you'd make it to heaven? Not according to God's Word:
"Don’t you know that people who are unjust won’t inherit God’s kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Those who are sexually immoral, those who worship false gods, adulterers, both participants in same-sex intercourse, thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusive people, and swindlers won’t inherit God’s kingdom." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10 CEB
But there is good news:
"That is what some of you used to be! But you were washed clean, you were made holy to God, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." -1 Corinthians 6:11 CEB
We are all sinners:
"All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory" -Romans 3:23 CEB
Even Mary, the woman chosen by God to be a vessel that would carry Jesus in her womb, was a sinner, and in need of a Savior:
"In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior." - Mary said this in Luke 1:47 (CEB). Only sinners need a Savior, and Mary also accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior.
We are all imperfect, fallible sinners:
"This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." -1 John 1:5-8 CEB
The blood of Jesus Christ is what cleanses us from all sins. Jesus came to this earth to die to pay for our sins. You see, Leviticus tells us that 'the life is in the blood,' and that it takes spilt blood to atone for sin.
When we choose to truly believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and to live our lives for Christ, then Christ's spilt blood cleanses us from our sins:
"Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool." -Isaiah 1:18 CEB
Jesus tells us this:
"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son." - Jesus said this, in John 3:16-18 (CEB)
Paul gives us a simple "step by step process" on how to be saved:
"Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation. The scripture says, All who have faith in him won’t be put to shame." -Romans 10:9-11 CEB
Jesus is our one and only mediator:
"There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Christ Jesus" -1 Timothy 2:5 CEB
Jesus is our High Priest:
"Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin." -Hebrews 4:14-15 CEB
We are to follow the Lord and the Bible, not traditions of people:
"Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you?" -Matthew 15:3 CEB
Jesus is God:
"Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory." -1 Timothy 3:16 CEB
If Jesus isn't the Lord of your life, then I hope that you will let Him into your heart and life this very moment.
"But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8 CEB
Have you built your foundation on the Rock of Salvation?
Jesus is the way. If you would like to receive Jesus into your heart and life, then let Him know. Pray to the Lord, telling Him that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and that you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the death penalty for your sins. Tell this to God in your own words, from your heart.
"The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:23 CEB
Believe, and Receive:
"You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ." -Ephesians 1:13 CEB
When you believe on Jesus Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. You are sealed as a child of God.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior, and you believe that Jesus died on the cross in your place, to pay the death penalty for your sins, and that Christ rose from the dead three days later, and you are ready to let Him lead your life, and you will live for Him, then you are saved, and born again.
