What's Wrong With It?

 Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word – it tells you what keeps you from God, and the life you were created for.  Sin.  What is sin?  Hamartano – to miss the mark, and so not share in the prize.  Sin is anything less than what God said, anything less than his will or his best.  Sin is something that comes naturally – you were born in it.  Sin is falling short of God’s standard of holiness.  Because Adam sinned, that seed passed down through every generation.  You don’t have to teach a baby how to disobey what you say, they do it naturally.  Instead ,you have to train your children to obey what you tell them – for their own good. And to do things that they don’t want to do, that will teach them responsibility and train them to live a life of respect for others; to be humble, kind, and treat others in the way they would like to be treated.  These are common denominators of a civil society. Or everyone would only cause harm to others.  But they need something more.  You need to train them in what God’s Word says, so they will live eternally with God, not separated from him.  So they will live a life that will receive his reward.  Sin is easy to fall into, impossible to escape without God’s grace, and the desire to turn from sin, and turn to him.  What’s wrong with sin?  It separates you from God.  It destines you for hell.    Sin always separates you from God, it strains your relationship.  Because He is Holy, completely without sin, He hates it.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news, because it is the only remedy for sin, the only way to be reconciled to God.  Reconciled means to be brought back into friendship – or right relationship with someone you had formerly been at enmity with.  Sin makes you an enemy of God.  God is holy, completely without sin, He hates it.  There is no sin in him, no darkness at all. (I John 1:5) He is light, and there is no darkness in him.  Nor in heaven where He lives. Whoever wants to live in heaven with God, will have to be sinless like He is. (Matthew 5:20) That is impossible.  But what is impossible with man, is not impossible with God. (Mark 10:27)  God wants to restore a relationship with you that has been broken by sin.  Not only so you will you no longer be eternally damned, destined for destruction and eternally separate from God in a place called the lake of fire, created for the devil and his demons.  But tragically will also be the destination of those who refuse God’s gift of Salvation through his Son Jesus.  God wants you to be qualified as Holy like Him, so you can live in heaven with Him forever; cleansed by the blood of Jesus – to remove your sin, and make you righteous, with a righteousness that wasn’t yours, but Jesus’ righteousness given to you.  The greatest trade ever!  He took your sin, He paid the price for it, and you get His righteousness, that you didn’t earn, and you don’t deserve, but He gave it to you anyway – because He loves you, and longs to be with you forever.  He longs to save you from the judgment of sin, so you can be with Him!  The only requirement is you must Admit, Believe, and Commit.  Admit your sin, that you’ve sinned against God.  God said whoever says he has not sinned, is a liar and the truth is not in him. (I John 1:8)  Second, you must believe that Jesus died in your place, for your sin.  That He took the penalty you deserved on himself, so you could be set free from sin.  And now qualified to live in Heaven for eternity – with a Holy God, in whose presence, sin will never dwell. Only with your sins forgiven and removed by the blood of Jesus – could you ever get to heaven. (Rev 21:27)  Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me. (John 14:6) The price of sin is death and eternal separation from God.  Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.   Romans 10:9 – that if you Commit with your mouth (to make Jesus the LORD of your life – that means you turn from your old life of sin, to live your life from now on for Him), and you believe in your heart, that God raised Jesus from the dead – you will be saved – from the control of sin in this life, and eternity apart from God.  You have just been reborn, of the spirit.  Your old sin nature has been defeated, your sins have been forgiven, and the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus is available for you the rest of your life.  I John 1:9 – If we will confess our sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  But even more than that.  After Salvation two things are important and powerful.  First Receive the Holy Spirit – just like the apostles and first Christians did.  Jesus said, “Don’t leave Jerusalem without it.”  (Luke 24:49) The promised Holy Spirit – who will give you power to overcome sin, who will lead you in all truth, and show you things to come. (John 16:13) He will lead you in God’s plans for you.  God said, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh… (Gal 5:16)  That old sin nature that is now defeated by Jesus death and resurrection.  But it’s still around – until one day when Christ returns in the rapture of the church.  And we are caught up together in the clouds, to forever be with the Lord.  Or when you die, and your body is laid in the grave, and you are free from the body of sin, that still tries to control you – it wants you back.  But you now have power to overcome it – where you didn’t before.  It's still a choice you make, sin or Jesus.  But He gives you grace.  When you get saved, and then filled with the Holy Spirit – by just asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit – just like He did the disciples at Pentecost.  Luke 11:13 - If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven, give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.  Finally the third thing, get water baptized.  It was God’s command for Christians, who believed in Him and received His Salvation from sin – and eternal life in heaven.  It is the symbol of you dying with Christ – being buried with him in His death, and rising with Him in his resurrection.  It symbolizes your old life, that old sin nature being now dead, and your new life beginning.  Being raised with him in righteousness.  This is another part of that huge transfer that occurs in Salvation.  Not only are you saved for eternity in heaven with God, your sins are washed away, removed, and now the old law of sin – from Adam’s sin that formerly controlled you, has no more power, unless you give it back.  You now are under a new law of righteousness – far more powerful than the law of sin that once controlled you.  If that was powerful – and if you’ve ever been stuck in sin, you know how powerful that law was.  That law came from Adam’s one sin.  How much more powerful is the new law of righteousness.  It came not from one sin, but from every sin ever, now completely forgiven by the blood of Jesus, His death and resurrection so you could live in newness of life – free from the power of sin.  Just walk in the Spirit, choose the grace that is now yours to say no to sin, so you resist the devil - he has to flee from you.  It is through Christ that you gain victory over sin – forever.  It’s always there, the body of sin, but your spirit is now under new management and greater power!  You now have power to walk in righteousness that is yours in Jesus Christ.   Scripture warns many times, don’t go back to the sin that once bound you, you now have power to overcome it!  Every time you say yes to Jesus, and His wonderful plan for you, you say no to sin, and you resist the devil who wants you back, but will never get you.  You will go from victory to victory, glory to glory.  God promised no temptation has ever overtaken you except that which is common to man, and God is faithful, He will give you a way out, so you can stand up under it. (I Cor 10:13)  He gives you the power of the Holy Spirit, and grace to say no to ungodliness, the old life. (Titus 2:11-14)  And yes to His plans for you, and the joy of righteousness.  That’s the new law of righteousness that now controls you, that if you submit the members of your body to it, instead of to sin, you will walk in freedom from sin.  Paul said, when you used to be enslaved by sin, you were free from the restraints of righteousness, but what did that get you?  What benefit did you receive, all of those sins separate you from God, and lead to death.  (Romans 3:20-23) But now as a slave to righteousness, all of the acts of righteousness, simply walking in God’s plans for you! These all lead to life, abundant life, joyful life and fruitful life!  A life that pleases God, and a life that God rewards.  God gives us the power to Love Him, and hate sin.  So that what once was your master, no longer has any control over you.  Paul said, Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ (that is my old sin nature that once controlled me) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   God has victory for you – new life – completely free from the old life.  Just say yes to Him every time.  Choose His grace to say “No” to sin, and yes to the righteousness that now controls you.  The Bible gives you ways to walk in him.  This new law of righteousness is far more powerful.  You can still choose: life or death, sin or Jesus, but He gives you power to choose life, power to overcome sin, and by walking in His plans for you – your old life will be left behind.  You will walk in grace, and power, and in the joy of knowing Him, and His Word, and His ways, His plans for you which are so, so very good.  You can trust Him.  He saved you at first, He will save you to the uttermost.  He will keep you blameless as you turn to Him.  God is faithful.  Choose Him every time, and see the victory that He has destined for you.  He left to prepare a place for you, and He will come again, He promised.  To take you with Him, so that where He is, you will be also. (John 14:2-3)  He is coming back soon! For His bride, the church – those who believe in Him, who are walking with Him, and waiting for him.  He has victory for you every day.  And joy always comes with obedience.  It’s a journey!  He goes with you.  He will be faithful every day of your life!  And heaven awaits you! 
 
Love you all,
dad