Sermons

SIN! WHAT’S THAT?

The biblical understanding of sin should not be hard to explain.

1. Condition of Unholiness

    A. Being “unlike” God makes us “unholy”.
    B. Sin is unholiness.
    C. God can’t allow any unholiness into His presence.

(Romans 6:23) The wages of sin is death…

2. Attitude of Narcissism

    A. A narcissist puts “self-interests” ahead of “God interests”.

(2 Timothy 3:2-5) People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of religion but denying its power.

    B. I may be a narcissist but “think” that I’m humble.

(James 4:10) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
(Proverb 22:4) The result of humility is fear of the Lord.
(Proverb 16:18) Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
(Proverb 15:33) The fear of the Lord is wisdom’s instruction, and humility comes before honor.

3. Behavior of Sinfulness

    A. We’re all born with sinful desires.

(Psalm 51:5, NIV) Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
(Jeremiah 17:9, NIV) The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
(Romans 7:18, NIV) I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature.
(Galatians 5:16, NIV) The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit.
(Ephesians 4:22, NIV) Your old self… is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

    B. Sinful desires temp us into action.

(James 1:14-15) Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

    C. When desires turn into behavior, we’ve sinned.