Our Big Problem— SIN!
What is sin? It’s breaking God’s law, like the Ten Commandments — an act of disobedience or rebellion against Him; lawlessness. It’s missing the mark — falling short of God’s holy standard of righteousness, His perfect measure of moral and ethical behavior that reflects His own nature. It’s an offense to God’s holiness. In fact, all unrighteousness (all things that aren’t right with God) is sin. If God is perfect and we are not— that’s sin.
Sin is not just simply wrongdoing, it is a chronic, fatal disease we all suffer from and there is only one cure… genuine repentance and saving faith in Jesus Christ who paid the penalty of sin for us. Without those two things, you remain lost and condemned.
Sin involves your thoughts, attitudes and actions— what you think, say and do. Thoughts originate in the mind and attitudes originate in the heart, and actions are what you “choose” to say and do— acting out your thoughts and attitudes.
Here’s the standard concerning the thoughts, attitudes and actions of a born again believer:
Are they Christlike? Do they please God and bring Him glory?
That’s the standard.
If they are not Christlike and they do not please God and bring Him glory— dismiss the thoughts immediately before you act on them. And if you have already acted on them, stop them immediately in their tracks, ask for forgiveness and replace them with righteous thoughts and actions.
Upon salvation, the Holy Spirit lives within you to help in these matters and will always convict you of your sin and help you overcome them.
Do not quench (ignore) Him or grieve (disappoint) Him. The Holy Spirit is Christ in you — by His Spirit. That is a powerful reality.
Jesus used God’s law (The Ten Commandments) to show the rich young ruler his sin. Read Mark 10:17–22. In fact, He gives us the law just to prove to us that we can’t keep it. We can’t keep it. Nobody can. Get that through your head.
Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen— anything? Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? Have you ever dishonored your parents? Have you ever committed sexual immorality of any kind—even in your heart through lust?
That’s just five of the ten. The obvious answer to the questions? We all have. Why? Because we are not perfect. That’s the point. Only God is! It proves that you are guilty before God’s perfect standard. It only takes one sin to be sinner and to be condemned for it for eternity.
You say, “That’s not fair!” You gave up you right to fairness when you committed your first sin. And it wasn’t fair that Jesus Christ had to willfully shed his blood, suffer and die on the cross to save you from yourself. He died to pay the penalty for your sin, so you wouldn’t have to die yourself and spend eternity in a fiery pit.
But even the 10 commandments don’t get to the real issue which was articulated by Jesus who said, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18)
In other words, Jesus said, “You’re gonna get condemned because you don’t believe in me.”
Sooner or later you’ve got to get past the 10 commandments and get to the great sin of all sins, the ultimate sin, which is rejecting Jesus Christ.
Though all of us are wretched, vile sinners (man, that’s hard to say, isn’t it?), cursed by our violation of God’s law and sinful by nature, Jesus emphasized that the fatal, unforgiveable, and eternal sin that ultimately damns people to hell is our unwillingness to believe in Him as the Messiah, the Christ and the Son of God. In truth, all other sins can be forgiven if this one is repented of. (from John 8:24 and 16:9)
What you ultimately must understand is that God is far more righteous than you think He is and that you are far less righteous than you think you are.
So, with these things in mind, there two things that are absolutely true if you have not yet repented and surrendered your life to Christ and put your faith and trust in Him:
You are a sinner and you need a Savior!
theattituderules.com 