Sin June 2025

Sin

Psalm 32

The topic I was given to speak on today is Sin. Sin is tough to talk about, because it feels like an accusation, and it is, but we should use messages like this for self examination. Because sin blinds us from the truth, it clouds our judgment and leads us into more sin, it leads us away from God. So we need to be on the lookout for sin in our lives but also in the lives of others.

This psalm that Terry read for us, gives us a perfect picture of how we should deal with sin. So first let me speak to this Psalm with some personal observations. and then we will get into the message.

The first 2 verses of this Psalm speak to the blessing of being forgiven by God. As Christians we know how big of a deal it is to have received the forgiveness offered to us through the cross. Not all get that. At the Museum of the bible in Washington DC. and there is a room there that lists all the known languages and people groups of the world. Many have had the Bible translated into their own language. But what is most striking is how many haven’t. There are more than 3000 people groups left in the world that don’t have the word of God and haven’t received the good news of Christ. That is heartbreaking number. But we also know that there are people in our own community and let’s be honest right on our very own street here that haven’t received it either. What keeps Christians from doing this?

Verses 3 and 4 tell us of David’s weariness, from the heavy hand of God, convicting him of his sin. This conviction comes from his unwillingness to confess his sin. He describes it as his soul groaning. His bones are wasted away. His strength is dried up. This is always rooted in sin. Do you ever feel this way? Maybe not knowing exactly what it is, but it just makes you want to curl up and quit? Sometimes we think its our relationships, Maybe Our marriages, Our Kids, Our work. Maybe it’s just people, maybe it’s people we love dearly, and maybe we are hoping and praying for miracles in all of these things. And we really don’t know what to do about it, so we just shrink back. But I can be a witness to the fact , that when we don’t, when we submit to God, when we acknowledge our sin, when we confess our transgression, when we stop and surrender in this, he does miraculous things. He heals the unhealable, He repairs the unrepairable, he redeems the unredeemable.

Dr. Livingston the great evangelist to the continent of Africa once said I will do great things for God while expecting great things of God.

The psalmist in verse 5 comes to what corrects all things. What rights the ship in all of our lives, He acknowledges his sin. He no longer tries to hide it. He confesses his sin and God forgives. It is this turning from ones sins, that brings change not only in our lives but for the faithful, in the lives of others.

Verse 6! If you are godly offer your prayer at a time that God’s forgiveness can still be found! This call to confession through prayer, echo's a call in Revelation of giving someone time to repent of sin, but that this opportunity to repent is not open indefinitely. We also see this warning, that in this rush of water, that is, in times of trouble we will struggle to find him. Not because he isn’t there, but because we are consumed in the struggle. We want God to move in the most troubling times and situations of our life, but we want to stay exactly where we are both physically and spiritually.

In verses 7 & 8 we hear of God’s preservation in times of trouble. Where we can take refuge, be protected, shielded by God, during these times. But we must know that we can’t expect this without a desire to surrender to him. He teaches us the way to proceed and as we go, He councils us, while being with us.

In 9 we are told to not be stubborn, because if we are, we will wander away from Him. It is our nature, instead of drawing near to God during times of trouble, when we should be standing in our faith of God, we often start to pull away from God.

In verse 10 we see this reality for the lost and those wandering in sin, in wickedness, outside of a right relationship with God, where there are sorrows. distress, suffering. If you feel stress, anxiety it may be conviction, and that is a good thing, The Holy Spirit is Speaking.

Verse 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

We as believers have reason to to be filled with Joy when we are in right standing with God.

So we need to know what sin is????

What sin is according to Google, Sin is any thought, word or action that goes against God’s law or his Will. It represents a moral failing or transgression that separates individuals from God and can have destructive consequences in their lives. So artificial intelligence gets it.

at the most foundational level we see what sin is in the 10 commandments.

And When Jesus gives us the new commandments to Love God and to Love our neighbor, what he is really saying is that we fulfill, in part, the new commandments by fulfilling these old ones. This is foundational in how we are to love God and man. And even though our salvation isn’t tied to the law, how we are to love others and God, starts with not sinning against them.

God’s commandments are very clear and complete, but, We twist them, we only apply these to people of history, and not to ourselves.

After all we don’t have false gods, or graven images, we surely don’t covet or bear false witness?

But This is why Scripture continues to define sin over and over again until its final chapter.

And the reason it does, is because we are really good at making sin it up, and to be honest, at defending it.

The bible describes nearly 700 specific sins. I can tell you mankind has added to that list drastically! The depths of our depravity to pursue sin is breath taking and sadly, creative. The depths of our own sin, can be overwhelming, but in the lives of those that we love, its effects are most devastating to us, so sin must dealt with it.

Yet we still struggle with calling sin,,,,,,, sin. Even though Scripture is clear we need reminders. And we must realize that God defines sin not us!

Scripture gives us a broad list of sins

Like those of our Actions or Behavior: Sexual Immorality, Idolatry, Anger, Lying, Theft, Slander, Gossip, Contentiousness, Dishonesty, Lust, Debauchery, Lewdness, Drunkenness

Attitudes/Character: Pride, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Laziness, Bitterness, Unforgiving hearts, Blasphemy, Hypocrisy, Selfish Ambition, Hatred, Divisiveness

The things of the dark: like Witchcraft ,Magic, Divining, Astrology, Psychics and even Satanic worship.

There are also these sins that are referred to as unnatural, abominations to God that shouldn’t even be and surely shouldn't be advocated for, especially within the church. Yet We see an explosion of these types of sin, and they are popular, they give people the attention they want and that they never had. These types of sin have brought a whole new level of confusion and deception. And now they are infiltrating the very places we once called church.

But we also live in a time that there is a lot of apathy, passivity and on the other side of that a lot of conniving control, things are out of order. We are so enthralled with what the world has to offer and Its diversions that we don’t know what a life in Christ looks like. 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I like how Paul ends one of his lists in Galatians.

Gal 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

These lists are not complete But enough to know that We have no excuse.

As believers We must take sin seriously, it isn’t as if we walked an aisle and said a prayer and we are all good. Our salvation wasn’t just an event. a moment in time and then nothing until we die. that is not true salvation! It is an all consuming belief. It is a profession of faith that turns into a walk that can be seen by others and we know it and feel it deep in our souls, and it lasts till our very last breath of life. But it is also striving to turn away from sin because We need Mercy!

Scripture tells us that the one who endures to the end will be saved. This endurance is in our faith but also should be witnessed in our walk. In Our discipline, which can be so difficult to harness.

Romans 7:13-20

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Sin becomes sin and it becomes sin beyond measure. Sin has to be appalling to us. We must hate it! We must wage war against it. And we must understand why the struggle is so intense. It’s Our Flesh, the sin that dwells within us!!!

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Our Flesh is at war with our spirit!

The works of the Flesh don’t always look corrupt in fact We see a lot of Moralism in the world today. Good People doing good things. Yes, good morals can make the world seem like a better place but it doesn’t make for a redeemed place. These kind of morals, outside of God’s Moral law, may make for a better society but it doesn’t save anyone. And horrifically there is a new moralism at play today, one that seeks to make the very things of evil, good. and good, evil. It tells us if we are loving we will be accepting of these things and now they even demand it of us, and we have begun to see people being jailed for their lack of compliance. This type of moralism is at war with our spirit. This type of Moralism is deceiving Christians and so called Christians, Many will say, Lord, Lord, did we not do all this stuff in your name, and he will say I never knew you, depart from me you workers of iniquity. He isn’t speaking to atheists when he says this, he is speaking to people that think they are Christians because of their deeds. Christians by name only.

We must hate sin! We must hate what God hates! We can no longer walk in it!

John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’ s Progress commented. You cannot walk with Christ and still love the path He died to save you from.

We can’t walk in sin and we cannot be dismissive of our sin when confronted with it.

But quite often we simply pass it by without much consideration. We snub our nose to it. It was just a mistake. But scripture tells we are storing up wrath if we are not confessing and turning from our sin.

I think one of the reasons we struggle to deal with sin is a misapplication of Grace. Yes, we are to forgive and forgive quickly.

But when we sin, we ultimately are sinning against God, and when we don't deal with sin we are disregarding God in disobedience. When We feel like we can just walk away from our sin without following the direction of scripture to Confess, to turn, to be reconciled with God and Man! Well, when we don’t, we are in a Dangerous place.

We are a reflection of God’s grace, in extending forgiveness, kindness, and compassion, but we are not a replacement for the need of God’s grace.

In John 8:2

2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. (always teaching)3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Jesus, like the Holy Spirit does, is bringing conviction of their sin against them. And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it (not when they read it), they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” (In this moment she instantly puts Jesus in the right position in her life as Lord, master, king, sovereign, that is where we need to put him, in rule of our lives) And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; (that could be the end of the story, because that would be the end of the story it if we told it. That is how we work Grace, but that’s not how God does) go, and from now on sin no more.” (Jesus doesn't say take the day off, but rather to SIN NO MORE! Jesus is telling her I am not condemning you, but you cannot continue in sin and expect anything different)]] same for us, we cannot continue in our sin and expect things to change or get better. Will we have life long struggles? of course, but when they are no longer struggles, when they are just a part of our day to day, when they are no longer seen as sin, when we no longer feel convicted, when we no longer feel the need to confess them and turn from them, well it may be because you are not in the position you think you are in.

This is grace, and it is only delivered by God the Father and the Son, but it always includes this. Our sin has been presented to us, we acknowledge it, we confess it, we turn away from it, and then and only then, does God forgive us. and there is hope in that. Confession, turning, forgiveness.

We aren't God. Yes, we are to forgive. Yes, we are to be patient but it never, ever negates the need to repent and to turn from sinful behaviors. it should be our first response. We forgive but if it isn't made right, if there isn't restitution and restoration, we are leaving room for God’s wrath. We don’t want that!

So how do we identify Sin????

1st -Through His Word

God always sends His word when he wants to correct and revive His people. So I find it so refreshing that so many of us are in His word daily, wrestling with it, asking for God to give us wisdom, understanding and knowledge in it. Because His word always proceeds His healing. He sends His word when He wants to renew life in His people. And in it we identify our sin by the immersing of ourselves in scripture. God’s word not only instructs us, but it also corrects us, it heals us, it sustains us.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 that when you received the word of God, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

Hebrews 4:12 “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

This piercing to division, that is the removal of what shouldn't be, so what should be, flourishes. His word is at work within us! It is discerning our thoughts and intentions and if we let it, it changes us.

The 2nd way takes a friend. King David is told of his sin and scripture says he immediately confesses and repents! There is nothing wrong with saying “I see this in you”. How is it possible to have brothers and sisters in Christ that can’t, don’t and won’t offer correction or even accept it? Why wouldn’t we want that? We must know that the Word of God builds us up and preserves us and in so doing it sets our paths, but we sometimes need help in that, we need friends that care about our souls and our walk. We need accountability partners, not people that rubber stamp everything we say and do.

We are to help remove sin in our brothers and sisters lives as we have removed the sin from our own. We are to Help them to see clearly by seeing clearly ourselves.

the 3rd way,

Through the Holy Spirit. We need to Let the Holy Spirit work to bring conviction within us, to have an ear to hear the Holy Spirit. And if we are no longer hearing that voice, ask for it. The life of a Christian should be one self reflection, conviction and repentance, daily, maybe moment by moment. because We need to put the sin in our lives to death.

SO HOW DO WE COMBAT It????

We confess it, the more we acknowledge it, the more we confess it, the more we want to surrender it.

We must Allow God’s process of sanctification to be at work in us. where we are being set apart and progressively becoming more like Christ, becoming more holy. If you are the same today as you were yesterday or a year ago or 5 years ago or longer. there is something wrong. We should be growing in our faith and in his word.

And We must Fear God and Resist Sin! If we don’t fear God, it is really difficult to resist sin, we need to learn to, because if we don’t, the tempter is right at the door. This fear of God after all is the beginning of our wisdom. It is the beginning of true change in our lives. It is where our journey of faith begins and resides and too often starts again. So Fear God and resist sin!

In Col 3:8-10 we see that In a body of believers we must do away: with anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Christ is in all and is all.

Colossians 3:12–17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

And We get busy!

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” That is our mission and our vision.

There are a lot of things we can be doing as a body but without this we are outside of a right relationship with God. We are the missionaries!

As a church we are doing this in Harmony with one another, In unity. And as individuals and as a church we need to be pouring our lives into the lives of others and into this body.

This harmony, this unity, requires us to be of one accord, to be in common faith and to have a sound doctrine.

Scripture clearly tells us how to live, what to believe and who we are. WE are the hands and feet of Christ.

Church is not always about the message that gives us a bridge from this Sunday to next. It can be! But what it needs to be every week, every day and every moment is about presenting Christ Crucified and raised from the dead, the atonement for man to be at one with God, and giving this free gift to our neighbors and our community.

God didn't send and Jesus didn't come for the religious, but for the lost. yes we feed the sheep! So they can do the work.

But He is calling his lost sheep, through us, through us as the church right here in Machesney Park!

So We must be gospel focused. We must have a gospel culture. And we as members of the body need to be committed to this.

Christians are a people that are witnesses to the lost. That disciple new believers, leading them from the elementary foundations of faith to the mysteries revealed in Christ, to a continuing renewing of their minds in knowledge. They place their roots deep in His word. Having a cycle of witness, discipleship, and service, and enslavement to the Gospel. Church is a place where sin is confronted and defeated by the Life, Death and resurrection of Christ, by the blood of Christ. Sin must be defeated. It is after all the very thing that separates man from God. And we as a church want to present our Body as the bride of Christ! White and pure. where we lay the foundations of faith and where we build on those foundations with prayer, fasting and his word. Turning from sin is where the journey begins and at times in a church, it is where it restarts. We have to realize that life is too short and eternity is too long to get it wrong. Any thing less than these things,,,,, is Sin.

In Genesis maybe the most breath taking, heartbreaking passage of the bible.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (How often have we hid our sins from an all-knowing God) 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” When God is asking Adam this question, it wasn't because God didn't know where he was. But rather this is how God calls us through conviction of our sin to confession. God asked where are you? Adam in the fear of God, confessed and God brought a sacrifice to cover their sins.

We all have done it. We all have eaten of that tree...and pushed God out!

But, We need to know, God Wants to be at the very center of our lives!!! Jesus wants to be at the very center of His Church.

Can I ask?

Does your sin bother you anymore? Do you fear God? Is your heart for the lost? The fatherless?

With all this being said, sin wreaks havoc in life, but one doesn’t go to hell because of sin. We all sin. One goes to hell because the word of God is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. and it has been rejected. But if That word of faith, turns into the confession of your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. and that is where our hope of eternal life resides.

So, If you are here today, and you haven't received God’s grace or if you have an anxiety over the sins of your life, don’t dismiss these as guilty feelings and don’t put these feelings off on someone else. This may be God through the Holy Spirit, calling you into confession, repentance, and often, to belief. If he has spoken to you today or has been for sometime, Today is the day to make it right with your God.

Confession and repentance is the call of humility. Where we let go of self and give our life to the one that gave His.

If you are trusting in your morality, you will die in your sins separated from God, and that is the nicest way I can say that.

But if you want to believe in something else, FORGIVENESS is granted unto you this day, if only you confess, if only you repent and if only you believe.

The word of God deserves a response, it deserves a response every time it is opened to us. So as Terry, Melanie and the band come, come and pray and get right with God and with man.

Thank You!