Prep: Why Does Sin Remain in the Believer?

Bottom Line: You are made new, and being made new.

How do I have a KINDER relationship with myself? Know who you are.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

They are thinking and acting according to their nature—what does the practical step look like to move towards growth, new nature? (Romans 12:2)

Paul doing what he does not want to do—this is why we keep gping back

Romans 12:2 NLT

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Mind Renewal

John 15:4 NLT

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

1 John 5:11–15 NLT

And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

When we ASK according to HIS WILL, he hears us and answers us. Since my faith has grown, I have found that God answers more of my prayers. Why? Probably due to the fact that my mind is closer to Christ’s than before.

I am assured, though I fall short, I am saved because I believe in Jesus Christ.

— add this to “Abiding Life”

Romans 7:18–8:2 NLT

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Romans 8:5–8 NLT

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Freedom COEXISTS with struggle. Will you follow the Spirit?

1 John 1:8–10 NLT

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Thoughts/Ideas:

Nature v. Grace (The Spirit)

The natural man is carnal, led by bodily appetites.

The Spiritual man is guided by the Holy Spirit and it’s desires—a new nature.

Saved People HAVE the spirit, they are saved, BUT their carnal tendencies remain—a proneness to depart from God, and cleave to things of the earth.

They feel The Spirit “witnessing to their spirit”

Christ is PRESENT in the heart of the believer,

Effects of Wrong Theology

“I sinned today, does that mean I have no faith and that I am really not saved”

This is a devastating thought and destructive. By what truth will he fight temptations? He will fall away from faith.

The corinthians had weak faith—stopping them from moving forward. They were stunted.

Guilt and Power of Sin

Believers are delivered form the guilt and power of sin, but sin itself still remains.

We are RECONCILED to God, and the dominion of sin is under our feet, but sin still exists.

No longer slaves to Sin

We are no longer slaves to sin, the chains are off, we have a choice to allow the spirit to lead us into freedom and truth.

Application

Fight with everything the good fight of faith.

Illustrations: