Hard Truth

The reality of sin & consequences

Genesis 3:14–19 Then “Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. 15And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

16Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

17 And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. 18It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. 19By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

Consequences & the curse of sin

-For Satan judgement is pronounced.

-For woman, strife between the husband and wife and pain in childbirth.

-A curse over the earth is pronounced.

-And for the Man hard work and an ultimate death.

-But redemption is foretold, 15 “He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Romans 5:12 “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

Isaiah 59: 2, tells us that sin separates us from God—this is the ultimate consequence of rebellion. “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”

Self denial and sacrifice

Matthew 16:24 (NLT)“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”

-Example of modern day Crucifixion-

Galatians 5:24–25 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25,Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

-The spirit leads us away from sin. and ultimately away from the suffering that sin brings.

The certainties of suffering.

-We are so averse to any suffering in America

Philippians 1:29 “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.”

Romans 5:3–4 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”

-But with the suffering comes strength, character, and hope of salvation!

Romans 8:17–18 “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”

-Can you just imagine with me, that we are to share in Christs’ glory!!

-The suffering of other nations 45 million Christians martyred for there faith sense 1900

The existence of eternal judgement

-It’s not a popular subject with people

John 5:28–29 “Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.”

Malachi 4:1 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all.”

-The Bible tells us In that day books will be opened and that mankind will be judged according to what is written in the books.

What now?

-It’s in Christ that all the hard truth of the Bible is reconciled.

-Jesus deals with the hard truth through his shed blood.

-He offers his mercy and grace, undeserved and unearned to everyone who receives him.