Purpose - Faith

1 John 3:8 NASB95

the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Sinner Born

Each of us today is born with a bend toward sinfulness.

We don’t have to decide to sin, we are born with a sinful nature.

This is easily seen by considering people at various ages or from diverse backgrounds and cultures

Genesis 3:22–24 NASB95

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Romans 5:12 NASB95

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

As a result of Adam’s sin, this world and its inhabitants have long suffered and seen terrible pain and destruction.

Satan’s work in infecting the world with sin has impacted every person on earth.

Sinner Raised

Scripture teaches that because we are born with a sinful nature, we are easily controlled by the one who tempts us.

Paul in Ephesians 2:2 calls Satan, “the prince of the power of the air”

We see him seeking to destroy and devastate the lives of people.

Consider Job’s experience or Peter in Luke 22:31

He even sought to tempt Jesus in the wilderness

What Satan began in the garden he continues today

Colossians 1:21 NASB95

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

Colossians 3:5–10 NASB95

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

Our sinfulness is apparent not only in our nature but in our practice.

Satan’s work to keep you in sin is devastatingly effective.

Sinner Saved

1 John 3:8 NASB95

the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

A critical component in salvation is a purposeful repentance away from sin and towards surrender to Christ.

Our hope to be transformed from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ is the grace of God who destroyed the impact of sin.

Romans 6:23 NASB95

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:17–21 NASB95

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Timothy 1:10 NASB95

but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Because of what Jesus did, sin no longer has power of the one who receives Jesus’ gift of salvation

Romans 6:11–14 NASB95

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Lest you think this is something that you can do alone, consider the words of Paul to the Church at Ephesus

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

You want to live your life on purpose for the glory of God, surrender to him today!