A0401_Learning to Hate Sin
Date: 21st September 2008 (Sunday PM) Ref: A0401
Place: Kambah P.S.
Title: Learning To Hate Sin
Text: & 1 John 1:8
Illust: Thinking about sin. – The essence of salvation. – What it means to be saved. – Saved from the just penalty for our sins. – Sin is an important topic. As Christians we all struggle with sin. – As I thought about this I wondered whether we really hate sin enough. – Do I hate sin? Not just want to avoid it but actively hate it. – How much do you hate sin? – How do we learn to hate sin.
I. Labour to Know God
A. The Ungodly
i. Ask yourself this question do the wicked, the ungodly understand the evil of sin? The answer would have to be no. – Look at all the sin in the world that is not even viewed as sin. Homosexuality is a ‘lifestyle choice’, pornography is ‘art’ / ‘freedom of speech’, abortion is ‘woman’s right to choose’, fornication is ‘sowing oats’, Getting drunk & violent is ‘having a wild night’, covetousness is ‘keeping up with the Jones’’ – Bible calls it sin.
ii. How many things do you struggle with that you know is sin, yet the world says it’s ok, not that big a deal.
iii. Truth is that because the ungodly are without God, they do not know God, do not understand God, they do not therefore know or understand the grievous wicked nature of sin.
Psalm 10:4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. (NKJV)
Think about it, the atheist, who thinks there is no God can’t believe that he could sin against him.
Psalm 10:13 Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “You will not require an account.” (NKJV)
B. To Know Him
i. It follows therefore that we have some knowledge of sin, because we have some knowledge of God. And that we could draw the conclusion that the more we know God, the more we understand God, the more we will understand the true nature of sin and how God sees it.
ii. If we fear God we will fear sinning; Nothing in world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of sin, as the knowledge of the greatness, wisdom goodness, holiness, authority, justice, truth, and love of God.
iii. The more that we have a sense of his presence, therefore, the more will we understand and have a sense of sin's malignity. – To hate sin you need to labour to know God more , and to be affected with his attributes, and always to live as in his sight. – Labour to know God
1 John 3:6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. (NKJV)
II. Consider Christ
A. The Price of Sin
i. Secondly when you begin to more fully understand the complete malignity of sin, and fully grasp the penalty for your sin then you will more fully appreciate the price paid for your sin.
ii. We go on outreach, you try & tell people about what Jesus did for them, has no impact, they don’t understand their sin, so they don’t understand their need for salvation, so they don’t understand the sacrifice made by their saviour
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (NKJV)
iii. Foolishness to them, they don’t comprehend Christ, His death on the cross, has no impact on them. Why people can sit in services week after week, never answer an altar call. – don’t comprehend their sin.
B. Behold the Lamb of God
i. Not to you & I however; to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – We kneel in awe & amazement at what Jesus did for us on that Cross. How He Himself bore our sin in His own body when he hung on that Cross. How he was separated from the Father.
ii. To hate sin consider the office, the blood and the holy life of Christ.
His office is to expiate sin, and to destroy it. – this is why He came
His blood was shed for it: - Holy blood / divine blood poured out on that dusty ground for your sin
His life condemned it. – Everything He did, every word spoken exposed the sinful nature, actions of others and modelled an exemplary life completely free from all sin.
John 1:29 “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (NKJV)
iii. Love Christ, and you will hate that which caused his death. Love him, and you will love to be made like him, and hate that which is so contrary to Christ. – Consider Christ
III. Dwell in the Holy Spirit
A. Unknown By The World
i. Thirdly tonight, what of the 3rd part of the Trinity, the blessed Paraclete, the comforter.
John 14:16-18 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (KJV)
ii. Let’s firstly look at an important point that Jesus emphasises in verse 17. – “The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” – The Holy Spirit does not dwell in the unbeliever, yes He has a ministry to convict them of their sin but He is not dwelling in them. – They don’t understand
B. Dwells In Us
i. You & I are different, we understood the depth of our sin and our desperate need for salvation from the price of our sin. We are saved. Therefore the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (NKJV)
ii. What sort of Temple are you, is there rubbish lying about? Think about the amazing grace that is God Himself coming down to live in your heart. Should you keep your darkness & defilement? Do you wish to grieve the Holy Spirit?
Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (NKJV)
iii. Need to spend some time dwelling on just what sort of habitation you are building for the Holy Spirit.
Imagine if the Prime Minister was going to come to dinner at your house what would you do? Clean the house from top to bottom.
Think if you will that there is one who is far more majestic and powerful who lives with you– The more you dwell on the wonderful mercy that God would dwell in you, the more you want to clean house. – Dwell in the Holy Spirit