JESUS HELPED ME TO DEAL WITH IT

Romans 10:8–13 (NRSV)

But what does it say?

“The word is near you,

on your lips and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

TITLE “JESUS HELPED ME TO DEAL WITH IT”

INTRODUCTION | Facing reality and being a Christian have taught me to balance my faith. In March 1996 on a cool day, I was at school, headed to a District Competition for Humorous Dramatic Interpretation in Storytelling.

Dressed down in a blue suit, glistening in black shoes, I was sharp. Upon getting a call to the office, I was startled. I told that I needed to go to the hospital because a family member was sick. I was transported by Park View administration. Upon my arrival, I was lead down the hallway of hospital, counting the squares on the floor, and it was breathtaking quiet. Upon being led to a wooden door with numbers on it, that swung on silver hinges, the nurse who escorted me knocked touched the door.

When it was opened, the fulness of my heart dropped to the floor. The sounds of mourning raced to my ears and then, I saw tears streaming down my grandmother’s face. Shock took hold me and ethereal essence of my ears attuned to my grandmother’s voice to tell me that my grandfather has died. It was unexpected. Not anticipated. I just saw him that morning.

I had sunk in weeping, knees stripped of strength, and I found myself lamenting the loss of my hero. I stood their pondering, has God dealt my family and I bad hand? Has death paid tribute to break-up our family? How did this happen to a man who prayed, served on the Deacon Board, visited the sick, and whose life was my light into manhood?

What I had to learn is that Christianity did not free me from life’s pain. Christianity did not promise me a trouble-free life.

I had to find out that Christian faith provides perspective, perseverance, and purpose through tough times, but it will not always protect anyone from the hard realities of life. For the first time, I told God how I really feel, and it was not a pleasant conversation. Yet, I was real. I was open. I was honest. God honored my heart.

In my quest to find out why God did not jump in to save me from this pain, I learned that a healthy faith acknowledges the supernatural power of God and does not need a miraculous intervention to prove that God is real.

In Daniel 3:17, 3 Hebrew Boys were being thrown in the fiery furnace. The king stated that I will throw you in the fiery furnace if you don’t worship me, then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands.

They stated that “ King, the God whom we serve is ABLE to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But even if He does not, we will not serve you.”

A strong Christian does not look for God to magically change circumstances but a strong Christian look for God in the midst of trials.

It is why David said, “ye though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear not evil for God is with me.”

His presence brings stability to my misery. His presence smooths the paths of my fears. I learned through my experience that His presence shall never be taken from me. For the Bible says, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

I found that a true Christian trusts God even when I don’t understand the circumstances. I don’t know why your mother got cancer. I don’t know why my cousin was murdered. I don’t know why your marriage ended in divorce. I don’t know why the children died in the car accident.

Yet, what I do know is that God works it all out for His good. My grandfather dying brought me closer to the Lord. My grandfather dying made me more determined to be a great father and husband. My grandfather dying made me stronger because if the same God blessed him, surely, He will bless me. I realized that my grandfather was living a saved life.

QUESTION | HOW DOES SALVATION HELP ME DEAL WITH WHAT I CANNOT CONTROL?

In this particular pericope, as Paul puts pen to paper, quill to parchment, he declares unto us that our access to salvation is through belief. Yet, when one asks, to be saved from what, here in-lies the substratum of our witness and testimony. Saved means delivered or preserved. It is when God pulls the sinner out from the wilderness of being lost to shining mountaintop of being saved. SAVE FROM WHAT YOU STILL ASK. SAVED FROM SIN.

What is Sin, and How Did Sin Enter Into The World

Two Types of Sin

Sin transliteration means “HA-TA,” and Greek, it means “Hamartema” where the meaning means to miss the mark, fail in duty. It is where we get the study of sin call, Harmartiology.

Where did Sin Start. If you stated, In the Garden of Eden, you are could be very much incorrect. Sin had its beginning with Satan. Listen to Isaiah 14:12-15 | “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit.

TWO TYPES OF MAIN SINS | ORIGINAL AND ACTUAL.

Original Sin - It is whereby our whole nature is corrupted, and rendered contrary to the nature and law of God; or, according to the ninth article of the church of England, “It is that whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is, of his own nature, inclined to evil.” This is sometimes called, “indwelling sin.”

It is so designated because: (1) “it is derived from the original root of the human race (Adam). In Genesis 2:17, God told Adam, listen. You may eat of any fruit in the garden, but the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat, For in the day, that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” In Chapter 3, the Devil had a conversation with Eve without the presence of Adam and told her that her nature in which God created them was inadequate and when EAT OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGED, you disobey God, you will be like gods.

The Bible says, Gen 3, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (Lust of the Flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (Lust of the Eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (Pride of Life), she made a decision in her heart that transpired into action, took of the fruit thereof and ate, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he ate. AND SIN ENTERED THE WORLD.

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves things to gird about.

Adam, God told you, commanded you not to eat. But you, HA-TA, Hamartema, you miss the mark and failed in duty.

Adam, you sinned. Therefore, everyone born from you, the entire human race will bear this sin because of you.

Women will have birth pangs and go through monthly trials in their bodies.

Men will have to work diligently to provide for the family. I had given you everything, but your decision distorted our relationship.

Now, Sin is present in the life of every individual from the time of their birth, and

(3) it is the inward root of all the actual sins that defile the life of man.”35 Simply stated it refers to “the corruption of our whole nature.”36

TWO TYPES OF MAIN SINS | ORIGINAL AND ACTUAL. ACTUAL HAS ITS BEGINNINGS, ITS START, ITS ROOT IN THE ORIGINAL SIN.

Actual Sin - A sin that results from a free decision of the will to perform an ungodly act.

It means that one is capable of committing moral evil. Severely mentally ill or children, who have not the right use of their powers, are not subject to committing moral evil. There is much debate on the age in which I will not address now.

You have heard of the 7 deadly Sins that can lead to a Man’s Ruin: Lust (intense desire for money, food, , gluttony (over consumption of food-selfishness), greed (never ending want of material things), sloth (failing to do the things you should do, rejecting to use your God given gift), wrath (uncontrollable feelings of hatred and anger-bitterness), envy and pride (arrogant, superior to others).

Sins of omission consist in leaving those things undone which ought to be done. Justice for widow, orphan, or the innocent, following the judges orders in paying child support, failing to honor your mother and father.

Sins of commission are those which are committed against affirmative precepts, or doing what should not be done. Killing one’s neighbor, chasing them down to kill them, Trafficking Children and Girls, Cheating on Taxes, Fornication, and Lying.

Sins of infirmity are those which arise from ignorance, surprise, | coldness in devotion, wandering thoughts, laziness (Matt 26:40-45)

Secret sins are those committed in secret, or those of which, through blindness or prejudice, we do not see the evil, Psalm 19:7–12.

Secret sins are the most important because, like germs of disease, the germs of sin breed in darkness.

Psalm 90:8 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

JEALOUSY, HOLDING A GRUDGE, PRIDE, BITTERNESS, JUDGEMENT, UNFORGIVENESS, PORNGRAPHY, AFFAIRS, HYPOCRISY,

Like Atheism, thinking God is not there or cannot see it. We cannot Hide from God

Presumptuous sins are those which are done boldly against light and conviction.

Psalm 19:13 "Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression."

If I do this, then God would be pleased. If it is not aligned to the Moral Law of God, then is is presumption.

Assuming an action is true or permissible without biblical warrant.

Presumptuous sins are premeditated - Pre-Meditated Murder. Direct contradiction to what you know to be true.

David committed presumptuous sin when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and, when she became pregnant, had her husband killed to cover up his sin (2 Samuel 11).

God chose not to protect David from these despicable presumptuous sins—we are not His puppets, and sometimes He lets us see and experience the sin living within us in all its ugliness.

Uzzah assumed God wouldn't mind if he kept the ark from falling (2 Sam. 6:6-7);

The unpardonable sin is, according to some, the ascribing to the devil the miracles which Christ wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Blasphemy = [BLASPHEMEO] To hurt the reputation or smite with reports or words, speak evil of, slander, rail

Blasphemy “defiant irrelevance.” The term can be applied to such sins as cursing God or willfully degrading things relating to God.

Blasphemy is also attributing some evil to God or denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him.

This particular case of blasphemy, however, is called “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 12:31. The Pharisees, having witnessed irrefutable proof that Jesus was working miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, claimed instead that the Lord was possessed by a demon (Matthew 12:24).

Notice in Mark 3:30 Jesus is very specific about what the Pharisees did to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: “He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has to do with accusing Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed instead of Spirit-filled. This particular type of blasphemy cannot be duplicated today. The Pharisees were in a unique moment in history: they had the Law and the Prophets, they had the Holy Spirit stirring their hearts, they had the Son of God Himself standing right in front of them, and they saw with their own eyes the miracles He did.

Their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was their final rejection of God’s grace. They had set their course, and God was going to let them sail into perdition unhindered.

What the UNPARDONABLE SIN TODAY | UNBELIEF. The Spirit currently convicts the unsaved world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8

John 16:8 NRSV

And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

To resist that conviction and willfully remain unrepentant is to “blaspheme” the Spirit.

SIN - Causes Mourning (Death), Crying/Pain.

Concept | Failing to live up to an expected standard of conduct for God. Falling short of the holiness of God.

Sin is primarily external actions performed by human beings such as adultery, murder, or fornication. Yet, sin was expanded to include the inner actions, the thought, the will, their desires.

Who have sinned, the question is raised? Romans 3:23 states the all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

But the Bible says,

For wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

But God proves, demonstrated, KJV says, Commended, His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him.

Whosoever Shall Call On the Name of the Lord Shall Be Saved.

But if Thou Confess with 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation

YOUR BELIEF GETS YOU TO YOUR SALVATION, FREE FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN.

Why be Saved.

Because we are totally lost in Sin. We cannot save ourselves. It is like being dumped into an ocean by yourself. But Jesus comes and throws a rope, telling you pull so that you can be saved. If you believe, grab the rope and follow Him. Simple, but you get the point.

Because we are under God’s Wrath. Sin demands justices.

Because we are facing hell as the judgement

Because our hearts are harden by evil and we are spiritually dead.

What is the Necessity.

When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” He spoke of necessity (John 3:7). Being saved—receiving the new birth—is not just a nice idea or a divine suggestion. It is the deepest need of the human soul: “You must be born again.”

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are New Creation, old things have past away, behold all things become New.

YOU WERE NO CREATED TO BE SINFUL BUT TO LIVE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.

To be in right relationship with God in order to have eternal life. For God so Loved the World, that He Gave His Only Begotton Son that Whosoever Believeth in Him Shall Not Perish, but Hath Eternal Life. So WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO BE SAVED.

I. Saved from the penalty of sin.

A. The penalty of sin is physical death; Rom. 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

B. The penalty of sin is spiritual death; Ephesians 4:18 “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.” Separation from God is Sin. Death is Separation.

C. Christ died to save us from the penalty of sin;

Rom. 5:6, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” 8; 2 Cor. 5:21;

Heb. 2:9 “but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 3:18.

D. Salvation from the penalty of sin means peace with God and therefore wonderful peace of heart; Rom 5:1 “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

II. Saved from the power of sin.

A. The chains of sin so powerfully bind the lost man and woman that they are a slave to sin’s power;

John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

C. The fallen human race needs a guide who can be trusted to safely lead it through the unknown path of life and give it enough light to safely take each step he makes;

John 14:5-6 “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

D. The Lord Jesus personally gives believers sufficient light so that pitfalls may be avoided;

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” TEACH YOU HOW TO WALK, TALK, ACT. Fruit of the Spirit.

E. The person who trusts himself to chart his life’s course is bound for inevitable disaster;

Prov. 16:25 “Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end it is the way to death.”

B. The Lord Jesus cancels the condemnation, breaks sin’s fetters, delivers the sinner from the dungeon, and sets him at liberty;

EGYPTIAN BONDAGE,Daniel Lions’s Den | Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego | IMAGE OF DELIVERY

John 8:36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

III. Saved from the presence of sin.

A. The Lord Jesus has promised that those He saves will spend eternity with Him;

John 14:1–3 ““Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

B. The body of the Christian will be resurrected from the dead;

1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-53 “Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

C. The Christian’s glorified body will be forever rid of the sin nature;

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.”

D. The Christian will be rid of the influence and presence of sin, for in that eternal dwelling place sin will be unable to enter;

Rev. 21:27 “But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Are you saved? Have you turned from sin and with an open heart asked the Lord Jesus to forgive your sin and save your soul? If you are saved, then a great inheritance is yours for all eternity.