REPENT! - WHAT IS SIN?
When many people hear that they are to repent of their sins they don’t understand what they’re supposed to do. What’s worse, they don’t know what sin is so how are they supposed to repent of what they don’t know? That’s what I’d like to talk with you about today.
What is sin?
Sin is to do the opposite of, or transgress against what God says. (Transgress= To go beyond the limits set by; to break, as a law.)
If we’re doing the things that God tells us not to do, or if we’re not doing the things God does tell us to do, we’re walking in sin and disobedience and are opening ourselves up to a world of trouble.
1 John 5:17
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
(Unrighteousness= wicked, sinful) (Righteous: Free from wrong or sin, virtuous.)
James 4:17
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
So how do we know what God wants us to do or not do?
We are called to walk by the Spirit of God.
We need to know the Lord for ourselves so the we are not decieved because there are deceiving spirits that try to make you think you are hearing from God about what you should do but they are not from the Lord at all.
We are to test the spirits to see if they are of God or not.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
It is SO IMPORTANT that you take the time to read and know the Word of God for yourself so that you are not deceived. Many preachers, teachers, and people have been listening to and believing false doctrines of man and wisdom of the world instead of the wisdom of God and they tell it to others as if it were the word of the Lord. They are teaching lies that lead people down paths of destruction instead of on the path of life.
If the Bible doesn’t actually say it then you’re believing a lie. You may be surprised at how many things you believe that aren’t actually scriptural at all.
You always hear people saying, “We’re not under the law anymore”, which is true for those who are in Christ and led by the Spirit of God. However, they often say this in order to excuse themselves in living an ungodly lifestyle.
Galations 5:16-18 says:
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
IF you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. BUT if you are walking in the flesh (in the sinful nature) you are under the law and the curse of the law still stands because you are not in Christ if you continue in unrepentant sin.
In Galations chapter 5 we’re given a of lists of actions. The list shows us how to tell if we or others are walking in the flesh (the sinful nature).
Actions of someone walking in the lust of the flesh (in the sinful nature):
Galations 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Jesus explains the sins of fornication and adultry even further in Matthew 5:28-43
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
If you are into pornography, you are commiting fornication just by looking at it and are walking in sin and the lust of the flesh. You don’t need to literally pluck your eyes out, but you need to get rid of the source. Throw away the temptation. Get rid of that phone, computer, or television. Get rid of those magazines. It’s better to throw it away than to be eternally separated from God and tormented in Hell for all eternity with no hope of escape.
Jesus goes on to say:
31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
That goes for men or woman. We need to start taking these things seriously and
if we are doing any of these things we are walking in the flesh and in sin and need to repent. These are some of the things that God hates. Sin is not pleasing to God nor is it acceptable to Him. We need to stop following culturally acceptable ways that are not of God nor does He approve of them.
Romans 1:25-33 furthers this list of unacceptable behaviors:
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Men lusting for other men and committing what is shameful and women for other women is not acceptable to God and we should not condone or support it or we’ll be sharing in their sins. In verse 26 this is called “vile passions”.
Vile - adjective
Morally depraved; ignoble or wicked.
Disgusting; repulsive.
Unpleasant or objectionable: synonym: offensive.
He did not give them over to these things because He made the sin acceptable. No, it says in verse 27: and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And what is that penalty that they receive for the error? The first part of Verse 32 says:
who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death.
There is sin leading to death and there is sin not leading to death. These things are in the list that leads to death.
Folks, it’s time to repent.
To repent not only means to be sorry for your sins and ask the Lord for forgiveness, but to turn away from doing those sinful things. We need God’s help and delivering power. Thankful, Jesus already came and paid the price to wash our sins away by the blood He shed for us on the cross. Now we can come to the Father in Jesus’ name, receive forgiveness, mercy and be made clean and right with God.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.