Grace World Outreach Church
The Three Lies Of Sin
The 3 Big Lies Of Sin
Roots: Reconstructing Faith
Text: 1 John 3:4–10 (ESV)
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Sin is a sore that if not healed swiftly will spread to a sickness that will suffocate your soul.
Lie #1: It’s not that big of a deal!
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (vs 4).
One little mistake can make a massive difference!
Lawlessness – living apart from the law or a loosening of the law
Postmodern View Of Sin – sin as an absolute concept is rejected as morality is individual
- Truth and Morality is Relative
- Inclusivity and Tolerance is virtuous
OT – Ha’ta – to fail to meet the standard (dealt with external actions)
NT – Hamartia – to miss the mark (includes the attitudes and motivation of the heart)
Sin is anything Jesus would not do
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV).
“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10, ESV).
Three Dangers Of Sin
1) Sin will DESTROY you
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23 KJV).
2) Sin will ENSLAVE you
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34 NIV).
“A Debt” – Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4.
3) Sin will SEPARATE
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2 NASB).
NO MATTER HOW LITTLE, SIN IS ALWAYS A BIG DEAL
Lie #2: But I was born this way!
“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (vs 7-8)
What we believe – Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God.
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31, ESV).
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:16–18, ESV).
God made me perfect, sin perverted that perfection
Four Things Cursed because of Sin
1. The serpent and his offspring
“14 cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; (Gen 3:14-15, ESV).
2.The woman and her offspring
“To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16, ESV)
3. The Ground and its produce
“cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” (Gen 3:17, ESV).
- The Man and all under his authority
“18 and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17–19, ESV).
All the hostility, injustice, pain, suffering, sickness and disease you see on the earth today is not what God created, it is the destruction that sin brought when man chose to defy God
Our current state is the result of CHOICE
Reminder… “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
I WAS BORN IN SIN, BUT I AM REBORN INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS!
LIE #3: I’M A GOOD PERSON!
“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (vs 9).
Good compared to what?
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:21-24).
Who will rescue me from this dead man?
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1).
Symbols of Sin in Scripture
“Missing the mark” – Psalm 106:6; Proverbs 19:2.
“Rebellion” – Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 5:23.
“Slavery” – Romans 6:17-18; Galatians 5:1.
“A Stain” – Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 2:22.
“Sickness” – Isaiah 53:5; Mark 2:17.
“Bad Fruit” – Matthew 7:17-19; Luke 6:43-45.
“Darkness” – John 3:19-20; Ephesians 5:8.
“Leprosy” – Leviticus 13; Luke 17:12-19.
“Adultery” – Hosea 2:2-13; James 4:4.
“Filthiness” – Ezekiel 36:25; James 1:21.
“Lawlessness” – 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 John 3:4.
“Pride” – Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6.
“Death” – Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-5.
“Cancer” – 2 Timothy 2:17-18; 2 Peter 2:1-3.
“A Trespass” – Matthew 6:14-15; Colossians 2:13-14.
“Poison” – Psalm 140:3; Romans 3:13.
“Foolishness” – Proverbs 14:9; Ephesians 5:15-16.
“Serpent” – Genesis 3; Revelation 12:9.
“Chaff” – Psalm 1:4; Matthew 3:12.
“Unrighteousness” – Romans 1:18; 1 John 5:17.
“Idolatry” – Exodus 20:3-6; Colossians 3:5.
“A Weight” – Hebrews 12:1; 1 Peter 2:1-2.
“Uncircumcision” – Jeremiah 9:25-26; Colossians 2:11.
“The Flesh” – Romans 7:18; Galatians 5:16-17.
“Carnality” – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 1 John 2:15-16.
“The Old Man” – Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22-24.
“Blindness” – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Revelation 3:17-18.
“Transgression” – Psalm 51:1-3; Romans 5:12.
“Lust” – James 1:14-15; 1 John 2:16.
“Pus” – Isaiah 1:6.
“Broken vessel” – Jeremiah 48:38.
“A garment” – Isaiah 64:6; Revelation 7:14.
“A canker” – 2 Timothy 2:17.
“stumbling block” – Matthew 16:23; Romans 9:32-33.
“A weed” – Matthew 13:24-30.
“A thief” – John 10:10.
“A shadow” – Psalm 23:4; Colossians 2:17.
“A fire” – James 3:5-6; Jude 1:7.
“A wolf” – Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29.
“A wound” – Proverbs 27:6; Isaiah 1:5-6.
“A worm” – Job 25:6; Mark 9:48.
“serpent’s venom” – Psalm 140:3; Romans 3:13.
“A leech” – Proverbs 30:15.
“A trap” – Proverbs 5:22; 2 Timothy 2:26.
“A cloud without rain” – Proverbs 25:14; Jude 1:12.
“A mirage” – Isaiah 35:5-6; 57:13.
“A miry pit” – Psalm 40:2; Jeremiah 2:6.
“the root of bitterness” – Hebrews 12:15.
“A Debt” – Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4.