Notes on the topic:
"How Bad Is Sin?"
By Rusty Smith
How Bad Is Sin Notes
Common Excuses
Nobody is perfect—so why try?
God made me the way I am—I’m just doing what comes naturally.
Everyone else is doing it!!
My family has a lot of problems—I was raised in a bad environment.
John 3:16 says that God loved me so much that His Son took care of sin—there’s nothing I need to do.
What is Sin?
Sin- (1) the voluntary departure of a
moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any
voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a
wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law
is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command,
or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command.
(2) Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law.
Bible Texts Defining Sin
1Jn 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
Jas 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
Rom 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Sin Separates Man From God
Isa 59:1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities
have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so
that he will not hear.
Sin Cannot Be Hidden From God
Jer 16:17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.
Pro 15:3 The eyes of the LORD
are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
“Everyone” Has Sinned
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Isa 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are
like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins
sweep us away.
We Violate God’s Law By Committing Even “One” Sin
Jas 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Jas 2:11
For he who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not
murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a
lawbreaker.
We “Earn” Wages When We Sin
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,
Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Gal 6:8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
The Dilemma of Separation from God and Solution
Man cannot remove the stigma of sin from his life no matter how sorry he is or how much he tries to do to remove it.
Something has to give its life-blood to atone for the sin
Exo 30:10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its (the altar’s) horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD."
Animal blood is NOT the solution
Heb 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
Heb 10:2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
Heb 10:3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.
Heb 10:4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
God had a solution before the creation of the world.
1Pe 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,
1Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1Pe 1:20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
The TYPE of death shows the enormity of the price for sin.
John 19:1 Jesus flogged
John 19:2-3 Crown of thorns-mocked-slapped (also spit upon Matt 27:30)
Matt 27:26-47 provides more details of the horrific death of Jesus for us.
John 19:34 Side pierced after death
For Our Consideration
Sin should not be lightly considered—it separates us from God and there is NOTHING we can do to get rid of it.
The FINAL solution to sin was the DEATH OF THE SON OF GOD!!
The agonizing death and separation from the Father should cause us sorrow and pain for our sins yet joy and thankfulness that GOD solved the problem!!
The devil wants you to sin and disregard the sacrifice of Jesus.
God wants you stop sinning and give complete attention to the price for our salvation.
To continue to live in sin is a CHOICE with eternal consequences.