EASTER: The Promise of Forgiveness - 3-5-23

EASTER: The Promise of Forgiveness - 3-5-23

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Easter: The Promise of Forgiveness

There is not story of Easter without the story of sin

 

What is sin? Here are some suggestions:

 

"Sin is like a kidney stone. No one likes a kidney stone, nor should anyone like sin."

"Sin is like a rotten egg we try to cover up with spices."

"Sin is like a cancer with a 0% survival rate."

"Sin is like weeds in a garden; if not rooted out, they will soon overrun it."

"Sin is like having cataracts. It slowly adds a layer over our eyes, until sooner or later we can’t see too clearly anymore."

"Sin is like a spider web. You get trapped in it."

"Sin is like the bee, with honey in its month but a sting in its tail."

"Sin is like gravity. It is an ever-present force. You can’t see it -- only its effects."

"Sin is like a snake, full of deadly poison. It is like a little spark that can burn up a great forest."

"Sin is like an anesthetic; it has a numbing affect."

"Sin is like a bullet in the body. There can be no strength and healing until the bullet is removed."

"Sin is like the leak in the pipe; it will very likely cause you to fall every time."

 

Where do I begin?

 

“In the beginning . . .”

 

I.  THE HISTORY OF SIN

 

               A.  A human problem

 

                              1.  We were created for better than this.

 

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

               Genesis 1:27 NIV

                            

                    2.  Temptation in the beginning

 

“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.””

               Genesis 2:16-17 NIV

 

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

               Genesis 3:1-13 NIV

 

                            3.  Adam’s guilt

 

 “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.”

               Genesis 3:21-23 NIV

 

               B.  A problem with no solution

 

“For the wages of sin is death,”

               Romans 6:23a NIV

 

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—”

               Romans 5:12 NIV

 

II.  OUR PERSONAL HISTORY OF SIN

 

“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

               Romans 3:22b-23 NIV

 

               A.  My journey

                              1.  I thought only big sins were serious.

                              2.  I thought I was “good enough.”

                              3.  I thought I was OK because of comparisons with other kids.

 

               B.  Our journey

 

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

               James 1:14-15 NIV

 

Before you can win a war you must know your enemy, understand his strategy and then defeat him. When sin’s birth place is over looked, a misdiagnosis will be made and this will cause people to miss God’s solution for overcoming sin.

 

No outside influence can cause you to sin. James teaches that the trouble begins within in your own heart. Everyone has an evil nature and several times daily is tempted to sin.

 

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through a person’s thoughts, words, and actions.

               Heaven and Home Hour Radio Bulletin

 

All are like the little boy who went into the pantry. His mother could hear him get the cookie jar down from the self. She called to him and said, “Willie, what are you doing?” The little boy replied, “I am fighting with temptation!” If the little boy understood his heart and the power of sin, he wouldn’t have allowed himself to be drawn into the pantry. 

 

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” 

               Jeremiah 17:9 NIV

 

Sadly, Christians and non-Christians alike are trying to fight temptation. Rather than recognize where sin’s birthplace begins and trust Christ to empower them to defeat such a powerful adversary, they turn to sources who give them excuses and put minimizing labels on their sins. Pornography, for one, is adultery. Curious looking is a foolish thing to do. However, willful purchasing, watching and feeding on pornography is sin in the heart. 

 

“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 

               Matthew 5:28 NIV

 

Alcoholism is drunkenness and is obviously an act of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5: 19) Bad behavior is sin. (Romans 3: 23)

 

When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. “Conceived” in the Greek actually means “to become pregnant.” Conception is the joining or the union of two. When the sinful nature joins with the lures of the world or the devil, sin then rules. Temptation itself is not sin. It is when the thought in the heart is carried out in a plan of action. Martin Luther expressed it this way, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep birds from nesting in your hair. So sin is the consummation of the act inwardly and outwardly.” Rest assured that desire, unchecked by the Holy Spirit, will bring forth something tragic. When the desire in the heart is joined with the outward temptation, there is a birth - a birth of sin.

 

The sinful nature, the enemy within, must have outward intervention if you are going to win the war of the flesh. The war that wages against your soul, can only be won as you first agree with God on what sin is and where it begins--in the heart of mankind. Only by having Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can you be able to beat those daily battles with temptation.

 

Regarding sin, one observed:

 

Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.

Man calls it a blunder; God calls it a blindness.

Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.

Man calls it chance; God calls it a choice.

Man calls it an error; God calls it enmity.

Man calls it fascination; God calls it fatality.

Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it iniquity.

Man calls it luxury; God calls it leprosy.

Man calls it liberty; God calls it lawlessness.

Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.

Man calls it a mistake; God calls it madness.

Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness.

 

III.  THE HISTORY OF FORGIVENESS

 

A pastor finished his message early one Sunday, (and that pastor was not me) and he wanted to check his congregation’s understanding. So he asked, "Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?"

 

There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, "You have to sin."

 

               A.  Back in the beginning

 

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

               Genesis 3:21 NIV

 

              B.  Future hope

 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

               Romans 6:23 NIV

 

Easter: The Promise of Forgiveness

 

CONCLUSION

 

The promise of forgiveness in Easter can only be understood in light of the history of sin, our personal history of sin, and the history of forgiveness.

 

Many a fallen Christian, sinner and obedient child of God has experienced God’s forgiveness and empowerment to overcome the bondage of sin. The words of Jesus ring loud and clear, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8: 11)

 

Kay Arthur, a Christian author, put it this way,

 

“If you tolerate sin in your life, that sin will not only take you farther than you wanted to go, it will keep you longer than you wanted to stay and it will cost you more than you thought you’d pay.”

 

Today, you can become victorious over sin, accept Christ!  Repent of your sins!  Live a new life!

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.