JESUS AND THE SIN QUESTION ANSWERED

JESUS AND THE SIN QUESTION ANSWERED

(Please read to the end)

Matthew 1:21 (KJV)
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

I shared a number of Scriptures yesterday to show how that JESUS' main assignment was to deal with the SIN QUESTION. I had also said emphatically that if JESUS had done every other thing and left the sin question unanswered, He would have failed. God forbid! (He can never fail).

The scripture above goes ahead to show us even the meaning of JESUS. It deals directly with the SIN QUESTION.

Today, we shall therefore establish what JESUS did about sin, and where the BELIEVER stands as far as sin is concerned.

MIXED MULTITUDE

It is important to state that THE SIN QUESTION was answered only in the BELIEVER IN CHRIST JESUS not the Church goer; not the speaker in tongues, not the one who has mastered Christianese, not the title bearer, not the one who professes love for God, not the religious. THE SIN PROBLEM IS SOLVED ONLY IN THE TRUE BELIEVER.

Let us quickly show that we are not all saved who go to Church or bear Christian names or act like Jesus.

JESUS said in Luke 13:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

Similarly in Matthew 7:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Jesus said there will be 'wheats' and 'tares' growing together until the TIME OF HARVEST.

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The early apostles also knew they had a mixed multitude with them.

2 Thessalonians 3 (KJV)
3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

That was the experience of the Church in the Wilderness too.

Exodus 12: (KJV)
37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

This the fact; we have in our churches all the time those who mix with us but are not of us. ALL THE TIME.

They may have influenced us so much that we do not always know this. We unknowingly accommodate them in our teachings. We unconsciously include them in our definition of the believer.

There have been recent accusations concerning some teachers who claim that certain parts of the epistles were written to unbelievers at some points. What you can be sure of is, the apostles were always aware that not everyone in their audience is saved even when they wrote to the churches.

Hear how Paul the apostle branded them.

Phil 3:
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Take note of his definition of DOGS.
Concision. They put confidence in human effort (NLT).

ARE WE AWARE OF DOGS AT ALL ?

WHO THEN IS A TRUE BELIEVER ?

1. A true believer is born of God. He believes the initiative to save him or her was entirely God's.

John 3:
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 1:12-14 (KJV)
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Being born of God is the most accurate definition of the true believer. It takes on the picture of a FATHER and His CHILD. No wonder, we know God as 'Abba Father' (in modern terms, Daddy).

Being born of God immediately puts God on the spot. He gives (ETERNAL) LIFE to the child. He is the INITIATOR, THE SUSTAINER and THE PERFECTER OF that ETERNAL LIFE.

And God is a RESPONSIBLE FATHER. He ensures and assures the SALVATION of His children. (We will come back to this).

But for the sake of elaboration, let us further define the true believer.
TAKE NOTE OF NUMBER 5 BELOW AS IT DEALS WITH OUR TOPIC)

2.. A true believer believes that Jesus is the Christ; the Messiah; the Solution to SIN. That is how he or she became 'born of God'. An unexplainable knowing that Jesus is the ANOINTED ONE.

1 John 5:1
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

3. He or she believes in Jesus Christ as the ONLY WAY out of eternal damnation. That there is no other price for him or her to pay for his or her sins.

John 3:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

4. A true believer believes Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to the Father.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

5. A true believer is the ONE THAT IS SAVED FROM HIS SINS.
If Jesus came primarily to save from sins; whoever believes in Him must definitely be a beneficiary of that experience in all it's ramifications.

Scriptures say Jesus is able to SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST

Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

So, if anyone is saved to the uttermost, who else but the true believer ? (Hope you are free from the unconscious inclusion of the 'mix multitude' in your definition of a believer).

(PLEASE, PRAYERFULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE POINTS AND SCRIPTURES BELOW).

'SAVED FROM HIS SINS' means THE BELIEVER'S REALITY AS FAR AS SIN IS CONCERNED DIFFERS FROM THAT OF THE UNBELIEVER.

The Believer is DEAD TO SIN; the unbeliever is DEAD IN SINS.

BELIEVERS: DEAD TO SINS
Romans 6:2
God forbid. How shall we (believers) , that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 6:11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves (believers) to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord

1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we (believers), being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

.
UNBELIEVERS: DEAD IN SINS
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we (as unbelievers) were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Colossians 2:13
And you (as unbelievers), being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

MORE ON THE BELIEVER'S REALITY AS REGARDS SINS.

In our previous post, we established that the GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS OF THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESSURECTION OF CHRIST,

These three essential components (Death, Burial and Ressurection) of the TRUE GOSPEL is same for the TRUE BELIEVER'S REALITY. See;

Rom 6:
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

What then does Jesus' death mean?

Rom 6:
10 For in that he (Christ) died, he DIED UNTO SIN ONCE
: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

What does Jesus' burial mean? It among other things, emphasizes how really dead we are to sins.

What does Jesus ressurection mean ?

Rom 6:
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but IN THAT HE LIVETH, HE LIVETH UNTO GOD.

'SAVED FROM HIS SINS' to the believer also means;

a. HIS POSITION IN RELATION TO SIN HAS CHANGED.

Ephesians 2:
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS:

b. HIS CAPACITY IN RELATION TO SIN HAS CHANGED.
The seed of sin is crucified. The seed of God is in him. Seeds grow. He loses the ability to sin.

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

c. HIS INCLINATION IN RELATION TO SIN HAS CHANGED

1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Rom 6:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

SO SIN IS NOT IN CONFORMITY WITH HIS NEW NATURE

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Believer's reality is IN CHRIST;  in Christ is NO SIN.
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

GRACE AND SIN
Many Christians have misunderstood Grace for lasciviousness (This was dealt with in a previous post). Many also have misunderstood sincere teachings on Grace to mean same.

GRACE is the BELIEVER'S DISPENSATION.

Rom 6:
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Under the Law, sin had dominion over them in that they were helpless in their flesh.

Under Grace, righteousness have dominion over the believer's life in that he is helped by the Holy Spirit.

WE ARE MORE HELPED IN THE SPIRIT THAN THEY WERE HELPLESS IN THE FLESH.

The dispensation of the Law brought the dominion of sin. It was simply beyond them to be righteous. The Law did not come so that they could keep it. It came to show they COULD NOT keep it.

The dispensation of Grace brought the dominion of righteousness. Righteousness (from or of God) is a stronger force than sin same way light is stronger than darkness. Grace came to prove the futility of sin in the life of a true believer. In a believer's reality, sin becomes helpless! That is what it means by 'sin having NO DOMINION!'.

IN OTHER WORDS, GRACE IS NO EXCUSE TO SIN (FOR THE TRUE BELIEVER NOT THE MIXED MULTITUDE).

GRACE IS THE BELIEVER'S POWER OR DOMINION OVER SIN.

Amen.

#sinquestionanswered
#Jesussolvedthesinprobleminthebeliever
#radicalgrace
#rightlydividingthewordofGod
#hopethisstopstheconfusion

- Adeolu O. V.