Yes, You Can Defeat Sin
Summary of the Message
Despite the common experience of Christians struggling with sin, we are assured by God's word that we can practically defeat sin. That doesn't mean that we will be sinless, but by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, sin can be weakened and utterly put to death in the life of the Christian.
Despite the common experience of Christians struggling with sin, we are assured by God's word that we can practically defeat sin. That doesn't mean that we will be sinless, but by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, sin can be weakened and utterly put to death in the life of the Christian.
Key Sermon Points
1. My being raised with Christ does not eradicate my earthly nature
Both our personal experience as well as the witness of scripture remind us Christians struggle with sin in their lives. But we must be reminded that even with the reality of sin, God still has a vision for the holiness of every Christian; we are saved not only from God's wrath, but also unto holiness and sanctification.
2. Sin is unacceptable in your life, so you must kill it
Sin does not go away on its own and grace does not remove it without our active participation. We are responsible to take decisive action to kill and remove sin from our lives. However, we should not think this is old-fashioned willpower. Sin is slain in the Christian's life as we yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, following his ways in every aspect of our lives. As we yield to him, we are changed by him. Our aim at Living Faith is to create an environment that encourages people to make changes in their habits, such as social media, that enables the Spirit's influence to increase in our lives.
3. God has placed you in a new culture of holiness and unity
The changes we make are more than external behaviors, but reflect that we are living in a new realm: the realm of the kingdom. Our behavior reflects a new kind of dress for the kingdom, which leads to our being renewed to look more like our Savior.
1. My being raised with Christ does not eradicate my earthly nature
Both our personal experience as well as the witness of scripture remind us Christians struggle with sin in their lives. But we must be reminded that even with the reality of sin, God still has a vision for the holiness of every Christian; we are saved not only from God's wrath, but also unto holiness and sanctification.
2. Sin is unacceptable in your life, so you must kill it
Sin does not go away on its own and grace does not remove it without our active participation. We are responsible to take decisive action to kill and remove sin from our lives. However, we should not think this is old-fashioned willpower. Sin is slain in the Christian's life as we yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, following his ways in every aspect of our lives. As we yield to him, we are changed by him. Our aim at Living Faith is to create an environment that encourages people to make changes in their habits, such as social media, that enables the Spirit's influence to increase in our lives.
3. God has placed you in a new culture of holiness and unity
The changes we make are more than external behaviors, but reflect that we are living in a new realm: the realm of the kingdom. Our behavior reflects a new kind of dress for the kingdom, which leads to our being renewed to look more like our Savior.
Discussion Questions
- How bothered are you about persistent or recurring sin in your life? Do you see this as something unfortunate but covered under grace, or something you feel you urgently need to change?
- The Bible tells us that "if we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh," yet we typically find ourselves "walking in the culture." How should we respond to cultural spaces, like social media, that have lots of unspiritual influences and values, even as they also provide some redemptive and relationship benefits?
- Describe an environment that fosters our growth in holiness and builds immunity to sin. How can we encourage one another to spend more time in environments like that?
Posted in Grow & Discern
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