The Enticement Of Sin
I want to speak today about something that is very rarely spoken about from the Pulpits of Modern Churches today, and that is the Enticement of Sin. I attended a Church on and off for over a decade called the Vineyard. I also attended a few other Churches in between, mostly Non Denominational and in all those years and in all that time I can not relate to you how many times Sin was actually preached upon. I would say in a stretch maybe 3-5 times if that, seriously, Sin never came up. The atmosphere of these Churches tend to be that Sin is just a given that everyone knows about it. Its like its a given that everyone fully understands the Gospel, at least that MUST be how they think because I can tell you almost never was the Gospel preached in all these years. I would surely hear about all the wonderful things God wanted to give me, all the money, good life, great job, cars, houses ect ect. That God wanted me to be happy. I also clearly remember multiple services about tithing, how I ought to be giving my Church money of a certain percentage. I remember one of the first Churches I went to, how after I fell on hard times in my Faith and hadnt been in awhile, that while no one ever called and invited me back or asked how I was doing, I certainly received a flyer telling me their sermon concerning tithing was approaching and how I need to give to God.
I can speak to how often they would talk of Gods healing, of all these wonderful outreach programs and opportunities, of all the good works the Church was doing, but almost never did anyone get up and tell me about Sin. So today that is what I feel lead to speak on because sadly I feel that most people who may come across this simply by sheer mathematics belong to the same type of Church I used to attend, full of many self help sermons and very little Gospel Preaching.
So lets speak about Sin, according to the Bible what is Sin?
1 John 3:4 defines it as
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Joshua 1:18 tells us that Sin is also
Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him. James 4:17 says
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. So we see according to the Word of God Sin is transgression of the Law and Rebellion to Gods Commandments.It is to know to do Good and not do it. Its seems to make Logical Sense that Gods Law and His Commands would be a Good Thing to follow and it would make just as much Logical Sense to think that not following them would be a Bad Thing, and that we would just inherently know this and thus follow the Law and Gods Commandments. I mean Romans 7:12 tells us
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. This being the case then tell me why dont we follow the Law and Gods Commandments?
We all have to know and understand that the Commandments are Good and to not follow them are Bad right? I mean lets look at some of the 10 Commandments, Dont Kill, clearly that is a Good Thing to follow, dont Commit Adultery, another Good Thing to follow, dont Steal, dont Lie, dont Covet, all things we know that arent beneficial to us as either individuals or as a society. However I would like you to take a moment and contemplate, do you Sin? Are you really a Sinner today? Have you broken any of the above Commandments?
Some will say well Im no murderer, but let me ask you, have you ever been angry at someone without cause? Jesus says in Matt 5:21:
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire
Have you ever hated someone? Ever said just how much you hate so and so? John tells us that Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. So if you have ever been angry at anyone without cause, or hated someone, well hate to tell you, you are a murderer.
Some will say well I havent ever committed Adultery Id never cheat on my wife or husband!!! Yet Jesus tells us
That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. So have you ever looked upon someone with lust? What does this say about the rampant use of Pornography now a days? You ever look at Porn? If so you are committing adultery, you are an adulterer.
Have you stolen? Even a song for free of the internet? Have you lied ever about anything, even a white lie to supposedly make someone feel better? Have you ever coveted? What about that nice corvette or Porsche that made your head turn? When you look just at these few Commandments that we know are Good, we can see that we break them all, we are literally coveting, lying, murdering, adulterous thieves, each and everyone of us. From the President to the peasant we all have broken the Commandments of God and we have all Rebelled against God.
So we know that we all are guilty of Sin, and it seems more now than ever we take a laissez faire attitude about Sin even when we know we are guilty of Sinning. Thats even if we address Sin as Sin, seeing more and more that we refuse to even identify Sin and call it Sin instead trying to call out those who dare call Sin Sin as opposed to calling Sin what it is Sin. Our Society even including the Church has refused to speak address or call out Sin, its a dirty word, its offensive to speak about it, it hurts others feelings when you call what they do or how they live Sinful. But I tell you today that the offense one takes or the hurt feelings or anger one may feel when exposing their Sins as Sins is nothing compared to refusing to speak and tell others about Sin!! According to the Word of God what is the outcome of Sin?
Isaiah 59:2 says
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Jer 5:25
Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. We can see that Sin causes us to become separated from God to a point that He cant even hear our prayers. Our Sin causes good things to be withheld from us. Sin is enslavement, and this enslavement brings about Death! Rom 6:16 says
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Paul tells us further and point blank the outcome of Sin, Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, the return we will have for our SIn is Death. Not only Physical Death but Spiritual Death, the full separation of ourselves from God. We can see our Sin causes us now to be separated, when we have our Sins abiding upon us, it keeps us from being able to even speak to God in prayer, it removes the Good Things of this world from ourselves.
I am sure some would love to place the blame on God for not hearing or not giving us Good Things in the midst of our Sins, or that God is the cause of why we are tempted or why we Sin, people love to lay blame at the foot of God, but James spells this all out for us, telling us in the 1st Chapter of his Book, that God never tempts anyone, that when we are tempted we ourselves are drawn away by our own lusts and when we give into that lust that is what brings Sin. Some want to blame the Devil for their Sin, and while He is the Tempter the ultimate responsibility is ourselves our flesh our lust that brings about our Sin and again James tells us what Sin brings in no uncertain terms.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Sin tempts and entices us, our nature lusts after Sin, it comes subtly portraying itself as something we really want and desire, it lies to us and tells us its a Good thing, or that there will be no consequences if we just give in and do what feels good to our flesh, but James and Paul both tell us unequivocally that Sin brings Death.
I was reading in Proverbs and in Chapter 7 it gives the exact description of Sin, how it works what it does and where it leads us.
Proverbs 7:7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
See Sin preys on those with no understanding, that arent able to comprehend the depths of evil that Sin actually is, that are bound down and enslaved by it, just like the young man who doesnt know the evils and the end of following after the strange woman. It waits for us at every turn at every corner, in the darkness of our minds it builds its house knowing we will pass by soon or later. And when we approach it, it comes swiftly with a kiss and offers us the world. It decks its bed, sprays its perfume, it entices us with all the fineness of the world. It dresses itself up in the most beautiful array, it comes to us dancing sweetly, trying to draw us in. It offers us our deepest desire, it promises love, it tells us whatever our ailments are we can find relief if we just lay down in its bed of fine linen.
It tells us we have nothing to worry about, that no harm will come, that the good man is away, nothing will be found out. It speaks to our heart and flesh, to our carnal mind, with fair speech and flattery, and what can we do against this temptress. Like the man without knowledge, we go after the Sin straightway, we drink it up looking to find all that it has enticed us with, we hope to find love at the bottom of the cup of the Sin we gulf down. We hope to find happiness, contentment, joy, peace, all the things it promised to fill that void we all have inside of us, but what it is we find every single time we give into Sin?
That it is a liar, that all that awaits is despair and anguish, more and deeper loneliness, anger, unhappiness, anxiety, guilt, nothing Good has come of giving into the temptation of Sin. What awaits one who continues in Sin? The way of Sin is to Death and Hell. Sin lies to you tells you that the Good Man is gone, that we dont have to worry about His Return, that His Return is predictable,but there is only one Good Man, that man Jesus and He says about His Return:
Matt 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Rev 1:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
1 Thes 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night
O Sin that lying temptress that tells you there is nothing to worry about, that the good man is gone and not coming back, but I tell you Sinner, that the Good Man comes back like a thief in the night, at the time you least expect it!!! Whether it be the actual day Christ comes back and catches you off guard, catches you lying in bed with Sin like a whoremonger, or if it be the day the Lord calls you to His side in your physical death, for it is written that it is appointed unto men to die once and but after this the judgment. Today may be the day the Lord calls you to judgement, life is but a vapor friend, we never know when we shall die, but its an appointment we all will keep assuredly, and on that appointed day will you be found in the bed of Sin? Jesus may also pass you by today calling out your name, is He speaking to your heart now? Do you feel conviction upon you concerning your Sin, where it leads and where you will end up?
To die in your Sin leads to only one place, and I can tell you that if you die in your Sins you will not be in the same place as Jesus for He says in John 8:21
Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. In Matt 22 Jesus gives a parable of the wedding feast in which all were invited and there we see a man who shows up without the wedding garment, this man was found still in his Sin and we can see exactly what happens to him in verse 13
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. To die in your Sins is to leave the Wrath of God abiding upon you, Paul writes in Roms 1:8
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness and in Ephs 5: 5 and 6
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Sin brings Death, brings the Wrath of God upon us, it leaves us in Hell, in Outer Darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, it enslaves us, binds us, and ruins us. Do you think you are going to get a pass from the Judgement of Sin? If you believe so I am here to tell you that you are wrong, for the Word of God tells us in Rom 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Do you think that you can resist Sin, that you can even please God you who walk after your flesh? If so let me tell you what the Word of God says, for in Rom 8 Paul writes to us and tells us
For to be carnally minded is death; Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Our natural state is to be of our Flesh, it is to be desiring of Sin, and we are at enmity against God, which means we are at war against the Lord Himself. We have no ability to resist Sin, we have no ability to please God, we are carnally minded and therefore we are lost in Sin, bound for Wrath, Destruction and Hell!!! O what a pitiful state we are in because of our Sin!! How can we possibly escape this pit of destruction, how can we possibly stand against Sin, how can we even begin to please God, how can we not be found under His Wrath, for we are all Sinners, we have all fallen short, we are condemned, we are all guilty before the Great and Almighty Lord!!!
Have you heard the Good News Friend? Has anyone declared to you the Good News? I believe most people in the world have never heard the Good News, in fact I believe huge amounts of Church goers have never truly heard the Good News! What is the Good News, well I will tell you the Good News, the Good News is the Gospel my Friend!! Gospel literally means Good News, and I am here to declare the Gospel, the Good News to you, to all who have understood and found themselves to be what I have just laid out!! The Carnally Minded, the young man void of understanding trapped in Sin, the guilty before God who have His Wrath abiding upon them, the one who accepts they have fallen short of the Glory of God, the one who sees they are headed for Destruction and Hell, the one who see they have no hope in themselves before a Perfect and Almighty God, who finds themselves at desperate place desiring to know how to keep from Hell, to keep from Wrath, to please God but feels there is no way they can!!!
O I tell you Friend if that is you, if you have become Lost then there is Good News for you today!!! You are right in your knowing there is nothing you can do to stop sinning, there is nothing you can do to remove the Wrath, there is nothing you can do of yourself to please God, but I am here to declare to you that God loves you so much that He Himself has done everything needed so that you can have Forgiveness for your Sins, that He has done everything to remove from you the Wrath you know you deserve, that He has done everything needed so that you can be Freed from the Enslavement of your Sins,, He Himself has done everything needed so that you can live a life pleasing of God!!! I tell you Friend that the Gospel the Good News is that Jesus Christ has come from Heaven, humbled Himself unto Death and He Himself has taken upon Himself all the Wrath of your Sins, and in place of the Wrath you deserve He gives you Forgiveness.
Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Jesus Christ came and died on the Cross taking your Sins and the Wrath of your Sins upon Him and in exchange for your Death and the place in Hell you deserved He gives you Eternal Life!!! That by His Death for your Sins, the Sins that separated you from God, He has reconciled or brought you back to God!!! There no longer remains a separation between you and God because of what Christ has done!!!
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
It is by the Blood of Christ and thru the Blood of Christ that Forgiveness of Sin is attained,
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
In the Old Testament God called for and accepted the Sacrifice of Animals to cover the Sins of Israel, this being a foreshadowing of what was to come He called for the Sacrifice of a Perfect Lamb while Israel was in bondage to Egypt before the day in which He came bringing Death to the firstborn:
Ex 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses,
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
And He instituted Sacrifice as a method to cover Sin for all of Israel once out of Egypt:
Lev 4:32 And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.
33 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
34 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:
35 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the Lord: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
Lev 5:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.
10 And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.
By the Blood of Sacrifice not only was Forgiveness of Sin made but also the Establishment of the Mosaic Covenant:
Ex 24:6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.
John the Baptist declared when He saw Jesus in John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Lamb that was slain for forgiveness of Sin before the foundation of the World, It is the Blood of Jesus that is applied to the doorposts of our heart so that when Spiritual Death comes by it Passes over us, that we have passed from Death unto Life by the Blood of the Lamb!!!
The Wrath of God was satisfied by the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross, just as in the Old Testament, the Wrath of God was satisfied for the time by the Sacrifice of the Animals.
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Christ also declares in Matt 26:28
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Not only has Christs Blood brought remission of Sin and has reconciled us back to God it has ushered in a New Covenant. Paul teaches us about the Covenant and Blood of Christ in Hebrews writing:
Hebrews 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all
But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Just as there was a Sacrifice offered by Moses to confirm the Old Covenant or Testament, so to was there a Sacrifice offered to confirm the New Covenant or Testament, and that Sacrifice was Christ, and just as the Blood of the Sacrifice was sprinkled upon the Altar for remission of Sin in the Temple so too has Christ entered into the Holiest of Holies and offered His Blood once and for all for the remission of Sin and He has put away all Sin by the sacrifice of Himself!!! What Good News is that, that we can attain Forgiveness and Redemption of Sin its curse and its destination because Christ has came and by His Death and Sacrifice we can be given Eternal Life that we can enter into the New Testament with Christ!! AMEN!!!
Not only did Christ come to offer us Forgiveness from our SIns, He has also come to Free us from our Enslavement to Sin. In John 8 Jesus says:
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In Romans 6 Paul writes:
2 How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
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.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
O what a Glorious Thing, that because of Christ we too can become dead to Sin, that He offers us a way out of every Temptation, that no longer must we be Slaves to Sin, that He has set us Free and we be Free Indeed!!!
And to be sure, Christ didnt come to bring Wrath and Condemnation, Jesus came to bring Salvation.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
How are we able to be saved by Christ, how can we have His Blood applied to us, how can we attain the Salvation that Christ offered thru His Sacrifice?
There is one word that proceeded from all the mouth of all the Apostles, from Jesus and from John at the beginning of their preaching the Gospel:
The First Word recorded from Johns mouth as He began His Ministry:
Matt 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The First Word recorded from Jesus mouth as He began His Ministry:
Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
At the day of Pentecost when Peter was asked how one can receive Jesus he said:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
As Peter preached at Solomons Gate he said:
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Paul tells us what he did as soon as he began to preach:
Acts 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
We can see that there is one word that is the same in all these texts, there is one call from all of them, from John, from Peter, from Paul, even from Christ, and that is REPENT!!! One MUST Repent, it is essential but confusion comes from how people define Repentance, and there are 2 types of Repentance, Repentance unto Salvation and Repentance from Sins. Repentance means to change ones mind, it also means to turn away, but what type of Repentance is needed for Salvation. Well Jesus tells us exactly what is needed for Salvation.
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Repent ye and BELIEVE the Gospel, this is to change your mind about Sin, to change your mind about Jesus, to go from unbelief to belief in where you stand before a Mighty and Holy God condemned in your Sins, from unbelief to belief that because of your Sins before God you deserve what He has declared the punishment to be which is Death and Hell, to believe that the only Escape from Hell is thru believing in Christ and Christ Alone for Salvation!!! If you refuse to believe that you are Sinner condemned to Hell, deserving of Hell, then of what use is the Sacrifice of Christ and His Blood to you? If you refuse to believe that your Sin has separated you from God and there is a chasm that is impossible for you to cross over so that you can be reconciled to God again, then what is point of Christ coming to bridge the Gap and bring reconciliation thru His Blood and Death on the Cross to you? You must be Lost and believe that you are Lost before you have any hope of being Saved, otherwise what are you being Saved from? But if you Repent from your unbelief, if you believe that you are condemned if you are a Sinner that has been separated from God by your Sins, that you are on the way to Hell, then my friend Salvation is at your door, for Christ died for you!!!
There is no need to clean yourself up, you will never be able to, there is no need to try and stop this or that Sin before Christ can save you, no Friend I tell you Christ wants you just where you are, exactly how you are, in the exact state that you find yourself when you admit you are a Sinner Lost without God, stuck in the mire of Sin, broken and feeling as tho you are of no use, THAT is when Christ comes with His Hand out reaching down from Heaven to lift you out of that pit of despair to give you the Salvation you are so desperate to find!!!
What must you do to be Saved?
Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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.
John 1:12 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
Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
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.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
How are we saved? We are saved when we change our minds about Sin, Death and Hell, and believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died on the Cross for our Sins and that because of His Sacrifice and Blood we are Forgiven and that we have passed from Death unto Life. It is by the Grace of God thru Faith that we believe on Christ and are given Forgiveness, Victory over Sin and Death and now are Restored and Reconciled to God obtaining Eternal Life!!!
Where do you stand today friend? The Gospel has gone out, the Truth that you are a Sinner deserving nothing but Death and Hell because of the Sin you have found yourself in, the temptress of Sin and the Lust of your own flesh deceiving you bringing you to destruction. O but you dont have to stay there, not one second longer, all you have to do is cry out to God admit where you stand, ask for Forgiveness and believe in your heart that Jesus came to Free you from the shackles of Sin, to Free you from the destination and path you are on into a Devils Hell, to Restore you into right Fellowship with God, where He will hear your prayers and give to you all the Good Things He offers His Children!!! Today is the day of Salvation, come to Christ, be Saved, God loves you so much that He gave up all of Heaven to die for you even when His enemy!!! What a loving Savior we have in Christ Jesus, come to Him today, find Forgiveness no longer live a life in condemnation. Be free from Sin have a way out when it comes tempting, Jesus will help you with everything if you just let Him, dont hold back come to Him be Born Again and inherit the Kingdom of God!!!
I love you all, have a great day and blessed day in the Lord!
If you need prayer or anything else please feel free to reach out to me and I will help you the best I can and if I can't help I know one man that can, this man named Jesus!
Disciples
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Eph 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)