Dying in Sin
The concept of ‘sin’ is often misunderstood. The word sin in the original language means ‘missing the mark’. Imagine you're trying to shoot an arrow at the bull's-eye but instead you miss the target pad all together. That's sin. God's standard is the bull's-eye.
As humans, we fundamentally miss God's ‘mark’ in more ways than one. First, we are born into a ‘missing the mark’ condition. We’re born under the curse of Adam's sin. This is called ‘Original Sin’. When Adam and Eve sinned, all of their progeny, all mankind, and all of creation, was smote with a curse by God (Genesis 2:17; Romans 8:18-22). Second, because we are sinners, we then sin. It's our nature. We break God’s standard for righteousness - His perfect law.
The most horrific result of being under the curse of sin and violating God’s standard, is that it prevents us from being in relationship with God.
God is holy and cannot even look at sin (Habakkuk 1:13). As a result, we are not only separated from God, and spiritually dead, but if we continue in this state throughout our life, we will receive the wages of sin when we die: eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). Being in a state of sin during our life prevents us from becoming the image bearer of God created us to be. Sin is the ultimate destroyer.
Christ Jesus came into the world to deal with this problem. God's love for you sent Christ to come and do battle with sin, evil and death on your behalf. Paul said, ‘It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost [of all.] (1Timothy 1:15).
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 1:38). He came to live the life we couldn’t live (a sinless life) and when we believe in Jesus, God then treats us as we lived Jesus’ life. At the cross, the Father treated Jesus like He lived our life, so He could then treat us like we lived Jesus’ life.
Jesus died and rose again for our justification. Those that believe in Him are cleared from the debt of sin and are now innocent before God. In Christ, we can commune with God and be who God originally intended us to be - a nation of kings and priests who reflect the love and glory of Christ out to the world.
Now all this is pretty good news if - (and that’s a big IF) - we embrace and believe that Jesus is who He says He is. It all begins there.
Unfortunately, not everyone believes. In John chapter 7 & 8, Jesus constantly tells the Pharisees that He is speaking only that which the Father is telling Him to speak - that Jesus is the great I AM. He is one with the Father. He is God, the one who promised to come rescue and restore Israel and the world.
The Pharisees did not want to believe this. Jesus states clearly to them, if you do not believe, you will die in this state of perpetually ‘missing the mark’. They will die in their sin. Jesus says the same thing to us.
Tomorrow we’ll look at the terrifying reality of dying in sin. What does it really mean, how we can prevent it, and most important, why urgently believing in Jesus with a full intellectual and active faith, is the only answer to the entire sin problem. Our text tomorrow will be John 8:21-30. Please read and meditate on these verses. Ask the Lord, regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey with the Lord, what He is speaking to you in regard to sin.
Click below for the Sermon series on John
