Free From Sin

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:4-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are four things we must understand about sin:
1. THE POWER - “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:56‬ ‭NLT‬‬
The law gives sin its power because it reveals the violation. “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Without a law there is no standard. With no standard, there is no expectation. God's law (His Word) is the standard that reveals our violations. When we know the standard and disobey it, we sin. Therefore, sin is revealed by the law.

2. THE PENALTY - “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Death is the penalty of sin. There is only one payment method that is accepted by God - His Son Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we are set free!!! Thank God!!!

3. THE PRACTICE - “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ As born again believers in Jesus Christ we are set free from the power and penalty of sin. What we now wrestle with is our natural, human, carnal nature that contends with our spirit. We, daily, battle with the practice (choice) of obedience and disobedience. If we yield to the flesh, we will sin. If we yield to the Holy Spirit, we overcome. No child of God has any business meandering in the muck and mire of sin. We are set free FROM sin, not IN sin. Yes, there is one more thing:

4. THE POTENTIAL - Each one of us have the potential to violate God's Word and fall to sin. None of us are exempt. “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:12-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We should not make excuses for our sin. We must allow the conviction of the Holy Spirit to call us to repentance and let the blood of Jesus cleanse us when we confess. “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Live life by, and through, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Then, and only then can we live as children of God. Our character should match that of our Father.
Jesus - righteousness
Satan - sin
If you were being placed on trial for your faith, would there be enough evidence to convict you?