OVERCOMING SIN
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. The wages of sin is death.
1. Anyone who commits sin has the sentence of death on him.
B. God through His mercy provided a substitute death.
1. The death of animals would not do.
2. It would take a sinless victim, one holy and without
blemish, to be a substitute.
3. Jesus Christ is the one who died in our stead.
4. We all deserve death because of our sins, but Christ died in
our place.
5. Through the death of Christ, God was proven to be just and
full of grace.
a. The penalty of death is satisfied for all who take
advantage of God's marvelous grace.
C. To overcome sin we need to understand how it develops.
1. Let's look at James 1:14-15 to see how sin comes about.
I. LOOKING AT JAMES 1:14-15.
A. In James 1:14-15 we see that desire, when conceived, is sin.
1. These short verses destroy men's doctrines of "original sin"
and "hereditary total depravity."
a. "Desire" alone is not sin.
b. We can desire various things without sinning.
c. For example, a small child may desire one of the cookies
mom has baked for desert after the meal. She tells the
child not to eat any cookies before the meal because
they will spoil its appetite. There is nothing wrong with
him or her desiring a cookie.
2. It is the desire that is "conceived" which is sin.
a. The desire is conceived when one decides to satisfy the
desire.
b. The small child who conceives to take one of those
cookies if and when mom leaves the room has sinned.
The child has disobeyed his parents.
c. Consider Matt. 5:27-28.
(1) The one who lets his desire conceive in his heart
has sinned.
(2) This sin can be a very common one which can be
habit forming. 2 Pet. 2:14
d. Consider Acts 8:14-22
(1) Simon had not actually purchased the gift of God
with money.
(2) To this point, he had only conceived it in his heart.
(3) Notice Peter's reply in verses 20-22.
(a) Verse 21 - "Your heart is not right in the sight
of God."
(b) Verse 22 - Peter tells Simon to repent and pray
so that the thought of his heart might be
forgiven.
B. The latter part of James 1:15 shows that when sin is finished
it brings death.
1. Sin always pays its wages. No one will ever be short-
changed.
2. When sin is finished, it will bring the second death which
is eternal punishment. Rev. 21:8
II. HOW CAN WE OVERCOME SIN?
A. First, we need to guard our desires.
1. Since "desire" in the heart is where the process of sin
begins, it is the best place to begin. Prov. 4:23
2. Part of Christian growth is to change our desires.
a. The Christian puts on the new man who is renewed in
knowledge. Col. 3:8-10
b. He is no longer conformed to the world, but desires the
good, acceptable, perfect will of God. Rom. 12:2; Isa.
26:8-9
c. Instead of desiring sin, he hates it. Rom. 12:9: Psalm
119:104
3. When we begin to comprehend the magnitude of the love of
God, we desire to serve Him. Psalm 116:12-13
4. When we begin to understand the damnable consequences of
sin, we desire to avoid it.
a. The end result of sin is everlasting punishment.
b. After Jesus spoke of adultery in the heart, He gave a
solemn warning. Matt. 5:29-30
(1) Jesus is not encouraging mutilation of the body, but
is warning us to avoid hell at all cost.
B. Secondly, we need self-control so that desire will not conceive
in our hearts.
1. We need strong determination in our hearts. Job 31:1; Psalm
101:3-4
a. Consider Paul. 1 Cor. 9:27
2. We need to ask God for help. Matt. 26:41
3. God's word is a very powerful tool in overcoming sin.
Remember, Jesus quoted Scripture when He was tempted.
4. God has given us His Spirit to strengthen us. Eph. 3:16;
Rom. 8:13-14; Gal. 5:16
C. The Christian has no excuse for yielding to temptation. 1 Cor.
10:13
III. OVERCOME SIN BY OBTAINING FORGIVENESS.
A. Remember, sin is victorious when it results in death.
1. Sin, "when finished," brings forth death.
B. We can have victory over death through Jesus Christ. 1 Cor.
15:54-57
1. Thus, when the righteous are resurrected, they have victory
over death.
2. He plainly shows through Jesus that victory comes.
C. Rom. 7:24-25
1. Some scholars think that Paul in the above verse was
alluding to the barbaric practice of the Romans, and others
before them, who strapped a dead body to a prisoner who
was captured in battle. The dead body hindered the prisoner
from escaping as he was marched off to captivity. Verse 24
can literally be translated, "O wretched man that I am! Who
will deliver me from this dead body?"
2. Of course, Paul was making a spiritual application, and was
asking, "Who will deliver me from the bondage of sin which
shackles and condemns?"
3. Paul answers his own question in verse 25.
a. Deliverance from the wretched, miserable state of sin
comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the
Redeemer, Savior and Deliverer.
4. Let us thank God that we have forgiveness of sins through
Christ.
D. The one who has true biblical faith is the one who is justified
from sin. Rom. 4:6-8
1. David could not have done some special work to be forgiven
of his sins.
a. He relied on the mercy and grace of God.
2. It was the prophet Micah who asked, "What can I do to
make up for my sins?" Micah 6:6-7
3. Men think that when they sin, if they do something good it
will make up for their sins.
4. The one whose faith leads him to meet the conditions which
God requires will be forgiven of his sins.
5. One must obey the gospel in order to be forgiven of all
past sins. Acts 2:37-38
a. When we obey from the heart, we are set free from sin.
Rom. 6:16-17
6. The Christian who sins can at any time repent and confess
his sins and be forgiven. 1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22
a. The death of Christ continues to provide forgiveness as
long as we continue to meet the conditions.
b. 2 Cor. 9:15
Concl.
A. God is willing to help us in overcoming sin.
1. He helps us control our desires by providing His Word to
renew our minds.
2. He helps us to exercise self-control lest our desires take
root in our hearts.
3. He has provided continual forgiveness through His Son,
Jesus Christ.
B. All of us will surely die some day. We all face physical death.
Heb. 9:27
1. It is up to us whether we will die in our sins or die in the
Lord.
a. We can die in the Lord by being baptized into Him and
continuing to live in Him.
b. What will it be for you?