And the Bible Says...
Progress Toward Salvation: Stop the Life of Sin
Friends, welcome back to our study on “salvation”. This term implies that there has been something I did that causes me to be “lost” and have a need for saving. As we have studied thus far, since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, man has had to deal with the problem of sin. Certain men lived lives trying to overcome their temptations and committing the sin. Just like Noah and his family, they chose to serve God, while God had determined the rest of the world of mankind were wicked continually, Genesis 6:5. There was another man, living amongst these wicked men, Enoch, who because of his righteous life, God took him, and he was spared death! These lived in a time called the “Patriarchal Age”, where God gave commands to specific men, without a national/world law, and only the natural laws
Then under the “Old Law/Moses’ Law”, God gave them a national law, for Israel, and the rest were still under that natural law. Under this law, God condemned men many times, to death, following their sin. It was very quick and very public, to demonstrate to others the plight of committing sin. Under this law was several god-fearing men, like David, and certain prophets. One of these was Elijah, who professed God’s judgments before men, and lived a righteous life. He, too, was taken by God, but in a different manner, in the clouds. There is a common thread, that God’s people will strive to overcome this life of sin, and live faithful to God’s Word. BUT these laws had no release from the bonds of sin Their hope was in a Savior, the Messiah, who would be the sacrifice for sin, taking away the sins committed.
Now, as we have been studying, in the New Law/Christ’s law, there is forgiveness of sin, when a person reads and accepts God’s Word, the New Testament, building faith, then repents, confess Christ as the Son of God (and our authority), and is baptized “for the remission of sins”. This grants us salvation. But to keep our salvation, we have to live faithful. Like those under the old law, some were known for their righteousness, only later to turn away from God, dying in sin. We too, must overcome sin. 1 John 2:1-2 tells us that this book was written to teach us how to “stop sinning”. It is a battle we must fight as we are born into Christ at baptism, to walk the new life, Romans 6:4. This chapter teaches the change we must make in our life. Verses 1-2 said we are not to continue in sin. But what do I do if and when I sin? When writing to true Christians in James 5:16, we are told to repent and confess our faults/sin to each other, and ask in prayer that God forgive us. In 1 John 1:9, John says that by doing this, confessing my sin, Christ will cleanse us from all/whatever the unrighteousness I’ve committed. Doing so, I am forgiven and free from my sin. Revelation 2:10 says we must overcome sin and the world, to receive our crown of life and home in Heaven.
Friend it is important how I live my life and you live your life. To please God, it’s His way, or else! So we must study to know God’s expectations of man.
Progress Toward Salvation: Stop the Life of Sin
Friends, welcome back to our study on “salvation”. This term implies that there has been something I did that causes me to be “lost” and have a need for saving. As we have studied thus far, since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, man has had to deal with the problem of sin. Certain men lived lives trying to overcome their temptations and committing the sin. Just like Noah and his family, they chose to serve God, while God had determined the rest of the world of mankind were wicked continually, Genesis 6:5. There was another man, living amongst these wicked men, Enoch, who because of his righteous life, God took him, and he was spared death! These lived in a time called the “Patriarchal Age”, where God gave commands to specific men, without a national/world law, and only the natural laws
Then under the “Old Law/Moses’ Law”, God gave them a national law, for Israel, and the rest were still under that natural law. Under this law, God condemned men many times, to death, following their sin. It was very quick and very public, to demonstrate to others the plight of committing sin. Under this law was several god-fearing men, like David, and certain prophets. One of these was Elijah, who professed God’s judgments before men, and lived a righteous life. He, too, was taken by God, but in a different manner, in the clouds. There is a common thread, that God’s people will strive to overcome this life of sin, and live faithful to God’s Word. BUT these laws had no release from the bonds of sin Their hope was in a Savior, the Messiah, who would be the sacrifice for sin, taking away the sins committed.
Now, as we have been studying, in the New Law/Christ’s law, there is forgiveness of sin, when a person reads and accepts God’s Word, the New Testament, building faith, then repents, confess Christ as the Son of God (and our authority), and is baptized “for the remission of sins”. This grants us salvation. But to keep our salvation, we have to live faithful. Like those under the old law, some were known for their righteousness, only later to turn away from God, dying in sin. We too, must overcome sin. 1 John 2:1-2 tells us that this book was written to teach us how to “stop sinning”. It is a battle we must fight as we are born into Christ at baptism, to walk the new life, Romans 6:4. This chapter teaches the change we must make in our life. Verses 1-2 said we are not to continue in sin. But what do I do if and when I sin? When writing to true Christians in James 5:16, we are told to repent and confess our faults/sin to each other, and ask in prayer that God forgive us. In 1 John 1:9, John says that by doing this, confessing my sin, Christ will cleanse us from all/whatever the unrighteousness I’ve committed. Doing so, I am forgiven and free from my sin. Revelation 2:10 says we must overcome sin and the world, to receive our crown of life and home in Heaven.
Friend it is important how I live my life and you live your life. To please God, it’s His way, or else! So we must study to know God’s expectations of man.
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