Discipleship Lesson 9: Dealing With Sin

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Discipleship - Lesson 9 Dealing With Sin

• How Do I Overcome Sin in My Life?

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• Introduction A well known preacher said that
  when a saved person begins to battle sin in his
  own life, he enters a combat so intense it makes
  World War II look like a Sunday school picnic.

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• This truth is not evident to a young Christian
  but as you grow, you will realize further the
  intensity of the struggle.

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• As we saw very briefly in Lesson One, when you
  received Christ, you became two people. Your
  old man in Adams image has a sinful nature,
  and your new Man in Christ Jesus has Gods
  image. This lesson is designed to help you
  combat the sin nature of the old man.

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• I. What is sin?

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• A. Sin is breaking Gods law.

1. I John 517 says, Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law for sin is the
transgression of the law.
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• B. Sin is any unrighteousness

1. I John 517a says, All unrighteousness is
sin
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• C. Sin is anything done apart from faith...

1. Romans 1423b says, for whatsoever is not of
faith is sin.
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• II. Why do I sin?

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• A. You sin because you inherited a sinful nature
  from Adam.

1. Romans 512 says, Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin and
so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned
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• B. You sin because your old nature draws you into
  sin.

1. James 1 13-14 says, 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 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn
away of is own lust, and enticed.
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• C. You sin as a result of temptation in three
  major areas which are outlined in I John 115-16.
  Here the bible says,

Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not
of the Father, but is of the world.
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• 1. The lust of the flesh --Eve was tempted in
  this point in Genesis 36, when she saw that the
  tree was good for food.
• a) Jesus was tempted in this point in Matthew 43
  when the devil tried to get Him to turn stones
  into bread.

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• 2. The lust of the eyes --Eve was tempted here,
  when she saw that the tree was pleasant to the
  eyes.

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• a) Jesus was tempted when the devil showed Him
  all the kingdoms of the world and promised to
  give them to Him in exchange for worship.

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• 3. The pride of life--Eve fell to temptation to
  be desired to make one wise.
• a) Jesus overcame the temptation to cast Himself
  down to prove the angels would take care of Him.

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• III. How does God look at my sin?
• A. Your sin was judged by God at Calvary.

• Colossians 213-14.
• And you, being dead in your sins and the
  uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
  together with him, having forgiven you all
  trespasses
• Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that
  was against us, which was contrary to us, and
  took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross

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• B. If you continue to sin, God will chastise you
  as a father chastises his son.

Deuteronomy 85 Thou shalt also consider in thine
heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the
Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
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Psalm 9412 Blessed is the man whom thou
shastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy
law Proverbs 311-12 My son, despise not the
chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his
correction For whom the Lord loveth he
correcteth even as a father the son in whom he
delighteth.
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Revelation 319 As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten be zealous therefore, and repent.
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• C. God will allow you reap according to what you
  have sown.

1. Galatians 67-8 says, Be not deceived God is
not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap. For he that soweth to this
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit
reap life everlasting.
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• D. Unconfessed sin causes fellowship with God to
  be broken.

• Isaiah 591,2.
• Behold, the Lords hand is not shortened, that it
  cannot save neither his ear heavy, that it
  cannot hear
• But your iniquities have separated between you
  and your God, and your sins have hid his face
  from you, that he will not hear

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• 2. You will experience the absence of Gods peace
  and joy.

• Psalm 51 10-12.
• Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a
  right spirit within me.
• Cast me not away from thy presence and take not
  thy holy spirit from me.
• Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and
  uphold me with thy free spirit.

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• 3. Your prayers will not be answered.

a) Psalm 6618 says, If I regard iniquity in my
heart, the Lord will not hear me.
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• IV. What things can I do to overcome sin?

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• A. Your sin is your own fault, not anyone elses.

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• 1. You must accept responsibility for your sin.

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• 2. You will never correct anything until you face
  up to responsibility.

a) Proverbs 2813 says, He that covereth his sin
shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and
forsaketh them shall have mercy.
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• B. Do not allow sinful thoughts to control your
  mind.

• II Corinthians 105
• Casting down imaginations, and every high thing
  that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
  God, and bringing into captivity every thought to
  the obedience of Christ

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• C. Do not make provisions for the flesh.

1. Romans 1314 says, But put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the
flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
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• D. Realize that you are dead to sin in Jesus
  Christ. Dead men cannot sin.

• Romans 66-13.
• 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.
• For he that is dead is freed from sin.
• Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we
  shall also live with him

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Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead
dieth no more death hath no more dominion over
him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto
God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Let not sin therefore reign in our mortal body,
that ye should obey it in the lusts
thereof. 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.
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• E. Confess your sins to God.

1. I John 19 says, If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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• F. Hide Gods Word in your heart to battle sin.

1. Psalm 11911 says, Thy word have I hid in my
heart, that I might not sin against thee.
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• G. Jesus Christ overcame His temptation by
  quoting scripture.

• Matthew 41-11.
• Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the
  wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
• And when he had fasted forty days and forty
  nights, he was afterward an hungered.
• And when the tempter came to him, he said, If
  thou be the Son of God, command that these stones
  be made bread.

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But he answered and said, It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then
the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and
setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And
saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast
thyself down for it is written, He shall give
his angels charge concerning thee and in their
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time
thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said
unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God.
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Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding
high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms
of the world, and the glory of them. And saith
unto him, All these things will I give thee, if
thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith
Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil
leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and
ministered unto him.
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• H. Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit

• Romans 81-8.
• There is therefore now no condemnation to them
  which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
  flesh, but after the Spirit.
• For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
  hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

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For what the law could not do, in that it was
weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned the flesh. That the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they
that are after the flesh do mind the things of
the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded
is death but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God for it is not subject to the law of
God, neither can be. So they that are in the
flesh cannot please God.
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• V. Basic Questions

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• A. How do I keep the influences of a sinful world
  from affecting me?

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• 1. Do not involve yourself with sinful
  activities. Of course, you must associate with
  lost people in order to try to win them, but do
  not get involved in their sin.

a) Ephesians 55-12. 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
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Let no man deceive you with vain words for
because of these things cometh the wrath of God
upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye
therefore partakers with them. For ye were
sometimes darkness, but not are ye light in the
Lord walk as children of light (For the fruit
of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth)
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Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a
shame even to speak of those things which are
done of them in secret. But all things that are
reproved are made manifest by the light for
whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
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• 2. Separate yourself from the ways of the world
  and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

a) James 44b says, whosoever therefore will be
a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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• 3. Realize that separation is also a positive
  thing. Not only are you to separate from the
  world, but you are to separate yourself UNTO the
  Gospel.

a) Romans 11 says, Paul, a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto
the Gospel of God.