How to Overcome Sin

Pastor Smith starts with Apostle Paul's assertion that it is utterly impossible for us to free ourselves from our sinful nature.

If you experienced repeated failures when trying to overcome your anger, pride, envy, lust, etc, this sermon is for you. It is interesting how many times pastors talk about this topic and yet how few Christians are consistently victorious over sin.

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Sermon Excerpt

Pastor Smith's sermon on this topic is the clearest and to the point message I've ever heard.

"Many sincere Christians start with a sincere desire to obey God; they start putting forth efforts to obey him, they ask God to add his power to their efforts, and it doesn't work... and they get discouraged, frustrated, bewildered. And they can come to a point where they question if they are a Christian at all. [...]

We read Scriptures like "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", and when temptation comes, and we fight it again, "God, give me your strength, give me your victory!", but it doesn't work... not consistently. And we become more confused, feeling more defetated..."

Listen to Pastor Smith as he explains how you can let Jesus live his live in you and thus have victory over sin.

How to Overcome Sin - Sermon Summary

Romans 6:6-11

Preamble

Power - sinful nature
Impossible - free by own efforts.
Romans 7 - Paul described futility trying to obey
Many sincere Christians don't realize this.
Put forth efforts to overcome
Ask God to add His power
Sinful nature's power - efforts ultimately fail.
Result - become discouraged, frustrated, bewildered
Question if really a Christian.

Sin's Power Broken at the Cross

Many aspects to the good news of the gospel

One aspects -at cross power of the sinful nature broken for all who accept Christ and believe - Romans 6:6, 11

A fact:

Becomes reality -if we believe it.

Means:

Unloving you, unforgiving you, angry you, lustful you, anxious you died at the cross.
Don't have to be controlled by
Our unloving attitudes, unforgiveness, anger, lustful thoughts and desires, etc.
Power of these sinful desires, attitudes and behaviors is broken.

A Wrong Conclusion

Problem - most Christians conclude:

Should then be able to obey God with His help.

Example: Christian who struggles with anger:

Reasons- if power sinful anger broken at the cross Can now stop being angry when something happens to cause him to become angry.
Feels great relief & confident - now have victory.
Soon something happens - cause anger.
- Someone cuts him off while driving or
- Someone says something unkind.
Immediately anger arises.
He puts forth efforts to subdue it.
Anger keeps lingering.
He turns mind away from event or words
He tries to reason -about not being angry
Sometimes anger leaves
Other times lingers.
Sees person who spoke unkind or critical words
- Still feels anger
Doesn't want these feelings -
- Seems helpless to get rid of them.
Begins questioning -why he still feels anger
Concludes -
- Must not received enough power from God
Pleads with God to:
- Remove the anger,
- Give him the power needed;
- Give him the victory.
Re-reads the Bible verses about death of sinful nature's power
Rereads Bible promises:
- "I can do all things through Christ who strengthenth me." (Philippians 4:13).
Confident now - ready for the temptation
However - continues to experience the same patter Overcome by besetting sins.
More confusion - feelings of defeat.
Again questions his sincerity - has no peace

True:

Power of our sinful nature was broken at the cross.

Does not mean if we believe this

We can begin obeying God by putting forth efforts

We might conclude:

All we have to do is believe sin's power is
Face temptations with that attitude.

However,

Such faith and knowledge alone will not give us the victory

Christ Gives the Victory

Key to victory

Let Christ live out His victorious life in you.

When you come to understand and experience this truth:

Your Christian life never again the same.
Instead of life of:
- Sporadic obedience
- Broken promises to God
Will in time experience life of consistent victory

Is It Possible?

Is such a consistently obedient life really possible?

Can we truly have victory over every temptation and sin?
That is the kind of life God in the Bible calls us to live.
- Remember the Bible verses previously quoted: Romans 6:6, 11-12, 14

These verses clearly state

Victory over temptation and sin is possible

Ellen White also supports this view: "He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that He can keep him from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God." --Manuscript 161, 1897.

"Moral perfection is required of all." Christ's Object Lessons, p.330

"'The prince of this world cometh,' said Jesus, 'and hath nothing in Me.' John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us." Desire of Ages, p.123

We are fast approaching Christ's second coming.

Christians living when Jesus returns
- Will have gained victory over every temptation and sin
1 John 3:2
Just like Jesus in character, nature, authority

Fact they living without Christ as their mediator

Indicates the level of victory they will have attained

How Can It Happen in Your Life?

Question: How can we live a consistently victorious Christian life?

Answer: Letting Jesus live out His life in us.

This truth is taught throughout the Bible:

Old Testament
- Psalm 16:8
- Isaiah 26:3
New Testament

Christ's mind was filled with pure, holy, virtuous thoughts.

We will have Christ's mind manifested in us:

If we asked Christ to live in us thru B of HS
If we believe He does
If we believe He will manifest His love, His pure, holy, virtuous thoughts in our mind.

A matter of faith;

Believing He will manifest Himself in our life.

Paul recognized this fact when he wrote: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

The Problem of Previous Definitions

Difficulty - Christians know words and phrases I am using

Bring own definition

Make wrong application of these verses:

We must stay connected with God
He will add His power to our efforts to obey
Christ living in us means:
- He is there to strengthen us in our efforts to over come temptations and sins
That is not what these verses are saying.

Remember:

Our efforts - ineffective in overcoming sin
Even when - believe God adding His power to our efforts.
We all tried that method: Failed again and again.

I challenge you to:

Lay aside your previous definition of what it means to have Christ in you

He Was There All the Time

First, We must believe Jesus literally abides in us.

Happens as we daily receive B of HS
John 14:16-18
1 John 3:24

With Jesus living in us we have

His mind (1 Corinthians 2:16),
His love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23),
His likes and dislikes,
His pure thoughts,
His forgiveness

Essential we believe this fact.

With this knowledge we to meet the temptations

However, even with this knowledge, the majority of Christians live their life in the following way:

They accepted Christ by faith and believe they are forgiven.
They think they need to work hard at becoming Christlike by putting forth efforts to obey Him.
In efforts to obey- ask God to add His power to these efforts.
All such efforts are doomed to failure.

What I am presenting is:

Not becoming Christlike
Not always having Christ's help or power to resist temptation.
What I am presenting is so much better than that.

Conclusion

The truth is:

Christ wants to literally live out His life in us;
Not simply add His power to our feeble efforts.

We must remember,

We have no ability in and of ourselves to obey
Even though power of sinful nature broken @ cross

Victory over temptation and sin will happen only:

If believe power of sinful nature broken at cross
Allow Christ to give us the victory.

The key to victory over sin:

Learn how to allow Christ to live out His live in us.

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Sermon: How To Overcome Sin