-
Pastor Tim, my question to you is
-
what is habitual sin?
-
Or what does it mean to persist in sin?
-
If an individual has victory over certain sins
-
like pornography, anger, cussing, etc.,
-
while growing in righteousness and sanctification,
-
but falls under the force of temptation
-
into a sin like lying,
-
but he habitually resists it;
-
only occasionally falls, but when he does,
-
he grieves over it.
-
He has a heart to give up that sin
-
and is grieved every time he commits it.
-
Can you say he is habitually committing sin?
-
Well, first, why would he even bring that up?
-
Because obviously, there are some
-
pretty radically important texts in Scripture
-
that talk about you can know
-
whether you're a Christian or not
-
based on whether you practice sin or not, right?
-
So let's look at them.
-
Probably the most emphatic, the clearest
-
in all the Scriptures that I can think of
-
- now there are some others -
-
but the first one that jumps to my mind is
-
1 John 3:7-10
-
You guys, this is interesting right?
-
This is more than interesting.
-
This is critical is it not?
-
If I say to you,
-
which by the way, the Bible does,
-
well, let's read it.
-
"Little children, let no one deceive you."
-
Now that's key!
-
Because what he's saying is
-
if you get this wrong, you're deceived.
-
Don't let anybody deceive you.
-
In other words, there are a lot of people
-
likely out there in the religious world
-
that are teaching you something that's contrary
-
to what's about to be said.
-
So, don't be deceived here.
-
He means don't be deceived
-
because this is an area where
-
a whole lot of people are.
-
So you better listen carefully.
-
"Whoever practices righteousness, is righteous,
-
as He, God, is righteous.
-
Whoever makes a practice of sinning
-
is of the devil.
-
For the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
-
The reason the Son of God appeared
-
was to destroy the works of the devil.
-
No one born of God
-
- if you've been born again -
-
no one born of God makes a practice of sinning.
-
For God's seed abides in Him,
-
and He cannot keep on sinning
-
because He's been born of God.
-
By this, it is evident who are the children of God
-
and who are the children of the devil.
-
Whoever does not practice righteousness
-
is not of God, nor is the one
-
who does not love his brother."
-
Now, listen to this.
-
Listen to this again.
-
"Whoever makes a practice of sinning
-
is of the devil.
-
He cannot keep on sinning because
-
he has been born of God."
-
If you have been born of God,
-
you cannot keep on sinning.
-
That's what the Bible says.
-
If you practice unrighteousness, you're of the devil.
-
If you practice righteousness,
-
that is the surest proof that you are born of God.
-
Now is this not important or what?
-
Because somebody's going to say,
-
and we need to say this, we need to ask this,
-
all of you are thinking,
-
well, from the time I claim I was saved,
-
I've sinned.
-
In fact, I've been quite keenly aware
-
that I've sinned.
-
When does that sin that I've committed
-
bring me into the category of being
-
a habitual sinner
-
that's of the devil?
-
And when is my sinning so reduced
-
that I'm one of those that does not keep on sinning
-
and I evidence that I've been born of God?
-
I mean isn't that a question that
-
you would like to have answered?
-
Isn't that a pretty critical deal?
-
Look.
-
When you have a situation where it is said,
-
this is how you know you're a Christian;
-
this is how you can know you're not a Christian,
-
here's the evidence,
-
by this, it is evident.
-
Whoa.
-
There's the evidence.
-
There's no more important question
-
on earth to ask than
-
how you can know you can be
-
a true believer.
-
How do you know you are indeed a true one?
-
And here's the evidence.
-
True believer practices righteousness.
-
True unbeliever practices unrighteousness.
-
Son of God.
-
Son of the devil.
-
Wow, we better be able to answer that question.
-
When is my sinning so habitual
-
that I'm not over here anymore
-
and I'm over here?
-
We need to answer that.
-
Ok.
-
Listen again.
-
Just listen to these verses.
-
Now, let's go back to this.
-
It says don't be deceived.
-
You think there are people out there
-
in this world who teach
-
you can be a true Christian and just keep on in sin?
-
Folks, it's everywhere.
-
Some of you go to churches where that's taught.
-
Let me tell you,
-
that is a damnable lie.
-
It is a lie right out of hell.
-
Don't be deceived by it.
-
We've got people all over this city,
-
let me tell you about it,
-
I'm going to say names,
-
right over there at CBC up on 1604,
-
a woman that my wife talked to this week
-
called up there and was concerned about her son
-
was going to be baptized there.
-
She said she wondered about
-
do you examine their testimonies or anything.
-
She said she was concerned.
-
She didn't believe that there was true repentance there.
-
The woman said, "Oh m'am,
-
we don't require repentance."
-
Let me tell you what,
-
that's damnable.
-
And I'll call that church out.
-
That's damnable.
-
We don't do any favors telling people
-
that that church is ok.
-
They're teaching a lie that sends people to hell.
-
I'll tell you, John wasn't messing around.
-
Don't be deceived.
-
Because multitudes are.
-
And you want to see where it is?
-
You guys know the verse.
-
Many are going to say to Me on that day, "Lord, Lord."
-
And He's going to say, "I never knew you."
-
And what does He say?
-
It's not everybody that comes along
-
saying, "Lord, Lord."
-
It's not everybody that's been baptized at CBC.
-
What does He say?
-
Who's going to inherit the kingdom of heaven?
-
Those who do the will of the Father in heaven.
-
There it is.
-
Practicing righteousness.
-
They do the will of the Father in heaven.
-
What does James day?
-
Don't be deceived.
-
It's not the hearers, it's the doers.
-
1 Corinthians 6
-
Paul says, "Don't be deceived.
-
The unrighteous do not inherit
-
the kingdom of God.
-
Folks, this is taught everywhere.
-
Jesus Christ says,
-
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
-
and do not do the things I say?"
-
Back to 1 John.
-
You say that you know Him and you don't keep His commandments,
-
you're a liar and the truth isn't in you.
-
I'm telling you, folks,
-
obedience and keeping the commandments,
-
a practicing of righteousness, a hunger and thirsting
-
after righteousness,
-
it is the very evidence.
-
By this it is evident who are the children of God,
-
and who are the children of the devil.
-
Well, what can we say?
-
Here's what I would say.
-
What does the Bible teach?
-
For one, we know the Bible doesn't teach perfection.
-
When it says you practice righteousness,
-
it doesn't mean that you've achieved perfection.
-
Paul says in Philippians that he had not yet attained.
-
In 1 John 2, you remember what John wrote?
-
He said, "little children, I write to you sin not.
-
But if you do sin, you have an Advocate,
-
Jesus Christ the Righteous."
-
And basically, we want to encourage people not to sin.
-
What does the proverb say?
-
Though a righteous man do what?
-
Fall. How many times? (seven)
-
But, what does he do?
-
He rises.
-
Now that's the thing.
-
You see, the person that practices unrighteousness
-
doesn't rise.
-
They drink iniquity like water.
-
We find that in Job.
-
Basically there's none righteous, no not one.
-
This is the picture of the unregenerate person.
-
Do they do good?
-
They don't do good.
-
There's none that does good.
-
They're under the power of sin.
-
Basically, what you find
-
is that they're dead in sins.
-
They're dead in trespasses and sins.
-
They're basically held in bondage.
-
What do you find about the person
-
that's been set free?
-
Romans 6, like verse 17,
-
I thank God that you who were once slaves of sin
-
have become obedient from the heart.
-
To what? To the Word of God.
-
This is the evidence.
-
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
-
after righteousness.
-
They'll be satisfied.
-
Here's the thing:
-
Romans 8:13
-
If by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds
-
of the body,
-
you will live.
-
Those who set their minds upon things
-
of the flesh,
-
they have a death sentence.
-
Those who set their minds upon
-
things of the Spirit,
-
those are the children of God.
-
Those are the ones that have life.
-
And so, what are we talking about here?
-
Are we talking about sinlessness?
-
No.
-
We're talking about people, who when they fall,
-
they rise.
-
They're like the sheep that's thrown in the mud.
-
You take the pig, you throw them in the mud.
-
What do they do?
-
They stay there.
-
You throw a lamb in the mud,
-
what's he do?
-
He scrambles out.
-
He wants to get the mud off of him.
-
Because it's not natural anymore.
-
You know what we find in Scripture?
-
Old things are passed away,
-
all things become new.
-
I'll tell you this,
-
though the Christian is not perfect,
-
they come into such newness,
-
they come into such radical difference,
-
they come into a situation
-
where now they are putting to death sin.
-
They have triumph.
-
They're not totally defeated like before.
-
They're not a total slave.
-
They've become obedient from the heart.
-
They have desires of obedience.
-
They hunger and thirst after righteousness.
-
It's a longing.
-
They're longing to do what's right.
-
And you know what?
-
They're succeeding at it.
-
There's a fight.
-
Those who by the Spirit put to death
-
the deeds of the body,
-
all of a sudden, there's battle,
-
there's warfare.
-
Sometimes the Christian feels like
-
the battle rages so strongly,
-
they feel like they're not saved at times.
-
But let me tell you something,
-
there wasn't a battle when people were lost.
-
You know what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7?
-
He's commending the Corinthians
-
because they repented,
-
and he says there's a sorrow that
-
leads to repentance,
-
there's a grief that leads to repentance,
-
versus the grief or the sorrow
-
the worldly sorrow, it doesn't
-
lead to repentance.
-
It doesn't lead to a godly repentance.
-
You know what?
-
There are people who are sorry for sin.
-
Why?
-
Because of the consequences.
-
They're sorry for what it's cost them.
-
They're sorry they committed adultery
-
and they lost their children and they lost their family.
-
They're sorry that their sin has cost them
-
all their money.
-
They're sorry that it's cost them their reputation.
-
But I'll tell you what,
-
there's a godly sorrow in God's children.
-
They are sorrowed that they have offended God.
-
And though they fall seven times,
-
they rise up out of it.
-
And you know what?
-
The Scripture says that they love God.
-
They keep His commandments.
-
Jesus Christ said,
-
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
-
You see, it's more than just a starchy,
-
grit your teeth kind of obedience.
-
He's our Abba Father.
-
We suddenly have an endearment.
-
There's a longing, there's a hunger;
-
it's something we want to do.
-
It's a relationship we want to nurture
-
and we want to maintain.
-
Do we fall?
-
Yes.
-
Is there grief?
-
I'll tell you this.
-
You as a child of God get in too much
-
of a pattern of sin -
-
what's going to happen?
-
The Bible says in Hebrews 12
-
that God disciplines His children,
-
and if you can run in sin
-
and God doesn't come for you
-
and doesn't discipline you, you are a bastard.
-
You are not a true child of God.
-
Lay that down.
-
If you can toy with sin, and your Father
-
doesn't come for you.
-
One of the greatest assurances in my life,
-
is that any time I have strayed,
-
He has come for me.
-
That is great assurance in that.
-
You know what?
-
From the days of John the Baptist, what?
-
You find in Matthew 11,
-
from the days of John the Baptist until now
-
the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence.
-
The violent take it by force, folks.
-
Let me tell you this,
-
the Christian life is battle.
-
There is a severing of hands,
-
a cutting off of feet,
-
a plucking out of eyes.
-
I'll tell you,
-
if your life is not battle with sin -
-
I'm not saying you have perfect victory all the time,
-
I'm not saying you don't fall at times.
-
But when you fall, you rise.
-
When you rise, you fight.
-
And by radical means you put it to death.
-
I'll remind you again of a text I brought up,
-
God says under the New Covenant
-
in Ezekiel 36,
-
He will cleanse you of all your idols.
-
And I'll guarantee you,
-
if you're allowed to have idols stay in your life,
-
and God doesn't come for you
-
and He doesn't discipline you,
-
and He doesn't rip those things away from you,
-
and sometimes painfully so,
-
folks, let me tell you,
-
God gives you a new heart.
-
God gives desires for this thing.
-
What this guy Aaron was describing,
-
the person that's grieved when he commits it,
-
the guy that's resisting,
-
the guy that occasionally falls,
-
but when he does, he grieves;
-
the guy that had major victory over pornography
-
and anger and cussing for some time
-
to fall into a lying lip.
-
I mean even Isaiah, you remember him,
-
he falls down before the Lord
-
and he's saying I'm a man of unclean lips.
-
He's realizing there his mouth
-
had not been perfect.
-
Folks, this is a battle.
-
It's not perfection,
-
but it's definitely a moving in that direction.
-
There is victory in that direction.
-
Your life has radically become something it wasn't before.
-
If you claim that you've become a Christian,
-
and you see no difference in righteousness,
-
no difference in obedience to the laws and commandments
-
of Jesus Christ;
-
no change in your life as far as what you're
-
committed to, what you hunger after,
-
the mind that is set on the things of the Spirit;
-
that's where life is,
-
the mind that's set on the things of the flesh,
-
that's death.
-
And let me tell you,
-
if there hasn't been a radical change -
-
old things passed away, and all things become new,
-
if you haven't experienced a total different
-
relationship with sin;
-
if you are not at war with sin
-
in a way that you never knew in your past life,
-
then yes, you have reasons to be
-
gravely concerned whether you've been converted or not.
-
Hey, I can tell you,
-
I wrestle with sin.
-
But I can tell you this,
-
my two greatest desires are to be sinless
-
and even before that one is to see Christ.
-
And I know those are my desires.
-
And I long for those things.
-
And you guys just have to ask yourself that.
-
If you love Christ and are keeping His commandments,
-
love isn't some foreign thing.
-
Love isn't some strange, odd, alien thing.
-
We understand that.
-
Is your mind on it? What's your mind on?
-
When you were lost, your mind was on
-
all the things of this world.
-
It was on the gutter.
-
It was on money. It was on success.
-
It was on self. It was on sex.
-
It was on fun. It was on pleasure.
-
And it was constantly geared on how to get
-
those things.
-
The mind that is set on the things of the Spirit
-
is a mind that now thinks and is consumed with Christ
-
and righteousness and the Word
-
and the glory of God,
-
and how to love God's people,
-
and how to please the Lord.
-
If that hasn't radically changed in your life,
-
folks, you're still the old man.
-
The old hasn't passed away.
-
We were dead in trespasses and sins,
-
now we've been made alive in Christ.
-
If you don't know anything about that
-
radical transformation of life in Christ,
-
folks, that's the idea here
-
behind practicing righteousness.
-
It's not perfection.
-
But it's definitely a life of goodness
-
and righteousness where that is the norm.
-
That is habitual.
-
That you are striving to do what is right.
-
Yes, it's going to be intermixed with sin.
-
Yes, we fall short of loving God with all our heart,
-
mind, soul, and strength.
-
And we fall short of that every single day.
-
Every single hour.
-
But is there a radical change
-
to where we do want to love,
-
we do want to please, we do want His glory?
-
Yes, there is.
-
And does that compel us and prompt us
-
and move us to a life that's radically different
-
than before?
-
Absolutely.
-
And if you can't tell any difference between
-
your life now and what you claim was your life
-
as a lost person,
-
then you're still lost.