Undoing the Chaos of Sin: Part 3

REFLECTION QUOTES

“Question: What is sin?
Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”

~Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 14 (1647)


“The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions.”

~Thomas Watson (c. 1620-1686), English Puritan

“We can only know God well when we know our own sin. And those who have known God without knowing their wretchedness have not glorified Him but have glorified themselves.”

~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician

“The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.”

~Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881), The Brothers Karamazov

“Men will allow God to be everywhere but on his throne.”

~Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London pastor

“…the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

~C.S. Lewis (1892-1963)

“Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.”

~Martin Luther (1483-1546)

“There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.”

~John Owen (1616-1683), English theologian

SERMON PASSAGE

Selections from 1 John (NASB)

1 John 1:5, 7 & 8

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
7 …if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John 2:1-2

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 3:1-5

1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

I John 5:5, 21

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.