When Sinners Sin

Study for January 25

When Sinners Sin.

“What happens if I have already messed up?” This is the question that is on the minds of many of our teenagers. A recent article in Lifeway’s Living With Teenagers brought up the question, “So what happens when true love doesn’t wait?” The article references a study that shows that today almost 50% of teens have admitted to having premarital sex. In speaking with teens, parents, and teachers I am almost sure that this number is higher. And when you throw in those who are addicted to pornography the number jumps enormously. So what are we to tell them? How are we to respond?

KEY VERSES: 1 John 1:9, Colossians 2:13-14.

Colossians 3:6 tells us that “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” For anyone married or wanting to get married an understanding and fear of the wrath of God is needed. God is wrathful against sinners. He will punish sin. So what does that mean for us? Lets look at God’s wrath and its removal from Col. 2:13-14:

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

God took the record of all your sins that made you deserve His wrath (sins are offenses against God that bring His judgment) and instead of making you pay the price for your sins in Hell, God placed them on the hand of Jesus and drove a spike through them into the cross. “He canceled the record of our debt…nailing it to the cross.”
Whose sins were nailed to the cross? The sins of those who trust in Christ alone. Who received the punishment for my sin? Jesus, on the cross. We are forgiven because of Christ. Not only is he our forgiveness he is also our righteousness. Because we cannot provide our own righteousness God provided his son to be our righteousness. So, in Christ, we are counted righteous.

Two main things we need to see about ourselves if we have put our faith in Christ.
1. The punishment for our sins was placed on Jesus Christ on the cross.
2. The righteousness of Christ was placed on us.

When we receive Christ all of His punishment and all of His righteousness is counted as ours. Great news!

So as believers how do we deal with sin that we have committed? “What if I have already messed up sexually?”

1. Acknowledge your guilt. Sin is rebellion against God. And though sin is first against God it may also be against others as well.
2. Don’t blame anyone but yourself. Circumstances didn’t make you do it, Satan didn’t make you do it, parents didn’t make you do it, peer pressure didn’t make you do it. You did it. Own it.
3. Confess. As a believer we still seek forgiveness from God as our Father. 1 John 1:7-10. We also need to confess to anyone else we have hurt and seek to reconcile with them. James 5:16.
4. Receive God’s forgiveness. Believe the promise of 1 John 1:9.

After these things are done it is important to start building defenses against sin (having clear steps on how you will fight this sin) and to prayerfully begin on a new course of action that will honor and please God. This includes evaluating how you handle dating relationships (setting boundaries for physical and emotional aspects of dating).

I am reminded of a quote from one of my favorite pastors concerning dealing with past sexual sin. John Piper says,

“If it genuinely lies within you, by the grace of God, to throw yourself on the mercy of God for forgiveness then He will free you from the guilt of the past. He will make a new, clean sexual life possible within marriage.”

Respond

1. How does sin affect your relationship with God? with others?
2. How do you handle feeling guilty?
3. What is the biblical way to handle guilt? Is this something you have done or are doing?
4. Read 1 John 1:9 and Colossians 2:13-14. How do these verses speak about how we should handle our sin?

Sunday January 11

Hey Connect Leaders,

I hope you are having a good week. This Sunday will be a little different than normal.

This Sunday we will be doing a review of the past semester. I will be teaching this Sunday for about 10-15 minutes (giving a big picture look at everything we
have covered). Then I will split you up into your groups for yall to discuss whatever you want. For example, I told my junior and senior guys that I would let them
ask whatever questions they might have over any of the God, Marriage, and Family material that we have covered.

Because some groups will inevitably not open up and talk I will be posting a list of discussion questions on the blog later today.
I am attaching a list of the things we have covered just in case you want to take a look at some of the topics the students might have questions about.
More than anything this Sunday enjoy the students. Ask them about their lives. Ask them if they have learned anything from this study. Go week by week and
ask them if they have any questions about what we have talked about.

Let them know you care about them and are always there to answer any questions they might have about any of this stuff. Remember that many of
our students will not remember much of what we teach them but they will remember you. You have an impact on them. God is using you.

On Sunday January 18 we will do a study that will address those who have already sinned in many of these areas and we will teach on repentance, forgiveness, grace and how to
fight for purity now.
On Sunday January 25 we will do a Celebration of the "God, Marriage, and Family" study where we will give the students a chance to tell everyone what they learned.

If yall have any questions please email me at jeason@fbcmw.org or call (806)283-2659.

Justin