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?