This series of teaching is for everyone and especially the 63 people who have come to faith in the weeks surrounding Easter. It is the basics of Christianity. During this series we are going to give you opportunities to read the Bible and be Baptized.
God’s plan to step into enemy territory and take back ground from the enemy led to an all out invasion of grace into the world. Even though sin had separated mankind from God, Jesus led a counter offensive attack to defeat sin and restore God’ s people.
What is Sin?
Sin is the direct or indirect disobedience of God’s law.
Our selfish nature leads us to sin
Genesis 3:2-6
2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”4“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
Sin Grows In The Darkness Of Our Hearts
Ephesians 5:11-13
11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
Why is Sin Bad For Me?
The Wages Of Sin Is Death
Romans 6:23
23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Your Sin Impacts Those Closest To You
Unfortunately, sin is quickly and easily learned. Those actions we take (seemingly privately) are observed by our friends, loved ones and even our children. As a result, we are teaching our sins to the people we love most. The big question is this:
Are you teaching those around you to reject sin or justify and hide it?
The Hope Of The World
John 3:16-21
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
You Can’t Buy Your Salvation
Romans 3:23-25
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness,
You Can’t Earn Your Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-9
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
You must Trust in the Work of Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10
9If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.