Lakewood Bible Study | Mark Greathouse

((music playing)) Welcome to Bible study. It's that time again and I want you to feel welcome. Also going to ask you to invite somebody to come in with you into the room or uh if you have a passenger traveling with you in the car, just invite them to listening in and just know that God is doing something good right now and he has something in store for you and I.

But before we get into this session of Bible study, I want to pray with you and I want you to pray for me. And as we pray for one another, let's just dare to believe God to do the miraculous, to do the impossible, to be who he is in our lives.

So, let's do so now. Father, thank you for everyone who's in attendance tonight. Thank you for the move of your spirit which has compelled us to come tonight. We're asking that your word will come alive on the inside of us. That your word will be spirit and life to the hearer.

We're asking that as we hear these words of life that we will be transformed beyond our natural, Father, into that which you're calling us to. Place your super on top of our natural tonight, Lord. Father, some many who are here have needs. They need your intervention in their lives, Father, in particular areas.

I don't know what they are, but they do. and they're presenting them to you right now. So, we're praying prayers of agreement, Lord, that you would meet the needs that are coming before you right now. And anything that tries to interfere with the fulfillment of your word in their lives, Father, we bring subject to the authority of the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus.

And we declare that it shall not prevail, but that your purposes shall prevail. Your kingdom shall come alive in their lives. So we arrest, Father God, all sickness, disease. We arrest any form of calamity in the name of Jesus. We arrest lack, Father God, and bring it subject to the authority of your abundant supply.

And we thank you for doing much more than that. So, Father, heal the broken hearts, Father God. Heal the lonely hearts tonight. And we dare to believe you, Father, [clears throat] for something special to happen. And we praise you in advance of it in Jesus name. Amen. It is so.

It is so. So, we thank God. Thank God for another opportunity to continue in this series. What does it mean? What does it mean? And tonight, uh I I pray that you have been blessed with this series as the different teachers we've been coming forth with what God has put on our hearts.

And tonight, we're going to talk about sin. What does it mean sin? Sin, we don't hear that much about it. and and sometimes we uh in our day and age we use uh euphemisms, you know, or mistakes and, you know, things like that. But we want to see because it's mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, the word sin.

What is sin? What does it mean? And also eventually, can we master this thing that we call sin that's in the Bible? So, I hope you got your seat belts on tonight. Uh we're praying that our session will create a hunger and a thirst on the inside of you to get even more into the word of God in your personal devotional time.

I'm going to invite you to download the outline because as usual I have much more than time a lot. And so I'm going to hit some of the things here and there, but I'm going to trust you in your own personal Bible study time to go through and pick up some of these other scriptures and read them thoroughly.

We bless God tonight. So what does it mean sin? As I mentioned already, sin is is quoted about 400 times in the Bible. About 447 times in the King James version. And though although its character and its ramifications are noted in Adams and Eve's disrespect of and disobedience to God's instructions, ultimately missing his intended goal for that for their lives.

The word sin itself is first mentioned in Genesis chapter 4:es 5-7. I'm going to read that right now from the Amplified uh classic translation. It says this, "But for Cain and his offering, he God had no respect or regard." So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.

And the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, I want you to underline that. I underlined that in the outline. If you do not well or if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door.

Its desire is for you, but you must master it. Did you catch those word? Catch those words that the Lord spoke to Cain. He says, "Sin is lying or crouching at your door. It desires you, but you must master it." So sin is portrayed as a living formidable foe like an animal here in the scripture uh like an animal that's stalking its prey.

God's warning to Cain was to master this predator or become its victim. And it's interesting because he told him this even in this sinful nature. This is after Adam and Eve had already fallen. And he told him that sin is lying at the door, but you must master sin.

Even though that's in your nature and your character, you must master it. Similarly, the the apostle Peter describes the devil as an adversary who walks about as a lion does seeking whom he may devour. So Peter's instruction in chapter 5:es 8-9 of his first epistle was this. Resist or withstand him, the devil, the accuser, steadfastly in faith.

These scriptures highlight the importance of understanding and recognizing an enemy to mankind that is set upon man's destruction. That's what sin is. However, although portrayed as being a contentious adversary, sin is also shown to be a defeated captive of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul describes his personal struggle struggle with this contentious enemy sin and ultimate victory through the delivery delivering power of Jesus to Christ.

So Paul describes, I wrestle with this thing, you know, when I don't want to do something, I find it's right there waiting upon me, trying to lure me into its grip. But then he says, there's an ultimate victory that I have over it, and I don't have to succumb succumb to it.

So in Romans 7, the Apostle Paul, he talks about that. And as believers, it is important to understand the nature of sin in the light of our ultimate gift of righteousness in and with our heavenly father. So our study tonight is not just to focus or bring about a sin consciousness.

Rather, we want to uh understand what sin is in the light of and in the consciousness of the righteousness that Jesus Christ has afforded us through what he accomplished on Calvary and by re raising from the dead. We just celebrated a happy resurrection day and I'm glad what Jesus has already accomplished for us.

So as it is written, God made the one the one talking about Jesus who did not know sin to be sin for us so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. That's in 2 Corinthians 5 20 through 21. So, in our time together tonight, hopefully by the end of our session, we'll be able to identify what is sin?

You'll be able to answer that question. What qualifies as sin? Does sin separate me from God? How does someone stop sinning? Is there a remedy? I'm glad you asked that. And of course, yes, yes, yes, there is an enemy. And there is a remedy to that enemy. Hallelujah.

Jesus has already provided that. So, let's lay some groundwork. You ready? Put your seat belts on, drink your sip of water, and let's go because we're about to get into the word. Again, download this because I'm not going to be able to cover everything within the notes. The prelude to understanding sin.

The Bible describes it as again as an enemy, as a living organism that's looking to pounce upon or make you its victim, to master you. But before we can understand that truly, we have to understand the nature and character of what makes sin sin. Before there was anything, the Bible says, "In the beginning, there was God."

Let's look at Genesis 1:es 1 verse one in the Amplified Classic Translation. I love Dr. Miles Monroe. He was one of the first people who really pointed this out years ago and it's such a powerful revelation. It says simply this. In the beginning, God prepared, formed, fashioned, and created the heavens and the earth.

So what happened in the beginning? Who was there in the beginning? God. What did God do? He created the heavens and the earth. So in order for God to be there in the beginning, God had to be there before the beginning. So before there was a beginning, there was God.

God initiated the beginning. The beginning came forth out of God. So now that we see that everything that exists came out of him, even those things seen and those things unseen came forth out of God. And you can read in your own time Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2 and see how God created the heavens and then he created the earth.

He created the earth in such a way that he could put his representative here in the earth, mankind. And everything that was needed for him was set there in the earth. God set it up. So God is creator. God is author. So being such he is and one of the things we want to talk about and discuss in our time of study, God is omnipotent.

God is omnipotent. years ago, I think I was in my 20s. Uh I remember preaching a sermon and every time I think about it, it causes me to just stand in awe even while while I was preparing this Bible study session, it makes me stand in awe of God to think and back then I called it that's my sermon, the ooh about God.

The oo and it was three O's about God that we're going to talk about here right there. But God being omnipotent, God being omni, all potent power. So God is all power. That's a characteristics of characteristic of God. God is all power. Meaning he is unlimited power. He is authority and influence.

In other words, God calls the shots. So this is very important when we come down to understanding sin that one God is omnipotent. And we see in Genesis 18 14 the first part of that it says is anything impossible for the Lord is anything nothing is too hard for God.

In Isaiah 55 11 you may want to flip over there. We're going to be turning some scriptures today. It says his word, the very word of God is never void. Void means empty. It is never void of power. So when God speaks, everything in creation obeys him. That's talking about God.

That indicates that God is sovereign. Sovereign being God is the highest power. He's completely independent. He's above and superior to all. His he is authoritative to override all other or all of powers and all other powers and authorities. God is a monarch. He answers to nobody. There is nobody.

God has a has to ask a question or per uh ask permission to do something. Why? Because God is all power. Psalm 115:3 in the New English translation says this, "Our God is in heaven, he does whatever he pleases." God's being all power, even though his residence, we say his residence is in heaven, he does whatever he pleases.

Isaiah 45:es 18- 24. It says this. Just flip on over. If you're in Psalms, come over to the right a little bit. If you have your uh your your Bible, and it says this, for this is what the Lord says, the one who created the sky. Think about this.

He is the true God, the one who formed the earth and made it. He established it. He did not create it without order. He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord. I have no peer. Just pause. Think about that. God says, "I am the ruler. I'm in charge.

I have no peer. There is no one on my level." Just think about that for a moment. Verse 19. I have not spoken in secret in some hidden place. I did not tell Jacob's descendants, "Seek me in vain. I am the Lord, the one who speaks honestly, who makes reliable announcements."

Verse 20, "Gather together and come, approach together, you refugees from the nations. Those who carry wooden idols know nothing. Those who pray to a god that cannot deliver. Tell me, present the evidence. Let them consult with one another who predicted this in the who predicted this in the past who announced it beforehand.

Was it not I the Lord? Again, he says, I have no peer. There is no God but me, a God who vindicates and delivers all you who live in the earth in who live in the earth's remote regions. For I am God. I'm sorry, I skipped over something.

There was none but me. Verse 22 said, "Turn to me so you can be delivered. All you who live in the earth's remote regions, for I am God, and I have no peer. I solemnly make this oath. What I say is true and reliable. Surely every knee will bow to me. every tongue will solemnly affirm.

They will say about me, "Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer." So God is all power. There is no power that exists outside of him. I like to think of it like this. Any other power there is is only delegated power. has been delegated to that person or that entity by God but who is ultimately still in charge because he says I have no peer.

So God is omnipotent all power. God is also omniscience. All science we say omnisient that means omni all science to know God is all knowing. This is very important to us understanding our topic today about sin. When we think about who God is, that means he has infinite awareness.

He has infinite understanding and insight and he has unlimited knowledge. God is unlimited. He knows everything from the beginning to the end. Why? Because he's outside of it and he created it. So all things are held together by him and by his wonderful knowledge. Job 37:16 says this.

Do you know about the balancing of the clouds? That wondrous activity of him who is perfect in knowledge. God is perfect in knowledge. 1 John chapter 3 verses 18- 20 going over to the New Testament. That's a big jump over there towards the end. uh Paul's uh John's letter here first epistle says this little children let us not love with word or tongue but indeed in truth and by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence that if our conscience condemns us that God is greater.

Somebody say God is greater. God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. God knows all things. All right. There's some other scriptures you'll see there in the outline, but it talks about he knows every detailed happening here on the earth, even those that are future related.

Acts chapter 4, verses 22 through 24. Go ahead and flip back to your left a little bit if you have your handheld Bible, your manual Bible. It says this, "Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know."

This man was handed over by what? the predetermined, planned, and fornowledge of God. So God knows all things, even the things that are yet still to happen because he knows the future because he started it at the beginning. So God also is another characteristic and element of God is omni present.

Omni present. He's all present. He's constantly encountered everywhere at the same time. And I really want to read I love this scripture passage here in Psalm 139. There's 17 verses. I want to read all 17, but I may break it off here for the sake of time. God is present in every place.

There is no place there is that God is not. Come on here. So Psalm 139, let's look at that. I hope you found that. Psalm 139. Oh Lord, you examine me and know me. You know when I sit down and when I get up, even far from far away, you understand my motives.

You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest. You are aware of everything I do. Ah, that sounds like he knows everything. Come on. Verse four. Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, oh Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. He's omnisient still.

Verse five, you squeeze me in from behind and in front. You place your hand on me. Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension. It is so far beyond me. I am unable to fathom it. Where can I go? Here we go. To escape your spirit. That's capital S if you're looking in your Bible.

Where can I flee to escape your presence? If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. We're talking about him being omniresent, right? If I were to sprawl out in shale, another word for the place of the dead, the grave or hell, there you would be.

If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea, even there your hand would guide me. Your right hand would grab hold of me. If I were to say, certainly the darkness will cover me and the light will turn to night all around me.

Even the darkness is not too dark for you to see. Hallelujah. And the night is as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Certainly you made my mind and heart. You wo me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.

You knew me thoroughly. My bones were not hidden from you. When I was made in secret and sold together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw me because you're there. When I was inside the womb, all the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.

How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me. Oh God, how vast is their sum total. Can you just grasp the essence of what the psalmist is saying there? And let's just pause just for a moment and say, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for being everywhere present at the same time.

Thank you for being in the room right where I am right now. You are here with me. And when I get up and I go to another room, you're there, Lord. I praise you and thank you for being omniresent. There's no place that I can go where you are not there.

Come on, this is praise and honor him because he is worthy. He is omniresent and he's always there for you. You are never alone, my brother and sister. You're never alone. No matter what the situation looks like, no matter how dark it may be, even as the psalmist described right there, God is always there with you.

And that's something to get excited about. That's something to be grateful for and to offer praise and glory and honor unto the one who alone is worthy. And that is God. This God that we talk about who is omnipotent, who is omnisient, who is omniresent. He is to be honored.

He is to be revered. He is to be heralded upon our own lips. He is to be adored. He is to be obeyed. He is to be acknowledged not necessarily based upon our comprehension or what based uh not based upon what we understand but just because he is that makes him worthy.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He alone is worthy. And as and being alone as God, he alone with these characteristics being all that is he alone determines the boundaries of everything and he alone determines the standards. This is something we have to come to understand about God even when we go a little further in a moment to understand what sin is.

God determines boundaries and God determines standards. His word determines what is right. His word determines what is wrong. His word determines what is acceptable. His word determines uh what is unaccept unacceptable. He decides what is life. He decides what is death. He decides what is light and he decides what is dark.

He is always right. I want you to say that right where you are. God is always right. Come on, say that again. Come on, let's say that with some fortitude. Come on, put some ump into it. God is always right. He's always right. Meaning, he's always righteous. That speaks to his character.

That means that he's blameless. Hallelujah. He's innocent. He's always in the right. He's always just. God is always correct. God is and his standard of rule and his way of ruling. God is a monarch. God is not a democracy. He's not part of a democracy. That is crucial for us to understand especially in the western world.

God is in a kingdom and he is king over that domain. That kingdom, the king's domain, it is God's kingdom. He is the king of that. That means he's the rule of He's in rule of, by, and for himself. And that's sometimes hard for us to grasp. God is God's domain.

His monarchy. Monarchy means God is the rule of, by, and for himself. Unlike a democracy or a representative government where we say it's government of, by, and for the people. That's not so in the kingdom. In the kingdom is God's rule of him, by him, and for him.

All things are made for his pleasure. All things are created for his bidding. That includes you and that includes me. We are made for his purpose. So in understanding that God sets the standards. God says yes and God says no. So we look at that when we come to understand what sin is.

What is it? When we talk about sin, we're going to look at some of the words. We're going to look at some of the phrasiology in in scriptures to help us better understand. So anything what is sin? Anything that is basically I want to bring this to its elementary components.

If we say that God is right, God is righteous. than anything that is opposed to or the opposite of what God is in being right and and being righteous, that is sin. So, anything that is with blame, that's sin. Anything that is guilty, that's sin. Anything that is without virtue, that's sin.

Anything that is immoral or dishonest or wrong or corrupt or wicked or shameful, etc., etc., et, etc. That is sin. 1 John 5:17, the first part of that verse, it makes it very clear. It says, "All unrighteousness, all the things that are on that are not, come on here, loose here, tongue.

All of these things that are not right." Yes. All these things, that is sin. That's what the Bible calls sin. So, who determines what is righteous? We just set all of that up and we know that God is the one who determines what is right and what is wrong.

You don't determine it. I don't determine it. It's not about how we feel. It's not about what we think about it because we are part of the kingdom and the king has the final say. Don't you know in a kingdom the king owns all the property? The king basically even owns you.

You can't do anything if the king does not permit you to do it. Hallelujah. So there are different types of sin and we're going to move along here. Uh and there's some words from 10 for sin in the Bible. First of all, you see the word sin. You see the word uh uh we're looking at not only sin, but we're looking at iniquity.

We're looking at abomination. We're looking at transgression. And I'm going to hit some of these uh in the aotted time that we have. So sin, what does sin mean? sin. Uh Hebrew word kata uh when we find also over in the Greek in the New Testament hamaria that means to fail or miss the goal.

It's to miss the mark or to miss the destination. It includes a moral failure. Kata hamartia. That's sin. Sin is mentioned in the Bible. It's not treating Here we go. is not treating someone with the honor that is deserved. That that's with God and with man. Right? So it's failure.

One author said to be truly human by loving God and by loving others. Matthew 22 verse 34 beginning there says this. When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of their number a lawyer asked him a question to test him. Teacher, what kind of commandment is great and important, the principal kind in the law.

Some commandments are light wi-i which are heavy. And he replied to him, Jesus, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is what's right. Okay. This is the great most important principle and first commandment.

And the second is like it. You shall na love your neighbor as you do yourself. These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the law of the prophets. So when he's talking about love God and love your neighbor, that's a Greek word Jesus is talking here even though it's mentioned in the Old Testament as part of the law.

Agape or agape love, it refers to a selfless love, a sacrificial and unconditional kind of love. Okay. So they use agape to express this unique it's the god kind of love that transcends human emotion and is rooted in the will and character of God. All right. Kata also refers to redefining bad decisions as good one.

That's what makes it corrupt because God says this is right and anything that doesn't measure up to what's being what God says is right that is sin. Also there's a word transgression uh pesa or pasha in the Hebrew that means to break trust to go against to trespass.

It's a betrayal of a relationship. You see that in Genesis 31 36-37 about Jacob and Laban. Jacob had gone uh back uh to marry uh among his kin and he found his wife and Laban had tricked him because Jacob was known as a trickster and the trickster got tricked.

All right. But eventually he left from under Laban. He went and snuck away and he broke the trust. He broke the relationship by running off in the middle of the night. And Laban came after him. And he says, "Not only did you leave in the night, but you stole some of my gods."

And and Jacob had no way of knowing that his love of his life had stolen them. And she was sitting up on them the whole time. Read about that in your own time. All right. But it's also a mistreatment of others for national or personal gain. The mistreatment.

It's also, here's another word, parap paraptoma, which is humanity's violation of trust with God and with each other by one man's sin. The Bible talks about in Romans 5:12-19. I'm going to invite you to read that in your own time. There's another word uh for sin, which is iniquity, which is avon, which describes crooked behavior, wickedness, and guilt.

It says it is something that should be level that should be level is bent out of shape. It's distorted behavior and consequences. It's a perversity. It's carrying the consequences of bad decisions. That's what Avon is. And we also see this in scripture because God forgives by taking the responsibility for man's guilt.

Man sins, man should be the one to pay the price and suffer the consequences. But God steps in, hallelujah, with his forgiveness. And he takes that on. Hallelujah. In Joshua 7:es 10-11, I'm not going to read that, but the Lord said, "Hey, there's sin in the camp." Um, you're losing to your enemy because there's sin in the camp.

Achen has done something wrong. And they found that the Achen had stolen some of the prize from the defeat of the enemy and took it upon his own house in his own stores. And because of that, the whole nation suffered and ultimately he suffered the penalty of death because of that.

Then there's also abomination that we see especially in the Old Testament. Shakat or Aba is something that is hateful or detestable to God. hateful or detestable to God. It's loathome. It's repulsive. It's deplorable. It's morally repugnant actions or things that are offensive to God. Remember, the king determines what they are.

Proverbs 6, I want to read this verses 16-19 says this. These six things the Lord hates. Indeed, seven are an abomination to him. Number one, a proud look, the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others. Number two, a lying tongue. Three, hands that shed innocent blood.

Four, a heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans. Five, feet that are swift to running evil. Six, a false witness who breathes out lies even under oath. And seven, he who sws discord among his brother. So sin is also conditional. And I please get this outline. There's some words there I put in there.

I'm not going to go into them now. But hamartia, hamartano, hammatalas, hamarta talks and describe Greek words used in the New Testament about sin. Uh one who's devoted to sin, the practice of sin, the condition of sin itself. So sin, the Bible even describes and I like the way Jere Jeremy Taylor put this sin has uh is deceiving and it has a progression.

He said and we see that in James 1 14-15 and I'll summarize that but says it it looks like this sin first startles then it becomes pleasing then sin after becomes it startles you and become pleasing if it persists it becomes easy. Then it not only does it become easy, uh it becomes delightful.

Then it becomes frequent. Then it becomes habitual. Then it becomes a way of life. That sin that's been crouching there waiting upon you and me. It becomes impenitent. Meaning that you won't be sorry about it. You feel no guilt is the next phase. Then you become obstinate. And then you move into the area of condemnation.

James 1:14-15 talks about what sin does when it's conceived. But sin's goal is to rule and to master you. But that's what God told Cain. You must master it. It comes to separate you and me from God eternally. And eternal separation from God is what the Bible calls death.

So sin ultimately wants to bring about death. Romans 6 says this, "Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires." So sin comes in upon your natural desires and then tries to make those uh crooked and to bend them uh for its own gain to make them perverse even before God.

That's what sin tries to do. The deception of sin first we say we get startled by say whoa whoa. Then if we let it persist then it becomes frequent and easy delightful. Oh this is fun. Then we become unrepentant. Then we find ourselves moving towards condemnation. But the good news Jesus defeated sin.

He removed its power and and dominance to restore you and me to a right righteous relationship with our heavenly father. You'll find that in Romans 3 uh 24- 26. You'll find this in Romans 6:6. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.

We are no longer slaves to sin. Verse uh verses 6, 18, and 19 of that same chapter tells us that we have become we were once slave to sin, but we are no longer slaves to sin because of what Jesus has done. So now that we have been set free from the power of sin, we give ourselves over to righteousness instead of sin.

All right. So what is the remedy of sin? And we're closing really quick. We are free from sin's control if Jesus is our Lord and Savior. God Jesus is God's remedy for sin. And the Bible says even when we come to know him, uh if we miss the mark, even as a result of knowing him, the Bible says in 1 John 1:9, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and then to what?

Cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So what's not right, he cleanses us of that. The blood of Jesus is powerful in doing that. Hallelujah. And the Bible even says this, I really want you to read this and highlight this passage in your Bible. Second Peter 1:es 3-10. And because of Jesus the Christ, we do not have to sin.

We don't have to fall into sin. Somebody listening, you say, "I I I don't see a way of escape. I don't see how I can stop doing what I'm doing." Well, Jesus has already paid that price. So you don't have to be sub a subservient to sin, but you can be the victor over.

You can master that because he has already mastered sin and defeated it. Hallelujah. At Calvary when he rose, he said, "All power in heaven and earth is in my hand." And the last part that verse 10 of second Peter chapter 1 says this. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election.

Know who you are in Jesus Christ. For for by doing this, you will never stumble into sin. [clears throat] I believe the word of God. Some may say, "Oh, you can't believe without sin." What does the Bible say? And we believe what the Bible says. Amen. And thank God that if we do uh miss the mark, if we do uh no longer make a habit of sin, but we move towards rightness and righteousness, hallelujah, his blood is there to forgive us and to deliver.

Not only to just cleanse us, but he to remove that thing. So it no longer has power over your life and over my life. Hallelujah. So summary, sin works to separate you and me from God. But Jesus the Christ has openly defeated sin and its power. He mastered, like I said a minute ago, he mastered sin.

Romans 8:3, we'll talk about that. What the law could not do, Jesus could do. So you and I now, if we have accepted Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a holy, righteous life. Acts 2:38. Read that.

And then in Jesus, I want you to hear this as we finish just tonight. All legal claims and accusations against you and I have been nullified and voided by the power of his shed blood. You and I are forgiven. I want you to know right in that room right now that you are forgiven.

Jesus has already forgiven you. Hallelujah. If you've messed up, just say, "Lord, oh God, I have sinned against you. I confess it. This is what I did. I might have even enjoyed doing it, but Lord, I confess it. And the Bible says he is faithful to not only forgive you, but to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

That's the word of God. That's for you tonight. Hallelujah. Do you want to experience this true freedom? You can have it if you have not made Jesus your Lord. Pray. Pray with me right now. Jesus, I need you. Come into my life. I surrender. I realize you paid the price for me. a price that you didn't deserve.

But yet and still, you did it because you love me. I receive your work of atonement. I receive your forgiveness. And right now, in this moment, I confess you are my Lord and Savior. Hallelujah. We're celebrating with you. We welcome you into the family. And we want to invite you to come back again next week because something good will be waiting for you.

God bless you, my brother. God bless you, my sister. Until next time.