1 Corinthians 6:8-11 – Sin: Friend or Foe – Bible study

1 Corinthains 6:8-11 Sin: Friend or Foe Notice \#1Cor 6:8\. These Christians were doing wrong. Either they did not know they were doing wrong or, worse, they did not care. What is sin? The definition I give when working with children is anything that displeases God, but that is a little too simple for adults. So lets do this a different way. Three thoughts: I. Sins Danger A. Sin is not portrayed in the Bible has an inanimate and harmless action. B. The Bible teaches us that sin: 1. Tempts us 2. Deceives us 3. Binds us 4. Destroys us 5. If we are lost, damns us C. \#Rom 1:22-32\ 1. The Bible says that when sinners go far enough down the spiral of sin into depravity and darkness, God will "gave them up" to sin. a. That means that God will abandon them. b. If God abandons a person in a completely neutral situation, things would be just as likely to turn out good as bad. c. However, people are hurling downward into sin is hardly a neutral situation. d. Things will never turn out good for a person whom God abandons on sins downward spiral. e. Why? Because sin has pull and sin has teeth! James 1:15 when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 2. This isnt just the power that sin has over unsaved people. It is also the power that sin has over saved people. a. Christians do sin. We should not, but we do. b. However, there are differences in the "kinds" of sins we commit and the way in which God will deal with us. c. What kinds of sins are there? For a Christian, there just two kinds. (1) There are ignorant sins. These are sins that when you got involved you did not know they were sinful. (2) There are plain old rebellious, willful sins. d. I am not God. I do not do the judging. Many of the times, I cannot even figure out how God is judging. e. But if that Bible is real, no Christian is going to get into sin and stay in sin without God dealing with them in one fashion or another. f. You ask, "How?" I dont know. That will be up to your Father to decide, but He will deal with you and it will cost you something very dear. II. Sins Definition A. If we are going to define sin, we must first know what the Bible says about sin. Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 1. This was Paul speaking. a. Paul was a very, very intelligent man. b. He wrote at least 13 of our New Testament books. c. And I am like Peter who of Pauls writings wrote, "in which are some things HARD to be understood." d. Paul was no dummy. 2. But Paul was not saying that he was not SMART enough to know what sin is. He was saying that he was not SPIRITUAL enough to know what sin is. 3. And, friend, you and I are not either. 4. We will have to define sin the way Paul said, by looking into the Word of God. 5. Might I point out that anyone who attempts to define sin with their own views, thoughts, and philosophies will fail. a. They may be the smartest people you know, but sin cannot be recognized or understood with the brain. b. It must be recognized and understood with the spirit. B. Anything that the Bible says is sin is sin. \#1John 3:4, Romans 7:7\. 1John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. C. Anything that binds is sin \#1Cor 6:12\ 1Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1. I find it interesting but what the world calls liberating and enlightening are usually the things that God calls sinful and binding. a. I grew up on the tail end of sixties and the hippies with their free love, sex, and drugs were just slightly older than me. b. I remember the freedom they claimed their drugs and lifestyles gave them, but what I was saw was that the liberty of the sixties became the bondage of the seventies andever since. 2. Notice that Paul said that all things are lawful to a Christian. a. Freedom is part of what grace is. b. Any Christian is free to do whatever he or she desires to do, but you are not free from the consequences of the sinful decisions you make. 3. Three truths: a. Every sin has an effect. (1) People sometimes say that there is nothing wrong with certain behaviors because it doesnt hurt anyone. (a) Most think this way in regards to the "sex" sins: prostitution, adultery, divorce and remarriage. (b) They are sometimes called the "victimless sins" because it is supposed to be between two consenting adults. (2) You cannot sin without some kind of effect. (a) It is like putting a drug in your body. (b) There is no drug you can add to your system that does not change the balance of your body on some level. (c) People took aspirin thinking it was a miracle cure. Some found out later that it was damaging the lining of their stomachs. (d) For years, people took penicillin for minor problems only to find out later that when they needed it, their bodies had built up an immunity to it. (e) Sooner or later, man always finds out that there is a negative. (f) Sins effects will always be negative. b. Any sin could bind you. (1) Thats another reason Christians should not partake of consensual sins. (2) Those are sins that people think wont hurt but themselves. (3) It is better to deny yourself 1000 pleasures and be bound to nothing that to enjoy 1000 pleasures and be bound to one. c. It is easier to avoid being bound than to break free. D. Anything that destroys the temple is sin \#1Cor 3:16-17\. 1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1. This truth is for the saved. a. Paul asked a question in \#16\ like the he expected the believers to know the answer. b. They are rhetorical questions. (1) You ask rhetorical questions when the answer is so obvious that that no one needs to answer them. (2) Will Alabama when the game Saturday? c. The idea is that we have the Holy Ghost of God living inside of us. Should we do anything that will hurt the body He lives inside of? NO. 2. The body is nothing more nor less than the vehicle to house and to transport the spirit (i.e. Holy Spirit). 3. God is making a statement. If we destroy this body, God will destroy us. 4. I read of a group of 13 men that in the 70s joined together to lobby for gay rights. By 1996, there was only one left. Twelve had died by AIDS. 5. If homosexuality was not wrong for any other reason, it would be wrong for destroying the body. 6. That is why drug abuse, cigarettes, vaping, drunkenness, and anything else that hurts the body is sinfuleven if there is no Bible verse that says it is wrong. E. Anything that hurts our testimony is sin. 1Thess 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1. This means it is wrong not only to do wrong, but it is also wrong to look like we are doing wrong. 2. Testimony is precious. a. It is the first door knob of witnessing that most will shake. b. Friendships, work opportunities, and even cold-door witnessing will be opened or closed by our appearances. F. Anything that we know is wrong is sin for us James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 1. Because the Holy Spirit guides us individually, He leads some to conviction about sin before others. 2. Once He tells us it is wrong, it is sin to us. G. Anything we dont know is right is sin for us. \#Rom 14:19-23\. Romans 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 1. God helps us by telling us what to do when we dont know what to do. 2. If you dont know it is right, then for you it is wrong. III. Sins Defeat 1Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. A. Defeating sin starts with a thorough washing, a washing in the blood of Jesus. 1. The reason some have never gotten victory over sin is because they did not start at the beginning. 2. You and I have nothing to combat sin with UNTIL and UNLESS we come to Jesus. 3. We were born in sin with a bend to sin, bound and beaten by sin like an abused slave with no concept of anything else. 4. Jesus is the only Key that can release us. B. Then a sanctification process begins. 1. Sanctification is a two-step, simultaneous process where we separate ourselves from sin; while at the same time, we join ourselves to God. 2. For some, it may be a slow process but it is a continuous process, moving us further away from sin and closer to God. a. The first step is to learn from preaching, teaching, and reading the Bible what sin actually is. b. Then conviction sets in. God takes what we learn and makes us feel terrible about our sin. c. Then a determination swells and grow within us until any pleasure we might have had in our sin is gone. d. And last we surrender to the Holy Spirit and turn from our sin. (1) For most, there will be some battles to win and some to lose in turning away from a sin, especially if it was a binding sin. (2) However, the Holy Ghost will not leave us alone and if we will not forsake Him, we will conquer that sin. Some listening to my voice this morning are playing with sin as though it were a friend. Sin is not a friend but a fiend. If you have not already invited sin into your life, turn from it and flee. If you have, began the battle of removing it from your life. You must for it will surely destroy your walk with God, your relationship with other godly Christians, and your own spirit.