How Do I Conquer My Sin?

This is core Christianity, where answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez hi and welcome to another at the workers unity. I'm so glad that you are here with us you have questions about the faith and we want to answer them on this program with theology professor Dr. Michael Horton. I am pastor eat real Sanchez a lot of people right now are concerned because of the things that are happening all around the world think the coronavirus to think of wars you think of famines think that it seems like Jesus described in the Gospels.

Oh, where is our hope is Christians, what gives us confidence and strength. I was just thinking of Psalm 46. Listen what it says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives away, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the most high God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved.

God will help her when morning dawns the nations rage the kingdoms totter. He utters his voice, the earth melts the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. God is our King and his kingdom is on shake of all there so many things right now around us seem seem to be shaken and even our own faith can be shaken will.

Let's remember the God we serve the hope that we have in him the gospel that he gives to us as we get into the program for today without a call here from Jen about resources for talking with non-Christians. Let's listen in her short-term problem from Hawaii how water can discern fact if we care each of the body. And we shall mean you kids from China to call back and how to modify and for example how to modify profanity if someone teach. He's being file language and they chiefly thinking and they get tired of repenting because they keep doing it. The moment after baby parent how open comp and Morgan find that kind of scam that is sent. I appreciate your time and your answers.

Thank you very much. Yeah, thank you Jennifer, you know, first we we all get tired of repenting. It is a constant call and yet we all have new hearts that want to repent. The desire repentance to chapters that I would really focus on here are Romans six and seven in Romans six, the apostle Paul, after having described the absolute free grace of God in Jesus Christ.

We are declared righteous were justified by his grace alone in Christ alone. He goes on to ask the question then if that's true then why don't should we set our delights out because of the more we sin the more grace we get no Paul says, don't you know that you not only been justified. You're being sanctified.

You been renewed in your inner person even regenerated your born-again justification is wonderful is that is isn't the only thing that's true about you. You're not only declared righteous, though you're still sinful. You're also taken from death to life. You passed from death to life, and so pulses how can you return to that state of death you can't your life now and if you been buried with Christ in baptism you been raised with him in newness of life.

They get to chapter 7 and he says, but don't don't get cocky here. Even I my Christian life I find that I often want to do the things that I don't do and don't do the thing. The very things that I want to do.

I want to obey God's law, but I find myself frequently falling down the job doing the very things that I don't want to do a wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death thanks be to God through Jesus Christ. So Jesus is not only the answer to our guilt. He is the answer to the dominion of sin over us because we are in Christ we are declared righteous and we are also delivered from the domain of darkness, I would say first of all Jennifer on the basis of that Paul says again and in Romans chapter 6 therefore put to death the deeds of the body.

Therefore say no to the passions of the flesh. Why because you lose your salvation if you don't know because you are saved, because he has broken the back of sin, the tyranny of the dominion of sin. Why do you live. Paul says as if sin were still your master.

It's not always still sin to goes on to say, but were not free to sin. Practicing sin is not our lifestyle. We don't live in sin. There's difference between sinning is Christians falling short of the glory of God, even sometimes sinning against his grace. The horrible fact that David prayed in Psalm 51 you know I have done that which is evil in your sight, so that your your justified when you condemn me. We can all say that because Christ is justified us and has renewed us by his Spirit.

We can then go on in and say yes but I love your law and in loving your law.

I want to follow your law I want to do what pleases you, and that's what fuels us. Actually, it's not carrots and sticks.

It's really the wonderful good news that we are already accepted in Jesus Christ and our renewed creatures part of the new creation that actually settled and if that's true, since that's true, like it say no to send you. You now have the power to say no to sin, sometimes as Christians we know. We act as if were still dead in trespasses and sins, as if we could either live above all known sins. That's perfectionism or we're somehow kind of puppets of sin still and were not were neither. We haven't yet, until Christ returns in our bodies are raised, we will not be free of the presence of sin in our lives but we are free from its dominion. We are free from its tyranny. And that's what I tell people if I tell myself when I am tempted to follow my sinful passions, rather than believe what God's word says about me and you know Jennifer in that verse that you quoted from Romans chapter 8, where Paul talks about by the spirit putting to death. This sinful deeds of the body. The key there is by the spirit. I think there are a lot of Christians who were trying to mortify their sins in their own strength right by just have a good plan is right. I got all these this strategy and and I'm cutting off all these things are cutting out all the things for my life was actually what we need more than anything is to be filled with the spirit raised by the spirit and Paul in Ephesians and Colossians he says is what it looks like to be filled with the spirit. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, the gospel that Mike was just talking about there so it's as word of the gospel dwells in our hearts is that message is perfect, hating us, you crowd out all the other stuff that's right. That's what we need more than any Christ. Amen. Thank you for your question, Jennifer got a Facebook message now from grace. What does Paul mean when he says we are to judge angels like a fashion contest now well SRO but I could actually while those wings you hiding before God created the world. Grace, Satan organized a mutiny of angels against God's reign. So, just as there will be a final judgment for humanity, so also for angels. Not only has God chosen many rebellious human beings to be saved, but also has chosen angels and we often don't think about that that the elect human beings and the elect angels are part of one church you know we belong together as one church, and so there is going to be a final judgment in which angels also will be judged and Paul tells us in first Corinthians 6 that that we're going to be involved in in judging angels, which really tells us that we though created a little below the angels are now in glory.

When were glorified and have the very status of Christ himself.

We are going to be his lieutenants, as it were in judging these angels. Paul tells us in verse 20 and six, the first eight verses how can we dare take a fellow believer to court or don't you know.

He says that the saints will judge the world and if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases do not know the we are to judge angels how much more than matters pertaining to this life. Believers are going to be sharing in Christ's judgment of the world, including angels on the last day.

Think about that. That is absolutely amazing and that's why Paul says so you're not competent in the church now to settle your own disputes among yourselves in the church without having to sue each other. In Revelation chapter 2 Jesus is the one who conquers and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my father, astonished to hear people who are being persecuted, who are who are being judged by the Roman empire is guilty of death and Jesus is telling them well that's pure now, but in the hereafter. You're going to be judging the world, along with my son. That is a staggering thing. Paul also assesses second Timothy 211 through 13. The saying is trustworthy, for if we have died with him.

We will also live with him.

If we endure, we will also reign with him.

If we deny him, he will also deny us if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. A manual cynical Christianity give us a call. The numbers 1-833-843-2673.

That's 1833 the core. You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com a great resource if we want to let you know about over@ourwebsitechristianity.com yeah drill were sharing her popular Bible study. Why is the world a mess. What you don't hear that every day to add it. You can download it by signing up for our weekly newsletter. This study is designed to help you have a biblical perspective on the pain and suffering that we see all around us in our own lives. So head over to court, Christianity.com/offers to download why is the world a mess you can all see that resource by calling us at 833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core. It is writing to an email we got from Rachel. She asks why is it important to believe in justification by faith, and have assurance does and a lack of having assurance help us to stay motivated to do good works. Yeah right. I know this is how we think that's how I think no matter how you think you have your theological head on straight. This is this is our band.

We don't often think of it as a sinful bent but it is we think of it as a bent towards goodness and righteousness, but it's what it curves us back in on ourselves, thanks for the question Rachel I'm I'm gonna take just a little longer on this one because I think it's a huge topic and we get a lot of questions about assurance. I want to deal with it best I can hear you, carrots or sticks here, Rachel carrots and sticks are used in a lot of activities very well. You know, we make sacrifices that work in the hope that we might get a race nothing wrong with their consequences when our kids don't do their homework, etc. etc. so we just assume that this works in our relationship with God ^ driven people often embrace the flipside, a stick driven life just two sides of the same coin. One evangelist from the 18th century said that to say that were chosen by grace apart from anything in us were done by us undermines the main ground for holiness, fear of punishment and hope of reward swell now. I asked the class at a Christian school. I gave that quote and I said does everybody agree with that hand shot up. Yeah, I agree with that and I said what's wrong with that and also a lot. I had thought about ways and they got it will basically your your motive for holiness is selfishness.

Problem is I think a lot of people have this view of religion in general and Christianity in particular, do good things and you'll go to heaven when you die, or you'll have more crowns or a penthouse suite or maybe at least concierge level. The ^ driven life is just a more positive version of the stick driven life. There are two sides of the same coin of legalism. We have a book in the making here that the character of bin Laden.

The stick driven life. We had a pitch that one I don't you think are two sides of the same ALARA having both of them are the rewards or self punishing us right now. The main problem was being ^ driven is that were loving God and our neighbor simply for the hope of reward, something wrong with looking forward to rewards, but we don't do it for that reason, think about what Jesus says in Matthew 25 of the sheep and the goats. The sheep Jesus says about you.

You visited me in prison you cared for the least of these my brothers and sisters, your fellow Christians and what are they say, when we do that, whereas the goats those who thought they were Christians but they're not the goats say when did we see you in prison.

When did we making excuses, but the sheep don't even they're not even aware that they were serving Jesus. They were just loving their neighbors. So Jesus and the apostles encourage believers who suffer especially for the gospel with the crown of life like Olympics that day. You know the person won the gold medal got a crown running the race but all believers are promised. This victory crown in Christ. The martyrs past and present are among the blessed court to be celebrated and rewarded in heaven, but all of us share with them equally in all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 14. You can motivate people with sticks and carrots in everyday life.

As I said when you actually have a capacity to do what pleases your boss or ground your children when they don't clean their room, but before God were dead in sins, we are unable to please God apart from faith which he gives us by his grace. He can't ^ into becoming a better you.

Or stick a person into trusting in the Lord Jesus on the good news side of things we can go back to Ephesians 13 through 13, where Paul says we been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, what blessings we says we been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world predestined to be adopted as sons redeemed by Christ united to Christ and sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit we can't be anymore chosen redeemed spiritually alive or justified then we are at the very moment we trust in Jesus Christ. If he merited the reward of eternal life for us. Then we question the sufficiency of his life, death, resurrection and intercession. If we look for sticks and carrots. Whatever rewards we receive by his grace. On top of that, so much the better. But there are no grades of spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. There are no levels in heaven. So what's our motivation assurance that were justified in Christ chosen were made alive or redeemed were adopted were being sanctified. We will one day be raised with Christ. Only when we know that God has justified us that is declared as righteous even despite being in ourselves ungodly without any hope or anything to contribute, are we free for the first time to love God and our neighbor from the heart. Only when we know that we've been justify.

We have been justified and are being sanctified by God's grace in Christ can we do any good works and glorify your father and encourages Thomas, here it might help here to distinguish the fact of assurance from the experience of assurance. Our experience of God's favor rises and falls when I fall into sin. I experience God's displeasure and as a good father he disciplines me he trains my heart, but sometimes in the process of that I can lose that sense that he's on my side in Christ. So I need to go back to the gospel and fight the indwelling doubt and sin with his promises. In the gospel. My experience can never be the basis for the fact of my assurance of the fact the objective fact that we have assurance from God in Jesus Christ through the gospel has to be the ground of our experience.

My experience sometimes is right, but it doesn't have the last word. It's the objective promises that we have in the gospel that keep us going and that's the basis of our assurance having been justified by faith, we have have once and for all objective peace with God, thank you so much for your question, Rachel is moved to a Facebook message we got from Elizabeth in John 1427 Jesus says peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid, but Matthew 1034 Jesus says do not think I've come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

At least two fit together now. Thanks, Elizabeth. The key I think is to understand that the peace Jesus brings isn't the sort of peace of the world gives. It's not peace without conflict. But it's a peace that transcends it goes beyond the concerns of this life.

Few things first off, it's important to point out the Jesus isn't talking about physical violence here. These not issuing a fat water for holy war with swords flashing on the contrary, he emphasized that his kingdom is not like the empires of this age instead of retaliation. We pray for those who persecute us. Back when James and John wanted to call down judgment on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus. We read and in Luke 955 the Lord turned to them and rebuke them sharply thought why he came while I thought he came to bring sword, not peace. The idea that a lot of people have in our society is it when Jesus was titled as the Prince of peace because he preached the gospel of religious pluralism. Basically everybody finds their own way to God bless nowhere close to the truth. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but through me.

John 14 six so here in Matthew 1034 Jesus saying that everyone will need to make a decision about that everyone will need to decide where their allegiance lies with him or with anyone else or anything else even family members are going to turn on each other.

He says here in Matthew 10 also in John 16 to he adds, they will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, there is a time coming when whoever kills you will think that it is an act of religious devotion.

So Jesus does bring opposition. He's the rock of offense for Jews in a scandal to Gentiles. If you believe Jesus when he says that he's the only way the 10 people in many places in the world today, you will be harassed and even liable to prison or death sentence. There's another front on which this war is waged the spiritual battle with Satan the world and our own sinful desires. Paul says in Ephesians 6 we struggle not with flesh and blood, look people can persecute us. But that's not the greatest problem. The greatest problem is that Satan comes to us to so doubt to sow seeds of temptation and to tell us that were were not really loved by God. Member were justified through faith, so the more Satan can work on that faith to keep us from trusting in Christ alone for our salvation. That's where the real battle happens and that's why Paul says the only weapons we have sort of the word of God, especially the gospel, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of Christ's righteousness, not our righteousness because Satan's arrows can't penetrate his perfect righteousness. We put that on to protect ourselves. That's all we have in this war, but it's enough so Jesus brings a piece that starts a war if you become a Christian. Here's the thing, is not just that you have this peaceful easy feelings. On the contrary, the war begins the war within begins a lot of new Christian say I thought you know it was a wonderful thing when I was forgiven and now I just have all the struggles simply via I'm I'm struggling more with sinfulness than I ever realized before we have the conviction of the Holy Spirit right that means is working.

The Holy Spirit indwells you and he's convicting you he's we don't sweep the house so that the Holy Spirit can have a nice place to live in. He takes up residence in our mangy garage and he sweeps it. Thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at court, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu for or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court when you contact us.

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