Lawlessness and Sin (Part B)

That I belong to him no matter what happens, no matter how I fail no matter what delays I incur. I'm not going faith again is no blind act solely in the dark is based on the truths that are inescapable. I don't know if every believer can say this. I hope so, but I know from my own experience. I met Jesus Christ, I don't mean visibly walk up to him, met him in my heart. That's what makes us born again. This is cross-referenced with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first John, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-referenced specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today.

Pastor Rick will conclude his message called lawlessness and sin as he teaches through first John chapter 3 Christ removes our sin and God forgets them. He wills them out of existence. That's how big the grace of God is when God says I have forgiven you what you did is willed out of existence before the throne of God, you, and in this life.

The consequences of that act may linger before the throne of God. They are gone, so that when God looks at his people. He sees a finished product because of his son and so much for anyone who says sin doesn't matter, God says, I disagree. And when you wear the cross on your neck, borrow or wherever else you have that the emblem of the cross he was saying. Sin does matter and the solution matters more, and that is again something world does not want it wants its sin. Verse six. Now whoever abides in him does not send whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him or back to that popular word of John abide which means to remain, we abide, regardless of what the weather is good be stormy you can be hot and humid. Whatever the weather is we abide, we remain on the vine. If we are abuse in life we are cheated we are unloved. If we allied to where all of the above, whatever it may be, we still stick to the Lord Jesus by faith from truth. That's important we Christians say we have faith we mean it is built on a solid foundation is not some superstition or some great wish with no basis behind it by faith from truth. Even though good prayers are offered up to God and not granted, we remain with the Lord. So when he says whoever abides in him is not sin will get to the not sin part that abiding part is critical to get to the benefits of the sin that comes so naturally to us as sinners. Matthew 1116 Blessed is he who is not offended because of me said the one that can endure one does not become bitter towards me because I did not answer their prayer. That one is blessed you know Jesus is ingenious at coming up with ways to bind the sacrifice to the altar through you can go anywhere else because you've seen him, you know him and you're not ready to violate your faith simply because your circumstances are so miserable that Christianity, it's not. It's not so much a determination that a determination is in it is belief is a surrender of the will that I belong to him no matter what happens, no matter how I fail no matter what delays I incur.

I'm not going anywhere. Faith again is no blind act solely in the dark is based on the truths that are inescapable. I don't know if every believer can say this. I hope so, but I know from my own experience.

I met Jesus Christ, I don't mean visibly walk up to him, but met him in my heart.

That's what makes us born again we had that experience is that real to us so we must not confuse our standing with Christ with our state as people in this life. What I mean by that outstanding is that the blood of Jesus Christ is cleansed us. We are redeemed we are his Norsemen to take us out of his hands. That's our state standing is we still mess up.

We still blow it with him.

One does not destroy the other. Standing before God is perfect because Lord Jesus is taken away our sins, our state is imperfect because he has not taken away the carnal nature. We have a dual nature of the spirit.

Once we are born again. The spirit comes to life. We are not interacting with God. We were doing that to we were born again before you. A person is born again or untouched by God.

They only interact with man and man's ideas. They can even act interact with the demon world that cannot interact with God until they repent of their sin. God is of course fully aware of these things, but the office to do something about it and is illustrative for us even in the Old Testament in a very wonderful way. Zechariah chapter 3 is the story of Joshua the priest, not Joshua. The conqueror of Canaan, but Joshua the priest many centuries later. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. Yahweh said to Satan, I rebuke you Satan. Yahweh has chosen Jerusalem to rebuke you continues.

Is this not a brand plucked from the fire that Joshua was clothed with filthy rags and was standing before the angel. And then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him, God is speaking now saying take away the filthy garments from him and to him. He said see I have removed your iniquity from you I will close you with rich robes and I said let them put a clean turban on his head so they put a clean turban on his head and they put the clothes on him and the angel of Yahweh stood by you see here's Zechariah getting this vision and he sees this happening see Satan accusing the high priest of God and then he sees God's mercy poured out on the high priest in spite of the filthy garments that which is indicative of his heart, his sin that's in his life. Zechariah in the vision is so excited about this that he joins it.

It's just like you.

You're in a dream. But as you see this happening any joins in and he says and I said let them put a clean turban on his head to an exciting moment and is all captured as though when he came out of the vision he wrote this with excitement because it's all about being clean before God. That's what life is all about God accepting us all the other things are to work for that to support that their logistical for that let them put a clean hat on his head. That's what he said. He jumped into the D saw the grace and the beauty I don't know about you but I love that part of that's justification is fully aware of our state of sin covered condition and he offers Christ to change our standing before God. So believers, we do we do fail, out of weakness. Unbelievers fell out of disbelief and defiance. But this distinction is critical if there were no such thing, or maybe a set.

This way if we were perfect if we could attain perfection in this life, there'd be no need for his mercies to be new every morning, but they are new in the prophet Jeremiah when he wrote that he was struggling so much with what happened to Jerusalem. How much energy was put into saving Jerusalem from destruction. It was not all wasted.

There were individuals that responded to the prophet but as a kingdom totally was destroyed any rights in Lamentations. He says though Yahweh's mercy is not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness.

When he says your compassions fail not. Compassion in the English is to suffer with someone is to is to feel their pain. God is saying to his prophet say I see you struggling. I feel that for you. When Christ walked he did not sin, but it was all around. Sinners, he was not all that seen all these dirty people or they can't get their act together nothing but love and going to die for these people. I'm going to do something about this before I do that I have to lay down teachings that can be found nowhere else by anyone else but me. Cannot you cannot help but to benefit from the Gospels, in the words of Christ. He says whoever sins here in verse six whoever sins is neither seen him. Norton known him well. The Gnostics walking around saying I saw Jesus and sins really not that you know it's it's abstract and John is saying no you didn't seem and you're not one of us to make such a silly claim is that you've disqualified yourself from honesty and ministry. At the same time will have none of it. I love that about Johnny puts it, so simply. Whoever sins and neither seen him nor known him that we've already clarified that what John means by this because he is said we have an advocate if we do sin. Verse seven little children. Let no one deceive you, he who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. Remember, this letter was written before the book of Revelation, the book of Revelation is a complex book on every level.

In other words, John is not senile when he's writing this. His faculties are working there working so well that God has another assignment waiting for him years after writing this letter so when we read this site was John losing his busy losing sight of what he just said, as he is, he can conjure no, he's not totally aware of what he's doing is focused on his points and he knows his audience is with with him where he says little children. That's a term of endearment. Let no one deceive you. Many Christians behave as though you can't be deceived when someone says Jesus name once as a Jesus name was a chart you can be deceived after that that of course is ridiculous. Satan loves to deceive in the church through people who say they are Christians. Anywhere he can do it. Second John verse 74. Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.

This is a deceiver and an antichrist, and those with the Gnostics, many of them that one part of the school of Gnosticism was Christ was a Phantom.

He wasn't real and he's just of hammering that what he says let no one deceive you, he who practices righteousness to practice is to be deliberate to openly do something because you're fine with it. That's why you are repeating it deliberately wasn't reinforcing it, strengthening and adding it and so he says when you find someone strengthening sin, reinforcing sin, you know that not of God.

That person sinners on them. There are no inhibitions. There is no restraint it's it's brazen, it's blatant because they've not repented and again the Gnostics walking around their final roles are collecting money from people teaching these lives. God wants you rich sin doesn't matter sounds familiar there amongst us. To this day. Romans chapter 7 for the good that I will to do. I do not do with the evil I will to do that I practice that's because of the dual nature one fighting the other verse eight.

Now he was senses of the devil. The devil has sinned from the beginning. This purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil is talking about the flagrant sinners were practicing their sin, who have no guilt before the throne of God. They think this is fine and there are people that tell themselves this. I just saw a news article the other day from nine I want to make it sound like I do all this reading of news article. I could care less about have to stop the world doing what I do get. I know how it got on my email, but I get this Christian news update thing and even though the name Christian post something like that and I saw one of the headlines caught me. I do click on download pictures because I like the pictures onto a reading so I get it and it ended just I don't know the proper pronunciation of this entertainer. West is his last Kenya Kenny don't don't don't say call and I don't mean any disrespect cyst anyway so that person was saying that the to sign a record contract. Many of the companies record producing companies make you sign that you will not mention Jesus name I no reason to doubt that that's true and that this present climate, not with the present attitude were facing the world does not want you to mention Jesus Christ.

These are the type of people that John is dealing with those who are against God against Christ deliberately practicing sin, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness and so he says he was senses of the devil.

This the type of people that he's talking about for the devil has sinned from the beginning verse eight.

For this purpose, the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

So, in contrast to verse seven he who practices righteousness is righteous, he who sins is of the devil. He who practices the what the devil wants to do the source of sin is Lucifer. Collectively, those who are with him.

Satan he introduced sin into humanity.

Sin is an exotic.

It does not go not did not grow naturally on earth it was important through Satan being allowed to tempt Eve. That's why when Paul writes to the Ephesians he says have no flow of fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Also, incidentally, all of Paul and Peter's writings were already circulated throughout Christianity there. They do not contradict each other. They should reinforce each other. Well, the devil's will and ways can be grafted into a human life just like God's ways and will can be grafted into a human life. That's what makes it very real, true believers cannot be happy with sin. True unbelievers really don't care that much. Don't make excuses for Satan cannot create life.

He corrupts life that already exists. That's how he becomes the father of lies and liars. And this, of course, and those who don't repent Planned Parenthood. What a sinister name baby killer who would that's what it is these little euphemisms you know that I do remember when the Gulf War they they they said that you know that the aircraft serviced the target he killed the enemy. They spent all their time coming up with ways how to not make the truth sound like the truth is nothing planned about parenthood with these devils. I don't want to get to into this emotionally because it's not necessary, but again that news source that I referenced earlier but I read what I grab from them. Planned Parenthood reports record breaking abortion numbers Wallace first correct that you will board a flight flight. You can abort were not going to fly today. We didn't get our flu shots.

Okay let that one just sit but up a life, you do not abort the life these people. They murder them. Now I gotta be careful. Maybe there is present someone who has had an abortion who now come to Christ. God has willed your sin out of existence to someone you is forgiven you is move forward. You're not the only one that is been guilty of egregious sins, and have come to the throne of Christ and not only been embraced but use the apostle Paul was doing Christians in going right at God grab hold of his life to so want to make sure we understand that as I read this with all of our disgust towards what they are doing, still within these numbers are people who can be saved because there are people who have already been saved out of this lifestyle of sin. He continues, he says, performing a record-breaking number of abortions last year as it continues to receive millions in taxpayer funding the company's 2018 2019 annual report shows that it's clinics performed 345,672 abortions in 2018. The highest number in recent years and a 4% increase from 2017. Over the past decade, the organization saw a nearly 7% rise in abortions performed 2008 to 2018 business now performs 40% of all baby murders in the United States. Where's the church wears our influence where's the light of the world. Where's the salt of the earth.

I'm not saying that to put a guilt trip on anyone. I'm asking the question, where is our info.

The church is not supposed to be the community center. It is supposed to be the conscience of the community is supposed to convict, rebuke, and exhort John chapter 16 the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, of unrighteousness, of judgment to come.

This is in John 16 throughout the New Testament. How come if there is an increase who we missing what has to happen for us to be more effective. The babies aborted will make it into heaven. With or without those who aborted those who committed these violent crimes.

These serial killers. They still have a chance to be forgiven. That's how big God's love is remember that the next time Satan hounds you because I think that you would be quick to save asked is, would God forgive anyone who does these things if they repented. I think every born-again believer would say yes will remember that the next time Satan says God doesn't forgive you for something if he forgives them these going to forgive you to. And if Satan can get into your head is saying you're too despicable to be used by Christ and you let him leave it at that and you will not be used by Christ, but if you receive it and say a God has done bigger things to me for my benefit and Satan could ever do against me than you can serve. He says here in verse eight, for the devil has sinned from the beginning is the beginning of Lucifer on earth for this purpose, the son of God was manifested. Christ came to deal with his the very acts of Satan in the lives of human beings and is hated for, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Jesus, of course, the antidote Colossians 2, and you, being dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that it was against us, which was contrary to us. He is taken it out of the way, having nailed to the cross. Having disarmed principalities, powers, he made a public spectacle of them triumphant being over them in it right on 15 didn't come out so easily, but there's a picture in Colossians now verse nine.

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. John is doing a little abstract Ministry of his own but is concrete truths that are supporting it. These are the two natures of course our Adamic nature that fallen nature it can do nothing right. The sinful nature. The natural man cannot get it right before the throne of God.

The divine nature that were given the Christlike nature. It comes from God himself. It is eternal it is sinless to the spiritual and he gets everything right. When John says is his commandments are not burdensome to my flesh. They very much are but the spiritual man says no there there there wonderful. They're absolutely right.

All the 10 commanders have no objection to any of them. My flesh hates it all my flesh wants to cover my flesh wants to be envious and jealous. My flesh wants to take would doesn't belong to me. My flesh will hurt somebody off. If it feels justified or satisfied by doing it this is the battle that we are in and once we understand this, we can understand what John is saying without being troubled his two natures warring against each other with the nature that comes from Christ. It is pure. It is sinless and it is confronted I am dead to sin. Sin is not dead to me.

It still comes at me with the judgment part is done. Romans 718. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh. Nothing good dwells for to will is present with me. But how to perform what is good.

I do not find is not being philosophically laying out like it is we were born again with a nature that can do nothing wrong when we are in the spirit.

Sometimes I am and I'm amazed at myself at night I cut that right. I actually love that despicable person right will sleep we can we get it done so that nature is what he's talking about the seed that is the life that is the life given to us. We come to Christ and we can be spirit filled, and devil tempted and that is part of this life were not going to get a room away from it. Here we will when we leave this life again. I am dead to sin in Christ. Sin still comes at me. Romans seven I find then a law that evil is present with me the one who wills to do good, so we watch and we pray in Jesus said the spirits dwelling with the flesh is weak is not as it is for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin, because he has been born. Seed is life spirit is alive and unscathed by sin. Your spiritual man is not made dirty by the natural man would you, as a whole have to deal with all of the results and the consequences and you must still abide and remain with the Lord. So I want to just close with this. Remember, sin looks very ugly and somebody else. Our sin looks very ugly and someone else and not so bad in ourselves, sometimes we have to be on guard against that. Micah chapter 7 verse 19 he will again have compassion on us, wrote Micah, knowing the sins of the nation and will subdue our iniquities. You changes now to address God directly will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. So this morning we been considering lawlessness and sin is not a pleasant topping. I don't think it should be sin's deadly stuff dams sold forever, but hopefully when comes out of this morning's consideration is that where sin abounded, grace did much more. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference to.com. Find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast you subscribe will be notified of new editions of cross reference. Just search for cross reference iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast apps. You can also follow the links@crossreference.com. We're glad we were able to spend time with you today to the next time to continue learning from the book of first John pastor I hear cross-reference