Delivered

Have your Bibles tonight. Please turn to first John chapter 3, we look at verses four through eight. Everyone makes a practice of sinning. Also practices lawlessness sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins. And in him there is no sin.

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Spray heavenly father we come before you tonight. Looking at a passage of Scripture that is a terribly convicting passage of Scripture. We pray father as we deal with this tonight that we might deal with it in a way that would convict those that need to be convicted and yet comfort those who need to be comforted and only father. We realize this is a passage that that people that have very sensitive conscience. Attender conscience can really be harmed by if they take it wrong if they misunderstand it.

We pray heavenly father that you would have us wisdom and how to deal with this this evening and that Christ might be glorified through what is said in this congregation might be edified by God and directors floor through the passage will give you praise and honor and glory for what you do for us and it's in your holy and wonderful and precious name we pray.

Amen.

You may be seated in our last sermon we dealt with one of the most glorious and sweetest doctrines in the Scripture, a doctrine of adoption that we are not just saved were not just forgiven of our sins, but we are adopted into the family of God you take that adoption you add the, the doctrine of justification.

With that you got some very glorious things we see our relationship with God that is eternal.

It is a relationship that is an unconditional covenant and indissoluble union. Depaul had to say about that. He said it this way, what shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord shall persecution or tribulation, or, or nakedness, or sword, or peril, no resales, for we are more than conquerors through Christ to love does Brian persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor powers, or principalities, or things to present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, or any other creature, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, what can break that covenant absolutely nothing what what can make God reneged on the promise that he gave us to save us for all of eternity. Absolutely nothing brothers and sisters. That dog will hunt. I mean that that truth will make a stoic dance a jig.

There is just nothing much more exciting than what I just shared with you there but John didn't stay up on that mountaintop for very long and and there's a reason for that because the truth of adoption doesn't apply to everyone. I shared with you last week that God is not the father of all people on this earth is the father of only those who been born again into his kingdom who have been adopted into his family, and I think John is probably looking out over his his congregation.

They are in the in the city of Ephesus, and he's looking and he realizes that there are some people in that congregation that are living under deception. They are, they are at on at church on Sundays and and they understand a lot of things in. They know the songs and they know the creeds and they know the liturgy but they don't know God. They don't truly know the Lord.

So these folks. John asked another question. Not are you adopted but are you delivered and we as evangelicals have another way of saying that we would use the word Sagar you say it's a record so so that and that word literally means delivered or rescued or rescued.

God only adopts those people who he has who have been rescued from hail who have been delivered from the wrath of God.

The adopts those into his family.

Yet the vast majority of people in our world today. Totally reject that and they sell know that that can't be true. We we just don't believe that we don't believe that McKenna and the reason for that is, there were people in John's day who said you know a true and loving God could never send someone to hail it would people say that today if you don't believe they would say that today just write us letter into the Charlotte Observer and make a statement in there that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation you get 100 responses back very quickly telling you that can't be, so that I got a true loving God could never send anyone to hail.

That makes me shudder when I hear that kind of talk and all I can think about is is the apostle John who wrote these words that we have here today and this apostle John is one who who was there and saw what it calls Jesus to purchase our salvation.

He was there at the cross. He watched the the soldiers as they took a cat of nine tails we have been beat Jesus across his back. 39 lashes that he watches the soldiers took a crown of thorns and crushed it down on his braille.

He watches as soldiers lay Jesus down on that rugged cross and nailed his hands to our it took to the cross and with huge iron spikes. He watched them take that cross lifted up in the air and drop it down in the hole and jar all of his bones out of joint. He heard Jesus cry out from the cross, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me he understood what Jesus was doing Jesus was was dying as our substitute. He was dying in our place. He was suffering are hail for us and John knew what it cost him.

It is right. I think John is saying here it is right. It is just that people who scorned this kind of love and that kind of Savior. It is right for them to be separated from Almighty God for all of eternity. So John is asking the question, are you delivered. Are you delivered four points I want to share with you. Night as we take a look at this passage number one.

The need for deliverance.

Look at verse four.

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness sin is lawlessness and what is sin several definitions that you find in the Bible of the answer the question what is sin. Romans chapter 14 verse 23 says whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Proverbs 24 verse nine says the devising of foolishness is sin. James 417 says to him who know what to do good and do with it.

Not to him it is sin. First John 517 says all unrighteousness is sin.

The Greek word for sin is karma. Tia and that word means missing the mark coming short, Paul said that we have all seen it come short of the glory of God with come short of God's standard of absolute perfection. We shoot for the bull's-eye and we don't hit the bull's-eye. We don't even hit the target.

That's what sin is here in first John three sin is defined as lawlessness or defiance. Though King James version says it's the transgression of God's law. The transgression of God's law.

The pictures this God drew a line in the sand and said do not cross over that line, and there are those who jump over the line and say would you do what we want to do would you live like we want to live. We don't care where the line is drawn. We don't care who drew it were gonna jump over that line toward Adam and Eve did in the garden, God said of the fruit of the of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, and what did they do a success. Who and they jumped over that line and they partook of of the fruit that's transgression of the law defiantly stepping over the line.

That's not a lot how we like to define sin is that we got euphemisms for sleep and we call it an accident, God causes an abomination. We call it a blunder God calls it blindness. We call it carelessness. God calls it callousness. We call it a defect, God calls it defiance we call the era. God calls it enmity we call the flaw God because of the totality will we call it laziness. God calls it lawlessness. We call it a mistake, God calls it madness we call it a setback. God calls it sin.

We called a triviality God because of the tragedy we call it weakness. God calls it wickedness. That's what we do. We refuse to see ourselves as we really are and we make up words to try to make us feel better about what God says is rebellion against him.

This is what Jeremiah since it meant when he said the heart is desperately it is just desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. Who can know it, but the emphasis in verse four is on the singular word for sin, we see that singular word for sin. You know he's talking about, not just a particular sin, but a sin nature. The root of the sin in our life. So when we see the plural word for sins of the S on and that those of the fruits that grow from that root, the sin nature verse four. Speaks of those who commit or practice sin. This means sin is a lifestyle and means habitual sin/preaching the gospel in verses four and five John is saying is this you have, you transgress the law of God had you stepped over God's line had you defiantly said to God, I know what your word says I know what the law says, but I desire to get on the other side of that line and please myself. It and do what I want to do.

I know that premarital sex is forbidden in the law, but I my hormones are raging and and my partner is willing and so I will get the pleasure on the other side of that line.

I know drunkenness is forbidden in Scripture but my goodness it's it's a St. Patrick's Day.

I want to tie one on with my friends. I know that line is forbidden in God's law, but and if I don't correct this era that I may lose my job and know that God is said not to take his name in vain.

But when I get mad and I'm with a bunch of people to use God's name in front of a curse word is really impressive know what God says about lusting, but town and I'm away from everybody that I know and I'm in a motel that I can watch some pornographic movies and and that's just not that bad or I know that gossip is forbidden by God, but that that girl is is so sneaky and conniving is not right for her to have such a great reputation, but I let this story out than people really know what she's like what I just done I just shared with you what the human heart is like Ephesians chapter 2 says that we are by nature children of wrath, we may like the blessings that God can give us.

But we don't like the law and the holiness that God commands from us like a little boy in the backseat of a car who is standing up the backseat and his dad's a sunset around will boy just stands there. He said son I said sit down will boy just stands there. He reaches back pop slapped him on his leg will boy slipped down the seat just takes his arms like this looks mad is that's a son you got something to say. He said yes sir he said AAA said. I'm standing up on the outside I'm sit down on the outside but I'm standing up on the inside and I think it's how we are. That's how we are.

That's the condition of the human heart, defiant, rebellious and stubborn second point, the provision for deliverance.

Verse five you know that he appeared in order to take away our sins and in him there is no sin.

Verse five says that Jesus appeared or arrived on the scene. Why did Jesus come why did he come. John didn't beat around the bush, he lays that very plainly for us. Jesus came to take away our sin. Jesus was a great teacher.

But that was not primarily why came, Jesus was a a compassionate healer. That's not primarily why came, Jesus was the greatest counselor that ever lived. But that's not primarily why came, Jesus was the best role model and the best example that humans have ever had. Not primarily why came primarily he came to die to take away our sin and what gave him the right to do that will were not left in the dark on that. The last phrase he is in in him there is no sin. There's the gospel we are sinners and Jesus died to take away our sin, but the majority people in this world do not understand that while they get it give you couple versus first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18 says for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But in us who are being saved is the power of God first Corinthians 214 the natural man receiving not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.

Intellectuals who reject the work of Christ on the cross do not understand two things. First of all, they don't understand the depth and the dearth and the depravity of their own sin. And secondly, they do not understand the holy justice of God. The only way RCN can be removed is for someone to take our punishment for us and the only ones that could take our punishment for us is one who has no sin himself and the only one who had no sin himself was Jesus Christ so he died is what is a substitutionary atonement for us. That's the provision for our deliverance.

I thought third point is the proof of deliverance versus 67 no one who abides in him keeps on sinning knowingly keeps on sinning has either seen or known him little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. These two verses coupled along with verse nine may be the most misunderstood verses in Scripture. Many of use than the teacher doctrine of sinless perfection where they have said that we had the ability as human billions, even if we have come to know Christ that we have the ability to live perfectly without sin, and that if we somehow fail and we commit a sin, then what that means is that we have either lost our salvation, or that we never had it to begin with, let let me assure you of this that is not what John is teaching. If a person teaches that that he himself is sinning just by teaching it sinning just by believing that go back to chapter 1 of first John and and see what verses eight and verse 10 say if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. And then verse 10 says if we say that we have no sin, then then we've called God a liar and his word is not in us. These verses need to be understood in the light of the Greek language in which they were written and they were written what's called a continuous tense so verse six could be written this way. Whoever abides in him does not habitually carelessly lovingly embraces sin. Whoever does the S has never seen him nor known him. Now there people who desperately need to hear me out right now some of you have an oversensitive very tender conscience that can be a good thing but it can also be a tough thing. When I read verses six and seven. If you have a oversensitive conscience. Maybe your heart jumped up in your throats and oh my goodness. John's talking about me for that's what's happened to me yesterday.

Something happened in and I sin I committed an act of sin and I confessed it not heard about it.

I hurt with it in and I turned from it not repented of it and then today the same thing happened again.

Listen, the fact that you hate that sin and that you confess that sin and that you repented of that sin in your fighting against that sin.

What that says it is that you know that you have a deep desire not to hurt them and hinder the fellowship that you have with God and you don't want a sin because you know that can hinder your fellowship. That's the heart of a true believer, but John here is referring here to habitual sin to habitually sin is to say, I have this sin in my life and I don't care what God thinks I have this sin in my life and I enjoy this sin and and I'm gonna continue to to to get involved in this sin and I'm gonna draw a circle around this sin and say Lord you can have all this other stuff in my life at this you leave alone, a safe person doesn't a person who has a soft tender conscience will get devastated by misunderstanding of this verse he'll lose the joy of his salvation because he loses assurance. Please understand the tents at this verse is written in your not lost in going to hell because you drop the cinderblock on your foot and set a curse word. As a Christian you want to repent of that you want to confess that is the end you want to say I'm sorry Lord and move on. But you need to be careful with that. You need to hate that you did it but you don't throw your hands up and give up and give up the faith because of an active sin years ago in Scotland, there was an atheistic farmer who got invited by a neighbor to go to an evangelistic crusade.

He went and he heard the gospel preached so plainly that the spirit of God just used it to to breaking.

He was broken by that gospel message, he repented of his sin trusted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He went on that night absolutely rejoicing. I had never felt such joy in his heart before absolutely great.

Got the next morning to go out to his farm and he went out there about that just praising the Lord thanking the Lord joyfully sing in all excited about what God had done in his life and as he was plowing out there. The day moved on and is about lunch time and the sun was boiling down on his head and sweat was pouring down, got in his eyes and he was hungry is getting tired and about that time is plow the rock in it calls the, the mule to shift and all of a sudden the the road that he was plowing went awry and just kinda messed up the messed up his his garden in the Rosen he got mad before he realized it just a curse word popped out and eat soon as that happens, he just just tilting any plot down the ground. He said I knew this was too good to be true here. I said a curse word and I can't be a Christian. Then he started thinking about it. He said you know I said yesterday I was out here plowing this meal and said I Kirsten I ranted not raved with every step that I took and I kick the mule and I curse my circumstances and he said it didn't bother me one bit and said here I am today.

I said one curse word. It's about to kill me. He said that then prove that I'm not a Christian. It proves that I verse six. John is talking here about people who make professions of faith in their lifestyle never changes. They are immoral and it doesn't bother them that they cheat on their expense account and they can live with it. They watch filthy movies and there's no conviction you see the difference. Verse six says whoever sends habitually, continually, intentionally and repeatedly flippantly sends has never seen God, nor nine God and what does that tell us it tells us that when God saves a person's company fruit. There will be a change in how that person talks and how that person perceives things in life and how that person responds to temptation. Maybe you're sitting here tonight and you're saying to yourself, well, I made a profession of faith years ago I was baptized in the church I go to church regularly, but I really been changed.

Do I feel miserable when I sin cannot just live with things that God says are wrong and and disrespectful to him and hurtful to his heart. Maybe your sin, make them not really site so what are you doing you say well I just cannot let it go and not worry about it. I don't think that's the best thing or do you say bless God I can't live like this anymore. The conviction is too heavy. The certainty of death is to real and I want to know the true and living God want to know him as my father and not just is my judge Martin Lloyd Jones. As far as I'm concerned, is one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, his wife and her name was Beth and she was from Wales and she was just a very sweet and wonderful wife to him, but Martin Lloyd Jones was preaching on this very passage that were doing with the night and Beth and Jones got under very deep conviction she got under deep conviction, she went to the Lord and said, heavenly father, I been a fraud.

I played the religious game all my life. This passage of Scripture has broken my heart and I repent and I surrender my life to you. She was gloriously saved and humanly speaking. She'd been a good wife, a good woman, strong character, strong integrity, loyal to her husband but lost in this passage broke her heart and drew her to the Savior and in her testimony. After that, she said you know I knew this was going to be an embarrassment to my preacher husband and she said I knew that people gonna think that I was just an absolute fool and she said you know what, it didn't matter. I care. She said I had to know deep down in my heart that I belong to Christ. Christ belong to me. This is why John wrote this in the sand. All of us. Don't be deceived, who practices righteousness is righteous, John is telling us we can't play games with God. God knows your heart. So turn to him in faith. High Point force the victory of Christ in deliverance verse eight whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil for the devil is been sinning from the beginning. The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

You never last sermon a few weeks ago, I shared with you that God is not the father of all people is the creator of all people, but he's only the father of those who been born again into the kingdom of God who have been adopted into the family of God who have turned to their sins and trusted him and him alone is our Savior. I shared with you that there are only two seeds there believers and unbelievers. There are those who know the Lord. There are those who don't know the Lord, there is the seed of the woman in the seed of the serpent. The seed of the serpent as Satan and all those who follow him. The seed of the woman is Christ, and all those who are in Christ. The first eight gives understanding about Who's Who John says he habitually sends is of the devil for the devil has habitually sin from the beginning. John is telling his church not to be deceived by the Gnostics and antinomian's who proclaim to the world that they know and love the Lord and yet live in a sinful unrepented unrepented lifestyle is no doubt my mind that when John wrote these words he was thinking back to what he had written in the Gospel of John chapter 8 in the Gospel of John chapter 8 where Jesus had to rebuke some self-righteous religious leaders. This was a situation Jesus was teaching and he said this to them. If you abide in my word, then are you my disciples indeed you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free in some of these religious leaders got really upset and they said what you talking about were Abraham's children were not in bondage to anyone what you mean set us free. And Jesus said, verily, verily, I say, and you you practices or commits or habitually sends is the slave of sin and they went nuts. They accuse Jesus be an illegitimate child.

They mocked the virgin birth actually called him a Bassford.

They said God is our father and Jesus said this note your slave your slave to sin and God is not your father. Let me read you straight from Jesus's own words from John eight verse 42 through 44 Jesus said to them, if God were your father you would love me fraud proceeded forth and came from God, nor have I come of myself, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech because you're not able to listen to my word, you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Jesus said you can't hear, and you will not listen you will not repent, because you are deceived by your father who is Satan is preaching to Canada several years ago and the pastor asked me if I would go visit a young man in the community that he been trying to witness to the said this young man is a problem with alcohol. We went to his house. We knocked on the door. The door was open just a little bit and nobody came said the pastor pushed the door open and he screamed out he said Brian and we heard some something stirring around and so the pastor just open the door.

We walked on in.

We walked on the and I could not believe that place I had never seen such field. There were sandwiches all over the floor. There were potato chips everywhere, beer cans, beer bottles, liquor bottles all over the place.

Cockroaches run around. There was actually a rat that was sitting up on the table and finally Brian came out and he walks walked into the room and he had a big knot on his head and there was like a gash in it had blood all over his shirt and and he begins to share with us what was going on. He said well he said I got drunk and he saw fell in the bathtub and said I hit my head but he's like it's okay I'm feeling okay now and so I got a chance to share the gospel with just went through the gospel message share the gospel. When I got got through my pastor friend said to him, said Brian said, what would you turn from your sin.

Would you turn to Christ, would you trust Christ as your Lord and Savior, and he looked back at us and he said I really appreciate what you guys are said appreciate you coming over here the said man I just got a be free and I thought free, are you kidding me, I think you're an absolute bondage to alcohol figure living in squalor of pigpen and Savior.

Your wife is gone. Your kids have left your whole life fallen apart and you're telling me that you just gotta be free from John remembered John chapter 8 Jesus said, you're not able to hear my word because you are of your father the devil, the victories and the rest of our site working to get to that next time, but my purpose in this sermon is John's purpose here to make us face the question, are you delivered.

Are you rescued have you been saved. Have you come to know Christ as your Lord and Savior. You know that down in the depths of your heart that you belong to Christ and that Christ belongs to you is not asking you for perfect. None of us are perfect is it if you say that you have no sin, you deceived yourself the truth is not in you that's not the question. The question is this.

If you done business with the Lord. Has he done a work in your heart of regeneration, have you come to him in repentance and faith. Do you know that you know that you know.

Do you know Jesus as your little sprite heavenly father we thank you and praise you tonight your great glorious wonderful God, we thank you for sending Jesus to the cross to die for undeserving sinners like us. We thank you Lord for loving us like you do.

We thank you heavenly father that you have promised us that we can have assurance of salvation that we don't have to go through this life wondering that we can know that we are adopted children, we belong to the family. I pray heavenly father that that's true for every person, it's in here tonight but Lord, if that's not true.

There are some here that are questioning their salvation.

Pray heavenly father that you might deal with that heart tonight if they might leave with a calm assurance in their heart that they belong to you and you belong to them Jesus. We love you. Thank you and praise you for your goodness and loved us and we assess prayer in your holy wonderful and precious name. Amen