Three Attitudes Toward Sin, Part 2

Today on Summit life pastor Jeannie Greer explained how you can know for sure that your state you asked me are you sure that you will enter the throne of God and my answer is yes. You know this because all full weight of our confirmation was put onto the head of Jesus, who now stands as our advocate before the throne of God that rates confidence life.

As always, I'm your host Molly benefits I'm guessing is in a very popular water cooler conversation. No one likes being reminded of their failures and even in Christian circles, the subject of sin tends to get glossed over it easier to ask for prayer for an illness or job situation than it is to admit your deepest struggles and failures, but today Pastor Jenny explains that the way we think about and deal with our same as a crucial sign of where we stand with God.

He's continuing our teaching series called assured with the second half of his message titled three attitudes toward sin give you assurance that God right now let's rejoin Pastor Janie in the book of first John, how no, no, God. But you know that you know God had no that what you think about your experience of God is genuine. That is the question that the book of first John was written to answer what John does is he identifies three sides. In the last half of first John 13 signs of somebody that doesn't know God, even though they think they do all three of them of that right here at once, like 1, you don't know God judge says if one you said you continue to sin means willfully, habitually, will get to that number two you don't know God. If you say you have no sin, number three, you don't know God.

If you have no confidence before God, because of your said was you know God as you said you got a visa you have her send you the God of the other confidence report because of your said this one is for someone five. This is the message we've heard from him and proclaim to you, but God is light and in him is no darkness at all. Is John's way of saying I'm not a Buddhist I got is not getting again with a little bit of darkness to light, all mixed together.

God is all why there is no evil. There is no wickedness. Nothing comes from him but pure goodness and holiness. If we say, therefore, verse six, we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and we do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is impolite, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. Number one, you don't know God. If you continue to sin, by the way, only by that that you ever said because all of us in for you say that you don't continue to struggle with sin would be its own problematical bill within a minute. What he means. If you willfully defiantly pursue said you cannot. John says say that you love God, the light if you continue to seek after the darkness got a few things I often hear or see in church people that that shows but there's no darkness. If you are thinking that you can believe without repenting. That's one here's another way believers are so-called believers were casual about or even openly embracing of said here's one more. Pray the sinners prayer, with no accompanying lie change verse eight if we say we have no sin, but we should be present. We understand, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Verse 10 get on there. If we say we have not simply make him a liar and his word is not in us. You don't know God. If you say you have Merced.

This is an error on the opposite side. John says that this being unaware of the sinfulness in your heart is a sign that you don't actually know God because one of the first evidences of the light of God coming into your life as you begin to have eyes to see the sin that is in your heart for someone not light of God comes in.

You have one of a few reactions to it was very important. What you do what you want to do is you want to retreat back into the darkness. I just darkness. If your eyes are you students comfortable right movie theater, and after the movie usually will like out of the hall in the back of the lobby and go out your eyes have a chance to get accustomed to the light gradual little exit at the bottom right exit screen walked out on a cruise along the light of day just hit you what you were doing that will do you want to retreat back into the darkness because you're comfortable that that's happening to some of you right now. She started to come here and you never been in the presence of people who just said this is what the Lord God says in your heart is being exposed and I know I've been there. You want to go back into the darkness is more comfortable but you what happens if you stay in the light. If you walk outside and stay there. It's painful, but you could garage a minute to readjust that you can see I have to go in life while you want to go back in the darkness because of so much more that you can see the light.

There are some people who that's how they responded as they want to retreat some people.

Their response is they get defensive and they want to start insisting on their own goodness they start thinking well yeah yeah but you better than other people.

Right we do that right you know I'm not as bad as I must say you not going out of their homes of a guy grade to the curb. Some of you I will be okay because I'm pretty confident I'm on the north side of the bell curve excuses for well the reason I made is the wrong crowd. I had I had bad parents. That's a bad idea for a couple reasons one called God a liar that's never a good idea for someone to use it if we don't acknowledge the sinfulness of our heart we make God a liar. The Bible says that you and I are children of wrath. The Bible says we are sons and daughters of disobedience. The Bible says that we are born in iniquity will sin because we hung out with the wrong crowd, we sin because we are the wrong crowd.

The reason we wanted to hang out with the wrong crowd is because the sin that was in their hearts resonated with the symptoms our hearts. That's what we chose to hang out with the wrong crowd because we were more comfortable with the wrong crowd to disclose got a lot do you agree with God about his statement about your heart as you were to be condemned. Here's the other reason it's it's foolish is because it shows you completely blind to the holiness of God because for you to stand before God with sin in your life is built up a piece of tissue paper touching the surface of the sun. Grace taught my heart to fear.

So when you insist on your goodness when you want to rest in the fact that you are okay just shows that you don't get the concept of who God is and who you are when you're awake in the God you become deeply aware of your sinfulness and all you say is what was me Fryman.Grace teaches your heart to be afraid. There other options you come to the light, and you can confess it, which is the third thing here number three you don't know God is. You have no confidence before God, because of your sin, you don't know God. If you continue and send you all know God, if you're unaware of your sin, you don't God if you have no confidence before God, because of your sin delivers one shepherd to my little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin because we all sin we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins and for our sins, but also for the sins of the world. Another two very key words in there that you have to understand is that we say propitiation and advocate limit is one of the propitiation.

Most of you don't use it in casual conversation. Did you know by the way, there is a school of preaching that says that I should just avoid words like out altogether because the hard words in their deep issues like we do make it accessible to me for people and you just avoid those kind of words because people are going to get confusion.

I got about the church because these are hard words they don't understand. I say I want.

It's my job to teach you those words are you with me because the deepest and most beautiful truth of the Bible are sometimes hidden in those words.

Number two. If you can learn to link names at Starbucks. You can learn words like propitiation, I amen propitiation were propitiation literally means a claim against you has been satisfied, literally and in Greek it means that wrath has been absorbed or ill will, has been replaced by goodwill Jesus propitiated the holy wrath of God against our sin by suffering get this the full penalty of it in our place. God has no more claim against you because of your sin because it's been satisfied in Christ, which was in the sunward advocate advocates a legal term referring to somebody who argues your case before the bar of justice on your bath we turn today out in my advocate is not, you should call your lawyer. They argue for you in a court of law. Now here's a question. What is your advocate arguing. This is very important. Your advocate usually argues your innocence or even if you consider your guilty, but you're pretty good person.

Otherwise the light of God's justice. The last thing Jesus's argument is your innocence.

You want your advocate is arguing is propitiation. He is standing before the bar of God's justice and he is saying my advocate right now with this right now have an advocate for the father and he is not stated before, the father saying exactly a good good God door that it he saying yes, but every ounce of every house father. He reported to me there's nothing left. You cannot punish them for that sin, because you punish me for your listening life with Jane Greer. Did you know that our greatest joy comes when we are working overtime to arrest God when were serving him from a place of gratitude it's recognizing is the source of all that we are looking for. As we pursue other things fall into place in our current resource the gospel Bible study.

Pastor Jeannie wants us to see that the difference maker is the gospel itself amazing gift that God has given us doesn't merely punch her ticket to having actually drives everything that we do as believers.

In other words, the gospel not only shows a minute. Also gives us the power to pursue the holiness of God calls us to for your gift of $50 this month you this video Bible study that comes with five Bible study guide give us a call today at 866-335-5220 or go online to Jeannie Greer.com to reserve this Bible study. Now let's return to our teaching once again you have told you before that I was seven years old well on this concept, Jesus be my advocate before the father never brought me comfort because always imagined going down like this. Okay so here's the Godfather, something like a seven-year-old. Here's the courtroom and here's Jesus is my lawyer sent up in front of God and God's like all my good Greer again JD again seriously. No more leniency for Greer Messe 491st time he committed a sin that I did all 7570 thing for anyone to draw the wrath of his kid right. That's what you notice my advocate is not arguing for leniency for justice for someone not see this.

If we confess our sins, he is what faithful and just not lenient and kind but faithful and just by the way you want to underline pay for justice of the two most important words in the whole Bible, faithful and just to forgive us our sins, which is my advocate right now what you got. The father and he says you can't punish me. It would be unjust. It would be unjust for you punish him for the same sin that you punish me for so therefore there is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, because all the full weight of our condemnation was put onto the head of Jesus, who now stands as our advocate before the throne of God and that gives me great confidence before God cannot give me great confidence before God before we sing in the church before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfects plea no way to judge hold me accountable, please perfects a great high priest whose name is love whoever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on his hands. My name is written on his heart I know that while in heaven he stands no time to bid me, that's the part you know how you find assurance of salvation upholding you not like a God how awesome I am become as little spiritual of God look much better than everybody else around me, behold him there. The risen Lamb my perfect spotless righteousness, the great unchangeable. I am King of glory and of grace, one with himself. I cannot die.

My soul is purchased by his blood.

My life is hid with Christ on high with Christ, my Savior and my, that is the assurance of the gospel. I know that I am received before God.

I know that I am safe before God. Not because I am in a position where I can boast about how righteous I am about because I know righteousness belongs to another who did it in my place in my plea to heaven is a sure is. His finished work, which is why would ask you this. If you're not confident if you're not confident of where you stand with God. If you're unsure about whether or not you go to heaven. I have to ask you even understand the gospel. I told you in the first week in the series that I often as people are you a Christian and the most common response I get is this well I'm trying I'm doing better.

I have been a church like three times last for having certainly my Bible gave little money to church.

How much of the detail about the positive and encouraging like your knives in the time now somebody says that to me. I know they don't get it all because they still think Christian is a title that you live up to someone who is a real Christian understands the Christian is not a title you you live up to its title. Jesus lived up to and gave it to you as a gift you asked me are you sure of your salvation. Are you sure that you will enter into heaven to spend eternity with God.

You know my answer is yes, you are less arrogant because you think you better make note it's because I know that my salvation is now sure is Jesus Christ position before the father. I could no more go to hell that Jesus could lose his position favored status because he is, righteousness is of no longer depending on what I do to get to heaven depend on what he is finished. So if you are unsure see about this it shows me don't get the gospel because the gospel always leads to confidence. In fact the gospel produces two things and you that no other religious truth know what the truth will ever produce at least not simultaneously watch it. The gospel produces humility and confidence. Nothing else will produce those at the same time you see what you believe about yourself usually produces either humility or confidence. They said if you become a person who's failed a lot, you realize how much you mess up then you have a natural humility. Can you like how the God love me. But if you're the kind of person who has succeeded at your religion.

We think your righteous really confident before God. Like I'm good but other people and I'm on the good side of the bell curve. But you're proud of the people who haven't done as well as you the gospel lesson which is that you are simultaneously more wicked than you ever imagined but also more loved and accepted than you ever dared hope to do produces both humility and confidence humility because you recognize how sinful you are confidence because you recognize how complete Christ work is on your behalf decide you understand the gospel is humility and confidence, not one without the other three don't know God. If you have no confidence before God, because you're saying you do know God, if you rest confidently in the finished work of Christ, 20 doing this. We do this here. The action steps when you do this morning to assess you to assess you to assess which of these are true about you is appearing on your personality.

You probably gravitate toward one or some combination thereof. Are you the kind of person who is as you get exposed to the light. You cannot bow up a little bit rebellious and I will not you not deny Jesus. I will follow you.

Button not this or are you the kind of person who when the light of God because to come in. You almost reflexively start to self justify sort to insist that you're good because you always build a building identity on other people thinking that you were better than others. There are some of you like that you're proud there are others of you that you could not imagine God really could be as gracious as the Bible says he is that he really could love you so much that it would take upon himself the penalty for your sin that they deserved Ellie would take in your place. The gospel requires you to believe two things are really difficult. You are so bad that Jesus had to die for you, and he was so gracious. He was glad to die for you. A phrase is not original with me, but most people will go to either side of that because they don't want to think of themselves as that bad and they don't think of the God is that loving. They prefer this mushy middleware you're pretty good person and God, like a benevolent Santa Claus and build out blessings. The Bible turns both those on their head and said you were worse than you think God is better than you think. So your salvation will have nothing to do with you and you will both not in your righteousness for the rest of eternity you will sing. Salvation belongs to our God is and what did you it could mean that you no longer negotiate with God about how much of your life. You get staff and when you understand the gospel. You no longer think like one will have to give the God you start to say things like the hymn writer said were the whole realm of nature mine, that were present far too small. Love so amazing, so did by demands my soul, my life, my all you ever get grace surrender becomes natural. Where would I be apart from grace ones that missed God three categories you see at the rebellious, the proud, and the unbelieving. Every time don't be one of those people don't let your rebellion take you into eternity apart from God as you think you're smarter than him.

Don't be proud and just refused to let the light come in because you bill your identity, but how other people think that your awesome villager. I didn't have the fact that he loves you and gave himself for you. That's better than being awesome safer than being awesome because it is dependent on his grace never changes and told me unbelieving only become a person of Delta God really could be as good as God says he is because he is impotent and love as high as the heavens are above the earth. That's how great is his love for his children to assess beers like they want to be real quick right you need to learn to love. You need to learn to love and cherish conviction and repentance, like conviction.

That's why when the term of the day becoming nervous.

You talk about talk about what I get convicted because you think repentance and conviction that a trip to the woodshed were God hold you up back and start wailing on you.

Repentance is not a trip to the woodshed.

Repentance is like a bath were God is washing away from you all the darkness that is keeping you from joining him and he does so in love and it becomes pleasant it becomes sweet because it is administered in love that what God is doing this he is removing the things from you that keep you in darkness and is taking that darkness out of you bringing you into like you begin to cherish it and you begin to seek God search my heart and know my ways and see if there's any wicked way in me, because these are the things are keeping me from having joy.

You learn to cherish and love repentance. Lastly, for the life you meant to go right over this. Some of your eyes are hurting. I understand that I was there once keep coming. Let your eyes adjust because as your eyes adjust. You will find glory of God's grace is so much better than any of the false glories of the world put in front of you to keep coming stay here. Keep listen and let God the Holy Spirit. Adjust your eyes so that you will begin to be comfortable in the light so much better. Nothing you could do that would make him love you more life-giving truth here on Summit life with pastor, author and theologian JD Greer in a message from our teaching series called a short Jenny right now. One of the resources that were featuring this month is based on something that we call the gospel prayer. Can you tell us a little bit about that you know a lot of churches you hear about the sinners prayer prayer were you understand and asked Jesus to come in your life and be your Savior and Lord's prayer where basically Jesus gives us an outline that we're gonna used to God our prayer time gospel prayer is attempting to take what Paul teaches and Jesus teaches throughout the New Testament of what it means to be in Christ. What is it mean to be centered on the gospel out of the gospel form your identity. How you see yourself I see God how you see the world and then through four phrases it encapsulates. That idea of being in Christ, Molly, they became so transformed in my life that I had to teach it to the summit church these things resonated so much of the summit church that I turned it into a book for my first book called gospel recovering the power that made Christianity revolutionary and outnumbered term that will gospel Bible study kit to help people be able to saturate themselves in these concepts and also teach them to others is about a new tool that we develop. It's a it's a gospel prayer catechism is just a short book of questions and answers help the truth of the gospel grip your heart really give a copy to all of our gospel partners this month.

We would love to have you with the for you to be one of those join our team of monthly donors are take a look@jdgreer.com. Let's focus on vision or mission and retain every way. JD Greer.com today to support generous working rather call 33 528-663-3220 I Molly that invention. I am so glad today. Be sure to listen tomorrow and continue to learn more about sharing of our salvation to anything and Thursday on prayer ministry