856. Overcoming Sin

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

The school was founded in 1927. The evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent preaching from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series entitled seeking things above, which is a study of the book of Colossians. This study explores and applies the timeless truth that Christ is our sufficiency in all relationships, responsibilities and circumstances.

If you would like to follow along in the study booklet you can get one on Kendall or you can order a printed copy from the website. The Daily Platform.com. Today's message is from Colossians chapter 3 verses five through 10 and Dr. Pettit will walk us through the important topic. Overcoming sin please take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to the book of Colossians chapter 3 this morning were going to read versus five down to verse 10 and actually I spoke on this passage last week on the theme understanding sin. So really, the focal point was on understanding it this week. My focal point is overcoming it.

And so today will be intentionally more practical in our response to the sins that we personally struggle with and we read beginning in verse five where it says mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. And then he lists out sexual sins, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry. Then he makes this statement for which the things that is the sins sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience that is on account of these sins. God's wrath is coming. Verse seven in the which you also log sometimes when you lived in them. That is you prior to your conversion used to live this way it goes.

Only sins but now he also cut off all of these things anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, feel the communication out of your mouth, lie not one another, seeing that you put off the old man with his deeds. That is it a point in time. The old man was put off it at your conversion and have put on the new man which is renewed and is being renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him asks this this following question he said will use. Simply tell me one more time and take me one more time through the steps that will help me to overcome sin. One of the greatest issues of the Christian life is how do I overcome my sin. How do I rise above the downward pull of my own sinful flesh and the alluring temptations that are in the world. Appealing to this need of spiritual victory was a major platform for the way false teachers in Colossae were gaining a hearing among the Christians. They pulled at the conscience of the believers in order to gain a listening ear and the problem was not the questions that they were asking. These are legitimate questions. The problem had to do with the answers that they were giving because the Colossians were being taught that the way to overcome sin was through self effort your own strength apart from Christ, either by keeping certain Old Testament laws or by placing parch self imposed discipline on oneself and the problem is that Christ and his cross work were not a part of that process and as a result, their approach could only lead believers to a life of defeat because they can't overcome sin any other way than the way that is revealed in Scripture and let me say this morning that addressing and answering this issue of overcoming sin is crucial for all of us why because first of all overcoming sin is a relevant issue. I learned something preaching on CN is not out of date.

This is not old school.

This is new school why because none of us can escape the presence of our own sin. Listen to what Paul said in Romans seven he said we know the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Paul said, I don't even understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want but I do the very thing I hate.

Now if I do what I do not want. I agree with the law that it is good.

So now it is no longer I who am doing it, but sin that dwells within me.

You see we all live with the present reality of our own sin that is in us, and we constantly have to deal with our own emotions our own desires and our own temptations is very interesting to me that after last week's message own understanding sin. There was a heightened response to what I said in actually different ways both positive and negative and I think it's due to the fact that the present reality of sin in the lifestyles of our student body or people you know is very real. It's very relevant so overcoming sin is an issue that is a present reality. But let me also say that overcoming sin is an issue that affects spiritual maturity when you have lingering sin habits in your life, they will start your personal spiritual growth growing in Christ requires putting away sin.

For example, the Jewish people never celebrate Passover without obeying the command to cleanse their homes of of leavened bread. If you've ever been to Israel during Passover.

They're going crazy to get their house clean and Paul uses that example of Passover, and unleavened bread when he writes the Corinthian church, and he confronts them for the toleration of immorality in the church and what is he say he says cleanse out the old 11 that you may be a new love as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Let us therefore keep the feast celebrate this festival.

Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil but with the leavened bread of sincerity and truth. What is Paul saying he saying that in order to enjoy Christ in our worship and we have to live pure in our walk is the height of hypocrisy to say that I am enjoying Christ and at the same time enjoying said it's it's hypocrisy, your hypocrisy is terrible for all overcoming sin is an issue that affects our spiritual growth and then let me say overcoming sin is an issue if you're going to help others overcome sin.

Think about it. What responsibility do I as a Christian, have when other Christians fall in the sin I would ask you as a student body. Do you feel responsible for those that are around you is really not cool today to confront people over sin. So what are we supposed to do just kind of let it go alone and everything's okay and we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear and we don't say anything at all. Are we not supposed to be our brother's keeper Paul says in Galatians 6 that if a brother is called in the transgression overtaken in a fault. Those of you who are spiritual help restore him, but don't do it with a judgmental, critical attitude, do it with a spirit of meekness and gentleness and kindness then he warns us, even those of us who are part of helping people overcome sin. He says you gotta keep watch on yourself, lest you be tempted to because all of us are sinners. All of us here should be able to help restore our brothers and sisters to the biblical steps of spiritual victory.

I think this is so crucial for us today is a student body. Think about it.

Should you not be learning to help your own peers overcome sin. Should not the dorms be a place where people are being strengthened and encouraged to live for God and if you're not helping people that are around you now and what are you going to do when you leave and you go out into the world.

I remember very clearly when I came to Bob Jones that I thought when I came that others should be leaders and I should be one who follows along. This is after spending four years in college being a spiritual leader, and I quickly realized that I should be just as much a leader here, as I was before I came here everybody in this room needs to step up to the plate and be a person who can help others overcome sin in their life. Overcoming sin is crucial.

So in Colossians 3 Paul makes it very clear how one is to overcome sin and basically he lays out to key steps and the first step has to do with accepting what is true, that is, it actually has to do with your faith.

Faith John says is the victory that overcomes the world. We speak of faith were speaking as to what we believe, as revealed in the truth of the Scriptures.

And Paul is declaring in Colossians that we have been freed from sin because of Christ's work for us on the cross and Christ's work in us through the new birth.

In other words, victory has been accomplished through Christ and this work includes three things.

Number one, there has been a deliverance from divine wrath in verse five Paul identifies the immoral sins that characterized the depraved life of unbelievers in verse six he reveals that these sins are the calls for God's judgment, he said, on account of these the wrath of God is coming.

Now Paul tells us as Christians to mortify our put to death the sins why because if God's wrath is coming on those who do these things then we should not be doing these things because we are no longer under God's wrath. Paul stated earlier in Colossians that we have been freed from the wrath of God through the death of Christ looking Colossians 214. He says, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us. He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. When Jesus was crucified up lacquered was nailed to his cross, and it stated the reason for his death. Remember what it said the king of the Jews. Now why was Jesus crucified because of treason against the Roman government. It was a political charge because he claimed to be the king of the Jews.

Or at least that was the charge and Paul takes that image of that plan occurred and then declares to us why Jesus was really crucified. He was not crucified because of a crime he committed.

He died for our violations against the law of God that God has carefully recorded against us. Every sin you and I have ever committed. God knows them all. And when Jesus was nailed to the cross and suffered he was actually suffering the punishment of God's wrath for those things that I've done and they were nailed to the cross and being nailed to the cross, God is saying to all of us that our sins are paid in full so we who were once the worst of enemies have now become the best of friends. We are no longer under God's wrath. Therefore, how should we live, we should live his his obedient children, we have been delivered from God's wrath. This is a step to spiritual victory on no longer under God's judgment, but then secondly we have been delivered from our old self. Paul says this in verses nine and 10. He says the old man is been put off in the new management put on so what is this old self.

Well, it's everything you are before you are saved.

Now many of you accepted Christ as your Savior probably somewhere between 12 years old and under, I didn't. I got saved at 19. So to me, my old life was so clear to me the way I was in the way I am now, but all of us are like this, regardless of being saved it five or 15 or 25. So what is this old self. Well, it's everything you are before you say it includes are being connected to Adam and enslaved to our sinful nature and Paul is saying that the power of the old life is been severed just like ahead is being cut off. We been cut off from the old life of sin and Paul uses symbols to describe this experience. For example he uses the symbol of circumcision.

Circumcision was a physical sign for a Jew who is under the Abraham it covenant, it symbolized your dedication to God and your separation from and in the New Testament. Circumcision is not a physical act is a spiritual act of God, where the enslaving power of the old life is cut all or it is broken by the power of God. Colossians 211 in him, also were you circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting all the body of the flash, then there's a second symbol nested symbol of baptism.

The idea is that we are all spiritually immersed in the by God's spirit into the deaf Marilyn of the in the resurrection of Jesus, and the idea is that we are connected and united to Christ and our old life, our old life of sin is buried with him so that your old life is no longer here it's dead and gone.

The oldest passed away. Then there's 1/3 symbol that's like the changing of clothes. The old worn-out life of sin is been set aside like old close and is been exchange for a whole new life in Christ symbolized by new clothes and all of these changes, circumcision, baptism, changing of close there just three different ways of looking at the same exact thing and that is the old life of sin has been severed is very interesting that back during the Civil War. It was estimated that there were 60,000 amputations. If a soldier was shot in the limb. He had the potential of of having that limb infected with gangrene and would lead to his death and the only way to deal with it was to cut off the arm of the leg. What Paul is saying is this, that they gangrene of sin in our life is dealt with you in amputation the power of the old life is been broken, you are freed you are no longer slaves you were in Egypt, but now you been set free. So how do we overcome sin, we start with believing these things the wrath of God. We have been delivered from the old life we have been delivered from and then one other thing and that is we been delivered from our old identity. Paul says we put off the new self, and this is not just a makeover.

But this is a whole new you.

You are a new creation.

The oldest passed away. Have you ever met somebody you change your whole identity your metabolic my dad when he was 18 years old changed his name.

My dad's name is will William Pettit, the third but for 18 years of his life. My dad's name was Grindle Atchinson Pettit like holding, grinning, and he changed his name, got a new identity when you and I become a child of God we get a new identity.

We are re-created with a new image.

Adam lost that image in the garden of Eden.

Christ restores that image in the in the human soul through the new birth and these are the things that are foundational to our overcoming sin these of the truth that we must accept and believe, and this is the faith that overcomes the world what you believe that you accepted is true then there's the second step and that is you have to act on what is true. True faith leads to clear actions. These actions are required for spiritual growth. Everything is irrelevant if you don't do these things. Your position is irrelevant.

Your knowledge is irrelevant, irrelevant, your past is irrelevant. Your service for God is irrelevant if you don't do these things. Your doctrine is irrelevant if you don't practice these things. This is an action, you must do.

Paul gets to verbs to describe the action but in essence, of the same thing. What is a say in verse five he says mortified.

That means to kill it put to death John Doe in 17th-century Puritan said said it clearly said the killing center.

It will be killing you. I miss you question if a rattlesnake came in your room, what would you do, what would you do before screaming.

If a rat came in you and your womb. What would you do I love it.

If a rat comes into the boys dorm because it will not survive. One of the scorpion came in your room, and was on your bed. What would you do you kill it. If Christ was murdered for sin for for our sin, then what should we do with our sin, we should murder it.

How do you do this you kill send you stop and think about it. If you die you stop doing what you are doing your nose that when a person dies, he stop sending whatever he did before it's over with. Why does dad is a doornail because you are dead in Christ, then the only way to overcome sin is you have to stop it. If you're having sex unmarried stop it. If you're involved in looking at pornography.

Stop it. If you're involved in thinking lustful thoughts. Stop it. If you are involved in a homosexual relationship. Stop it. If you're involved in sexual self gratification. It whatever you're doing, that inflamed your loss. Paul says stop why because you didn't Christ and then he says remove it. We put off the old man put on the new. There is a transformation of our wardrobe. So what is he say anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, dirty words lying all of that, he saying put them off. He saying stop. There's no comedian named Bob Newhart. I'm using this video love you and he's acting like a psychologist. I guess he is a psychologist in the in the clip and a lady comes in and she wants to get help for her phobia and her phobia was the fear of being alive into a casket and so he said, to give you. He said I will charge you for five minutes.

It probably won't take any longer than that. Maybe less time and she told him her fear and he sits in he says I'm to give you two words to help you overcome it. She said should I write them down. He said oh I think you remember any sits sits forward and he goes stop and she started to talk and you know make excuses and he said stop it, stop it. What Paul is telling us is if we have experienced these things in Christ and what he did say when the you stop and say like a minute you stop okay so go new to watch it and I think you'll enjoy father thank you for the victory we have in Christ that we can overcome sin in Jesus name, amen.

After hearing the sermons from the series in Colossians we thought you would like to hear him based on Colossians 2 complete in the verse 10 says, and ye are complete in him, which is head of all principality and power in the hymn verse two especially speaks to today's sermon about overcoming sin complete in the no more shall sin the grace has conquered rain within. Let's listen to the Bob Jones University Orchestra and student body singing the hymn complete in the I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Thank you for listening to The Daily Platform. If you're looking for a regionally accredited Christian liberal arts university. I invite you to consider. BJ you, which is purposely designed to inspire a lifelong pursuit of learning loving and leading.

For more information about Bob Jones University visit BJ you.edu or call 800-252-6363. Thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue the study in Colossians here on The Daily Platform