Savage Street Church of Christ

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07052017HelpICantStopSinningDonRuhl

Help! I Can’t Stop Sinning! 

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • May 10, In the year of our Lord, 2017

Prelude: 

1. What have you done to overcome sin? 
   1. [My experience with anger as I learned to operate a backhoe]
2. The struggle against sin is the greatest battle in which we engage. 
   1. Paul spoke for all of us when he wrote of the war within us – Rom 7.7–25
   2. How do we come to know sin?
      1. We know sin when the Law tells us what we should not do.
      2. See also Romans 3.19–20
   3. How does sin show its evil nature?
      1. It uses what God meant for our life against us,
      2. working death in us.
   4. Is there anything wrong with the Law or any part of God’s word?
      1. No, because it is holy, just, and good.
      2. We are the ones who are carnal.
   5. Describe the war within us that Paul mentions.
      1. How are we delivered from the law of sin and the wretchedness of our bodies?
      2. Why do we need to know this information?

Persuasion: 

1. Know the Danger of Sin 
   1. This might seem obvious,
      1. after all the person who says, “Help! I can’t stop sinning,”
      2. knows that something bad comes from continual sin.
         1. However, a person may not know the full details of his or her sin.
         2. Reminder ourselves often of the danger of sin
            1. will help toward keeping us away from sin.
            2. The more you know
               1. the more likely you will be to kill the desire, and
               2. the more likely you will do the right thing instead.
      3. Can someone see the undesirable nature of sin, but
         1. perhaps not recognize it as sin,
         2. they just see something that harms, yet
            1. does not necessarily do what the Bible says about sin?
   2. We need to know everything about it, including its dangers.
      1. What are the dangers of sin?
      2. It will run your life – Rom 6.11–21; Gen 4.7
      3. It will destroy your life – Rom 6.21–23
      4. It will condemn you – Rom 7
      5. It will send you to hell:
         1. Gal 5.19–21
         2. Rev 21.27
         3. Rev 22.15
   3. We will see the dangers of sin,
      1. if see life with the eye of the Spirit,
      2. not the eye of the flesh or of the world.
   4. We must stop ignoring what we already know.
      1. In most cases, we already know what we need to know, but
      2. we intentionally ignore it when temptation arrives.
         1. What is happening in that moment?
         2. The desire or love for sin is defeating the love for righteousness.
2. You Have to Want to Stop Sinning 
   1. That might seem obvious, but
      1. there is a reason we keep sinning:
      2. we like it.
         1. Hebrews 11.24–26 speaks of the decision of Moses
         2. to turn his back on the pleasures of sin.
            1. Do we not think that there is pleasure, wisdom, and good times
            2. associated with sin?
               1. Remember the thought process of Eve
               2. as she considered the temptation of Satan.
               3. See Genesis 3.4–6
   2. Yes, we need to know of
      1. grace,
      2. the Holy Spirit, and
      3. the other things that the Lord gives to save us from sin, but
         1. the Holy Spirit detailed sin in the Scriptures for a reason.
         2. Why did He give us all the information that we needed on sin?
      4. While the Lord, the Spirit, and all of heaven helps us,
         1. the Lord also wants us to help ourselves,
         2. He wants us to desire to cease sin,
         3. He wants us to desire to do righteousness,
         4. He wants us to do what we can.
   3. Where does sin begin?
      1. Sin begins in the heart.
      2. Matthew 15.15–20
      3. Mark 7.17–23
      4. Matthew 6.19–21
      5. Romans 12.1–2
         1. If you see it as a disease,
         2. your desire to quit will not be as strong.
   4. Recognize the process of temptation.
      1. James 1.12–18
      2. Why did the Spirit have James put that in the Bible?
3. Meditate on the Scriptures Daily 
   1. If you want to learn to do something, to whom do you go?
      1. If you cannot understand how a machine works, what should you consult?
   2. The Lord is our
      1. Counselor
      2. Trainer
      3. Teacher
      4. Master
   3. How and through what does He
      1. counsel us,
      2. train us,
      3. teach us, and
      4. rule over us?
   4. If sin begins in the heart,
      1. we cannot think on it.
      2. James 1.21 teaches us to push out sin
         1. by the word and
         2. by replacing sin with the word.
   5. When we meditate on the word, what is that doing to us?
      1. Joshua 1.7–8
      2. Psalm 1
   6. How often does evil assault you?
      1. How often does temptation come your way?
      2. How much persuasion exists to turn you from holiness to evil?
         1. Should we not counter that incessant attack on our souls with an endless fight in return?
         2. If evil fights us constantly, how often should we think on God’s word?
4. Pray Relentlessly 
   1. My first experience with the power of prayer against sin
      1. happened when I was learning to operate a backhoe, and then
      2. when I started going on jobs.
         1. I wanted to do the job right, and
         2. I did not want to cost my stepfather more money than necessary.
            1. When things went wrong, I became angry.
            2. Therefore, I started praying regularly about my anger.
               1. The praying did not only happen after I had sinned, but
               2. constantly throughout the day:
                  1. When I gave thanks for my food,
                  2. When I prayed for other things,
                  3. Driving from the job back to the yard,
                     1. whenever I found any time to pray,
                     2. I spoke to God.
   2. For what shall we pray?
      1. Matthew 6.13
      2. Matthew 26.41
      3. Psalm 125.3
      4. Psalm 141.3–4
   3. Why do we need to pray without ceasing about this matter?
5. Do Not Think Constantly of Overcoming the Sin
   1. Philippians 4.7–8
   2. Romans 8.5–9
   3. For example, if you wanted to quit eating donuts everyday,
      1. making that decision is good, but then
      2. you cannot keep telling yourself that you are going to quit eating donuts.
         1. Why?
         2. Because you are still thinking about eating donuts.
            1. Then you will eat donuts.
            2. So it is with whatever sin we want to quit.
   4. However, you may want to take Romans 6 and
      1. substitute the word “sin” with your sin.
      2. That will show you why you should not commit that sin.
6. Do Not Tempt Yourself
   1. Romans 13.11–14
   2. Go back to my donut illustration.
      1. If you want to quit eating donuts,
      2. should you go hang out with your friends at the donut shop?
7. Remember that the Judgment Approaches Rapidly
   1. Knowing that the Lord shall judge all our deeds and words.
   2. Do you want to give an account of your sin?
      1. Ecclesiastes 12.13–14
      2. Matthew 12.36–37
      3. Romans 2.6
      4. Romans 14.12
      5. Second Corinthians 5.9–10
8. VIII.Focus on Jesus
   1. Remember His temptations in the wilderness.
   2. Remember His struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane.
   3. You are called a “Christian” for a reason.
      1. He is your Master.
      2. He is your Teacher.
      3. He is your Trainer.
         1. Learn from Him.
         2. We want to cease sinning, and the best thing to do then is to imitate and learn from the only person who has ever lived into adulthood who never sinned.
9. Look for the Way of Escape
   1. First Corinthians 10.13
10. Remember How God Has Forgiven You
    1. John 8.11
    2. Grace