Sin & Repentance

 First Principles: Sin & Repentance – Examining what sin is, how it hurts God, and how to develop the godly sorrow to repent of it completely.

Purpose: To display our love of God by understanding why we need to hate sin and repent of it.

SIN

 

Isaiah 59:1-2 1Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. – NIVUK

  • Sin is an archery term that means to “miss the mark.” Jesus’ standard is the bullseye.

Image of darkness and light, man and God, separated by a wall

  • Sin separates us from God.
  • Are you in darkness or in the light right now? How do you know?

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, – NIVUK

  • All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
  • Who has sinned against God? Everyone — no matter how “small” a sin may seem.

Image of people with different amounts of sin, all separated from God

  • Which person is further from God — a person who sins a little or a lot?
  • A good moral life doesn’t save you, because salvation cannot be earned through your deeds.

Galatians 5:19-21 19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. – NIVUK

  • Sin means to “miss the mark.” The sins of the sinful nature are obvious. (Explain and share. See Sin Definitions.)
  • Which of these sins do you need to repent of today?

2 Timothy 3:1-5 1But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. – NIVUK

  • These are sins of the heart. Some sins are blatant; others are more deceitful. (Explain and share. See Sin Definitions.)
  • Which of these sins do you need to repent of?

James 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. – NIVUK

  • Knowing what is right and not doing it is also sin — the sin of omission.
  • Do you need to repent of this?

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. – NIVUK

  • We are called to confess our sins to one another.
  • Prayer is powerful and effective.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – NIVUK

  • When we sin, we earn eternal death.
  • What does God want to give you? The gift of eternal life!

Image of a wall separating the wages of sin from the gift of God

 

REPENTANCE

 

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it – I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while – 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. – NIVUK

  • You cannot repent without having godly sorrow. What are the characteristics of godly sorrow?
  • The answer to sin is repentance. (Greek — “metanoia” — change of mind)
  • A change of mind should lead to a change in actions.
  • Worldly sorrow is self-centred, while godly sorrow is centred on God.

Luke 13:1-5 1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.’ – NIVUK

  • First-century Jews believed disasters were divine punishment for personal sins. Jesus rejected this view, teaching that we are all sinners!
  • Unless a person repents, they are in peril of eternal condemnation, not just physical death. We must repent — or we will perish!

Colossians 3:5-10 5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. – NIVUK

  • Are you ready to put these sins to death once and for all?
  • The wrath of God is coming, so break free from sin’s slavery!

Matthew 5:27-30 27 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. – NIVUK

  • We must be radical in removing the things that cause us to sin.
  • Repentance is not just external behaviour modification. The goal is a heart transformation that overflows into new attitudes and actions.

Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. – NIVUK

  • We prove our repentance by our deeds!
  • What is your plan to repent of the sins in your life?

Challenge: Have a clear plan of repentance — addressing both sins of commission and omission. It may be helpful to write out a personal sin list to clear your conscience and come into the light by confessing your sins. (This should remain a highly confidential process between those studying the Bible.)