Sermon Central
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Deliverance From Sin
Contributed by Peter Balogun on Nov 23, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Many people struggle to live holy lives. God has made provision for your deliverance from the power of sin. this message exposes God’s mind on the subject.
DELIVERANCE FROM SIN
What is sin?
Sin is a transgression of the law. When a man breaks the law, that man is said to have committed a sin. There are several factors that could be responsible for this but more prominent amongst these reasons is ignorance. Incidentally, ignorance is never accepted as an excuse for breaking the law. No sinner is justified on the basis of ‘I did not know’.
WHY DO PEOPLE SIN?
There are many factors that could lead to people transgressing against the laws of God like I have said in the paragraph above. We shall now take a look at some of them.
1. IGNORANCE
Ignorance simply means that one does not know a thing that is existing.
Ignorance comes through the lack of study. The Bible, just like the constitution of any nation is very much available, but not many people read through it. Some people are struck to particular portions of the scripture, probably because it promises them one thing or the other. To have total victory over sin, one must know in totality the word of God.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
When God rejects a man it follows that his edge of protection is removed from around his life. It becomes imminent that the devil takes over the control of such life. Looking at the above scriptures, one can also say that knowledge is always there, but the task of grabbing it is man’s.
The first sin recorded in the history of man came as a result of lack of knowledge. The devil came and played on the intelligence of man and unfortunately, man fell since he did not have enough evidence to refuse the tempting of the devil.
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The devil would always come in crafty ways to test your knowledge of the word of God, and once he finds your root in the word shaking, he comes with full force to uproot you from the family of God through sin.
Even though Eve gave him an answer, the answer was not substantial enough to keep the devil out of the way. Now see what followed:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
One of the ways the devil keeps people under perpetual bondage is to keep them too busy from studying the word of God. He knows that, the word of God, when known and confessed would bring liberty to man.
It takes a personal experience with the Truth and a commitment to walking in the light of it for your liberty or deliverance to be truly an enduring one. When you are not properly informed, you can easily become a victim of a relapsing demonic attack.
The consciousness of one’s identity in Christ releases tremendous power and confidence. If a man wants to enjoy consistent victory over the devil and his cohorts, such a man must understand his person and position in Christ. Lack of this understanding is what puts many believers in bondage.
2. BAD COMPANY
1 Cor. 15:33
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
The company one keeps could place one in bondage or liberty. When you keep company with sinners, before long, you begin to behave like them. Remember Lot. He only pitched his tent towards Sodom at the initial time, but not too long, he had a house in Sodom. When you live so close to people that commit sin, it would not take long for you to start sinning too.
There was a time that Abraham went and fought in a war to deliver lot out of Sodom. But not too long after that, Lot found his way back to Sodom. Why? He could not do without his friends.
And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Look at the verse above again. Was Lot really calling the Sodomites brethren? Yes. They have now become the same. Never keep company with sinners, else you continue in a cycle of deliverance.
