Sermon Central
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The Puzzle Of Sin
Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Jan 5, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: Many do not understand how they can have their sins removed as far as the East from the West and still need to stand accountable for their sins.
The Puzzle of Sin
Purpose : To teach that we must all stand accountable for our sins.
Intro: I teach that each of us must stand accountable to God in the judgment where we will answer for our sins. Not pay for our sins... our sins have been paid for... but stand accountable.
That causes some confusion for some who ask...
The bible says that our sins have been forgiven and removed as far as the east from the west. If that is true then how can we still stand accountable?
I can only congratulate them for knowing the bible. Psalm 103:12 does indeed say,
But OUR PROBLEM is that the scriptures also have many verses that tell us that we will stand before Jesus as judge and will give account of our lives (acts, thoughts, words, etc)
Today we want to look at the puzzle of sin.... how these verses fit together.
Now here is the problem we have today.
Preacher, you say Jesus died to pay for our sins and he has forgiven us. Is that right?
YES!!!!!!
If he has forgiven us then why are we judged? And why are they brought back if they are removed as far as the east from the west?
I don’t know why God judges... I just know the Word of God declares it!
See... we still have all of these pieces. If this piece (east from west) fits in here, then we just have to throw away all of these pieces. Just tear them out of the Word of God and say they do not count... that they are lies.
I am not prepared to do that. This is God’s divine, inspired, infallible Word. If some part of it does not fit with what I believe… then it is I who must change because the Word is eternal and unchangeable.
Our real problem is caused by David’s choice of tenses
David spoke Psalm 103:12 in the PAST TENSE... as though it had already happened.
But we know for certain that it was not a present reality for David.
David lived under the old covenant, the old sacrificial system. David was still offering sacrifices every year for his sins.
Was the blood of sheep and goats sufficient to wash away sins and bring eternal pardon????
NO!!!!!
In fact, that could not possibly be true until Easter morning. Only then was Jesus proven to be our victorious Savior... victorious over sin, death, and the grave.
So we know that David was speaking prophetically. Speaking of a future reality.
When? That is the problem. When does this piece (Ps 103:12) fit in?????
Most people want to put it in here (after SALVATION). But it does not fit.
But we can’t throw away these pieces (hold up pieced unused).
The only answer it to fit all of the pieces together and finish the puzzle.
Let’s start at the beginning and then we will get to Ps 103.
CREATED SINLESS
Adam and Eve were created in the garden of Eden. God created Adam from nothing and Eve from a rib.
When God was done He said, "It is good."
"They were good, pure, sinless.
God expected them to stay that way and gave them rules to stay away from the two trees.
1. THEY SINNED.
But Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. They willfully and with knowledge chose to obey God. Thus they sinned.
SIN ENTERED WORLD.
Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden and placed in this world. With them they brought their rebellious spirit. That spirit has infiltrated all humans since.
ALL SINNED. Romans 3:23
Since that time, that seed of sin has borne fruit in every human ever born--- except Jesus.
2. SEPARATION
Sin separated us from God
Adam and Eve cast out of garden
3. SALVATION. Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved
One day we recognized our sin, our separation, our hopelessness... and we did the only possible thing...
We confessed our sin and asked God to forgive us of our sins.
He did and washed us clean in the blood of Jesus.
BUT THIS WAS NOT THE END OF SIN
this is not an end piece
4. Sin AGAIN
1 John 1:8-9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
5. DEATH/RAPTURE 1 Cor 15:51-55
But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. 34 When this happens - when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die - then at last the Scriptures will come true:
