BIBLE STUDY ONLINE LESSONS – Mount Pisgah Baptist Church

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FAITH IS THE VICTORY!”

(In Overcoming Sin)

INTRODUCTION

The theme for this series is “Faith Is The Victory!”, with the following text as the basis for our study…

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1Jn 5:4-5)

In our previous study, we saw that the faith which overcomes the world is…
1. A strong conviction and trust in Jesus:
  1. As the Christ, the Son of God – cf. Ac 8:37
  2. As the way, the truth, and the life – cf. Jn 14:6-7
  3. Who alone provides the way to God and eternal life – cf. Jn 6:68-69
2. A strong conviction and trust in Jesus that comes by:
  1. The Word of God – Ro 10:17
  2. The evidence provided by the Word of God – Jn 20:30-31
The “world” we can overcome by faith in Jesus includes anything that can hinder our relationship with God, even such things as…
1. Anxiety e. Discontentment
2. Boredom f. Fear
3. Depression g. Grief
4. Despair h. Loneliness
Our purpose in this series is to illustrate how faith in Jesus helps us to overcome such things, but it is important that we first talk about overcoming SIN…
1. While sin is not taken too seriously these days, it should be
2. The problem of sin must be overcome if we are to overcome anything else
  1. In some cases, sin may be the underlying cause of problems we face
  2. In any case, unless we overcome sin, we will not have God’s help to overcome the problems before us! – cf. Isa 59:1-2; 1Pe 3:12
In this lesson, I wish to do two things…
1. Carefully define the problem of sin
2. Explain how faith in Jesus can overcome the problem of sin

[Let’s begin then by considering…]

THE PROBLEM OF SIN
1. THERE IS THE “GUILT” OF SIN…
2. 1. First, everyone is guilty of sin – Ro 3:23
    1. Even if one has committed just one sin, it as though they have committed them all! – cf. Jm 2:10
    2. That is because sin is so terrible, and God is so holy!
  2. There is both “legal” guilt and “emotional” guilt
  3. 1. Legal guilt means you have violated God’s law
      1. God has a Law, and if we break it, He holds us accountable – 1Jn 3:4
      2. The price of such guilt is “death”, i.e., eternal separation from God – Ro 6:23; Re 21:8
    2. Emotional guilt pertains to one’s conscience of sin
      1. When we know we have done wrong, we feel “guilty”
      2. Our conscience becomes burdened by such “guilt” for our sins
  4. Even if we have so hardened our conscience that we feel no “emotional” guilt, the “legal” guilt remains
    1. God still holds us accountable, and will judge us on the last day – Jn 12:48; Ac 17:30-31
    2. Until then, unforgiven sin also prevents God from coming to our aid – Isa 59:1-2; 1Pe 3:12
      1. Which means we must bear our burdens alone
      2. Whatever comfort, peace, and strength God might provide, is not for one who remains in their sin! – Isa 57:19-21
3. THERE IS THE “POWER” OF SIN…
  1. The problem of sin is not limited to guilt
    1. As if the guilt of sin weren’t bad enough!
    2. Sin also has the power to enslave a person so that they can’t do what they really want to do!
  2. Jesus described the power of sin – Jn 8:31-34
    1. In passage often misapplied to talk about truth leading to freedom (e.g., political)
    2. The freedom under consideration is freedom from the slavery of sin!
  3. When one commits sin, they become a slave of sin!
  4. Paul vividly depicted what his life was like under the bondage of sin, from which the Law of Moses could not deliver – Ro 7:14-24
  5. 1. He was “sold under sin” – Ro 7:14
    2. He could not do what he wanted, and what he did not wish to do, he did – Ro 7:15
    3. He found that “sin dwells in me” – Ro 7:17,20
    4. Though he desired to do good, “how to perform what is good I do not find” – Ro 7:18
    5. He found himself brought “into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” – Ro 7:23
    6. It made him “wretched”, crying out for deliverance from “this body of death” – Ro 7:24

[Sin is a like a powerful drug, to which we become enslaved (addicted). Until we somehow are set free from the power of sin, the guilt of sin separates us from God; any problem we have, therefore, we face alone, with no assistance from God!

But through faith in Jesus, there can be victory in overcoming sin! Let’s see how…]

HOW FAITH IN JESUS OVERCOMES SIN
1. BY PROVIDING THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN…
2. 1. Remission of sins is promised to those who believe in Jesus – Ac 10:43
    1. Made possible by the shedding of His blood – Ep 1:7
    2. Jesus became our “propitiation” (a sacrifice designed to appease) – 1Jn 2:2; 4:9-10
    3. Through His blood we are “justified” (i.e., declared “not guilty”), and therefore spared from the wrath of God to come – Ro 5:9
  2. Such forgiveness is promised to those whose faith in Jesus moves them to repent and be baptized – Ac 2:38; 3:19
    1. Repentance – that “change of mind” in which we turn from sin to serve God
    2. Baptism – that “burial” in which we are united with Christ into His death, that we might be crucified with Him and then rise to walk in newness of life – Ro 6:3-7
  3. Forgiveness continues as we repent and confess our sins in prayer – Ac 8:22; 1Jn 1:9

— In this way Jesus deals with the “guilt” of sin (legal and emotional – cf. He 9:14)

BY PROVIDING THE POWER OVER SIN…
1. In Ro 6:6-7, Paul speaks of freedom from sin…
  1. “we should no longer be slaves of sin”
  2. “…has been freed from sin”
2. Later, in Ro 8:1-2,12-13 he describes where this “power” comes from…
  1. It is “the law (principle) of the Spirit of life in Christ” which frees one from “the law of sin and death”
  2. In particular, how the Spirit enables us to “put to death the deeds of the body”
  3. With the aid of the Spirit, we now have the help of God to overcome sin! – cf. Ep 3:16,20-21; Php 4:13
3. The promise of the Spirit was given by both Jesus and His apostles
  1. To those who believe in Him – Jn 7:37-39
  2. To those who repent and are baptized – Ac 2:38-39
  3. I.e., to those who obey Him and become “children of God” – cf. Ac 5:32; Ga 3:26-27; 4:6; 5:16

— In this way Jesus deals with the “power” of sin

CONCLUSION

To the one who is willing to believe in Jesus, with a trust and conviction to do what He says, then “Faith Is The Victory!”
There is certainly victory over SIN…
1. Over the legal and emotion guilt of sin
2. Over the power of sin which easily enslaves us

— This He does through the gift of His blood, and the gift of the Holy Spirit!

With such wonderful gifts, we can now have the kind of relationship with God by which we can also overcome whatever else the world might throw at us…

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“FAITH IS THE VICTORY!”

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

In his first epistle, John writes of victory in overcoming the world…

The “world” to which John refers are those things in the world that would separate us from God – cf. 1Jn 2:15-17
1. The lust of the flesh (immorality, inordinate emotions)
2. The lust of the eyes (materialism, greed, covetousness)
3. The pride of life (vainglory, boasting, arrogance)

— These things can be summarized in one word: SIN

There are other things in the world which can hinder our relationship with God, such as…
1. Anxiety e. Discontentment
2. Boredom f. Fear
3. Depression g. Grief
4. Despair h. Loneliness

— These emotional states of mind, when not caused by some organic condition, are often the results of SIN as well (perhaps not sinful action, per se, but sinful thinking)

For whatever is in the world that might hinder our relationship with God…
1. There can be victory in overcoming the world!
2. Such victory comes to those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God

— Yes, “Faith Is The Victory!”

In this series, I would like to examine how faith in Jesus enables one to overcome the world…
1. With this lesson, we will define faith, and especially faith in Jesus as the Son of God
2. In succeeding lessons, consider how faith in Jesus can provide victory over such things as those mentioned above that can hinder our relationship with God

[According to John, victory in overcoming the world requires faith in Jesus; it is important then to know exactly what faith is…]

FAITH IN JESUS DEFINED
1. FAITH IN GENERAL…
  1. As defined by Easton’s Bible Dictionary:
    1. Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true
    2. Its primary idea is trust
  2. It is a strong conviction or trust in something; as the NIV translates He 11:1…
    1. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for…”
    2. “…and certain of what we do not see.”
  3. E.g., you have faith that your parents are indeed your parents
    1. Based upon your trust or conviction in the reliability of their word
    2. Such trust prompts you to respond accordingly
2. FAITH IN JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD…
  1. It is a strong conviction or trust in Jesus:
    1. Who Jesus is
      1. That He is what He claimed
      2. That He is truly the Son of the living God
    2. What Jesus did and is doing
      1. That He died on the cross for our sins
      2. That His death is truly a sufficient propitiation or sacrifice for our sins
      3. That He interceeds for us in heaven
    3. What Jesus said
      1. That He alone provides the way to eternal life
      2. That He alone is the way to God, the Father – Jn 14:6-7
  2. Peter professed this faith in Jesus – Jn 6:68-69
    1. That Jesus has the words of eternal life
    2. That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – cf. Mt 16:15-16
  3. When a person has such faith in Jesus…
    1. They look to Jesus for the solution to any problem they face
    2. They have trust and conviction that what He says is the right answer or solution
    3. They are willing to act with trust and conviction on His word – cf. Lk 6:46
  4. For those with an active faith in Jesus, their lives are built on a solid foundation…
    1. Like a wise man who builds his house on a rock – Lk 6:47-49
    2. They are able to weather the storms of life, because their faith in Jesus has prompted them to prepare for whatever comes their way!

[This is the kind of faith that overcomes the world! The problem is that while many have a degree of faith to “hear” (listen) what Jesus said, most don’t have sufficient faith to “do” (obey) what He says!

If we desire to have the kind of faith in Jesus that will help us overcome the world, how is it developed? It is not as difficult as you might think…]

FAITH IN JESUS DEVELOPED
1. FAITH COMES FROM EVIDENCE…
  1. Many people believe that faith is something blind, that you “just gotta believe”
    1. It is true that faith is often a strong conviction in “things unseen” – cf. He 11:1
    2. But there are solid reasons for believing in what you cannot see
      1. Just as you believe in George Washington, though you have never seen him
      2. Just as you believe in who your parents are, though you can’t remember who was there at your birth
  2. Other people believe that faith is some gift from God for a select few
    1. It is true that in one sense faith is a “gift” from God – cf. Ep 2:8; Ro 12:3
    2. But while faith owes its ultimate source to God, it is available to all
      1. For God desires all men to be saved – 1Ti 2:3-6
      2. And He desires that which produces saving faith to be proclaimed to all the nations – Ro 1:16; 16:25-26
  3. Faith comes from evidence provided by God Himself!
    1. God provided signs and wonders so that people might believe in His Son – Jn 5:36; 10:37-38; 14:10-11
    2. And so the apostles recorded these signs that we might believe – Jn 20:30-31
      1. Believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God
      2. Through such faith to have “life” (i.e., victory over the world!) in His name

— This leads us to the primary source of faith..

FAITH COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD…
1. Even as Paul declared: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” – Ro 10:17
  1. Faith (trust and conviction) is founded upon what the Word of God reveals
  2. This is especially true regarding faith in Jesus! – again cf. Jn 20:30-31
2. The Word of God produces faith in Jesus by the evidence it provides; for example…
  1. The Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament
  2. His signs and wonders recorded in the Gospels
  3. The testimony of eyewitnesses in the Acts and epistles

— As one meditates upon the Word of God regarding Jesus, faith is developed!

Faith in Jesus that leads to victory must come from the Word of God!
1. The reason many people do not live victorious lives is a lack of faith
2. They have a weak faith because they do not read and study the Word of God!
3. Not only is their faith weak, but they often don’t even know the teachings of Jesus that can help them to overcome the world!

CONCLUSION

I contend that faith in Jesus gives one the victory in overcoming the world…
1. Whether it is overcoming sin which separates us from God
2. Or it is overcoming sinful thinking that hinders our relationship with God
Victorious faith in Jesus comes from the Word of God…
1. Which is why I cannot overemphasize the importance of feeding upon it daily
  1. A lack of knowledge concerning God’s word was Israel’s downfall – Hos 4:6
  2. When people do not have access to His word, they are very weak – Am 8:11-14
  3. Even Jesus resorted to the Word of God to overcome temptation – Mt 4:4,7,11
2. Why deprive yourself of the means that God has given to produce saving faith? – Jm 1:21

In our next lesson, we shall consider how faith in Jesus provides the victory in overcoming SIN