BIBLICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING 2 (FROM HGM ON 23 FEB21)

 BIBLICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING- 02

TEXT:  "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"  (Romans 5:20)

 I.  DRAWING NEARER

     A.  "Sin separates from God"  is a common statement held as truth.  The complete truth is; sin is the occasion for the grace of God.  And the greater the sin, the greater the grace.  There is no sin that we can commit that God's grace, blood, and love cannot forgive us of.  Not one! 

     B.  It is the persistence of the will of man to continue in sin that leads to separation and eternal death.  It is the rejecting of the continual drawing of the Holy Spirit, time and time again that separates man from God.  Not man's sin.  Fore we all sin, don't we?. 

           "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"  (Romans 3:23)  But, we all do not ask for His forgiveness, do we? 

      C.  He died unto sin, not His, but ours, fore He was sinless.  He died once for our sin.

           "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."  (Romans 6:9-10)

       D.  Therefore we must not continue in sin that grace should abound.

           "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"  (Romans 6:1)  We must not take the occasion of sin as a liberty to satisfy fleshly desires,  sin is sin.  Sin kills.  The end result of sin without confess and repentance is always destruction and death.  But, the end result of sin in our lives after confession and repentance is liberty and life.

       E.  When Adam and Eve sinned, God drew near to them.

             "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."  (Genesis 3:8)

       F.  Adam's and Eve's refusal to confess their disobedience (their sin) to God words left them in a state of death, leading to their eternal separation from God.  Nowhere did Adam and Eve repent.

       G.  Sin should be our occasion to draw nearer to God in our weakness and need.  He comes to us because of our sin. 

       H.  Drawing nearer to Him is the proper response.  Just as we draw near to Him in our physical sickness, thus we should also do in our spiritual sickness.

 II.  PARTING THOUGHTS

      A.  Unless we see God as a God who draws near to us to when we sin, and not a God who desires to condemn and punish us, we will never draw near to him. 

      B.  Unless we see Him as a God of compassion, forgiveness, and love we will never allow Him to draw near to us.  God's desire is to draw near to us.  He never stops drawing near to us in our sin.  He continually is sending His Holy Spirit to convict us and draw us to confession.

       C.  It is not a question of sin, but a question of our willingness to draw near to God in our sin.  It is not a question of God loving us or forgiving us in our sin.  It is a question of do we love God enough? Do we believe God's word enough to allow Him to forgive us and draw near to us in our sin.