Are you still in the bondage of sin? [pt1]

How do you know?

1. You still have fear
2. You still have regret
3. You feel separated from God
4. You blame God
5. You try to make deals with God
6. You still sin, and try to cover it up
   1. Alcoholism
   2. Gambling Addiction
   3. Porn Addiction
   4. Lying Addiction
   5. Facebook Addiction
   6. Spending Addiction
   7. Hoarding Addiction
   8. etc
7. You take actions that are in opposition to your well being
8. You cannot seem to succeed at a commitment, regardless of your desire
9. etc

What is the solution?

Find in the bible where there is a law that laboring by the flesh will solve your problems. Find in the bible where anything by your flesh will produce anything other than dirty rags or less.

Isaiah 64 NASB:

1. Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down,
   That the mountains might quake at Your presence—
2. As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—
   To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
   That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3. When You did awesome things which we did not expect,
   You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.
4. For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
   Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
   Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
5. You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
   Who remembers You in Your ways.
   Behold, You were angry, for we sinned,
   We continued in them a long time;
   And shall we be saved?
6. For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
   And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
   And all of us wither like a leaf,
   And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7. There is no one who calls on Your name,
   Who arouses himself to take hold of You;
   For You have hidden Your face from us
   And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.

Your solution is simple: You cannot make yourself righteous. So turn to God for your righteousness. From there, your sins are taken care of.

Romans 4:9 – 5:14

 9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

[Look for part 2 of this, coming soon]