The Sin Series Part 1: Why was Jesus Sent?
(Preached by Pastor Kenneth Chin at Acts Church Malaysia on 9th September 2018)
Read | Acts 3:26
To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
The Bible tells us that Christ was sent to bless us and help us turn away from our sins.
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We cannot preach salvation without preaching sin.
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Many of us think that preaching salvation is the most important and I believe it is, but how can you preach a clear message of salvation through Jesus Christ if you do not first preach about sin?
Sin was first and Christ came because of sin. If there was no sin, there is no need for salvation, because salvation (through the coming of Jesus Christ) arrives only after sin is acknowledged.
Acknowledging our sins means repenting and turning away from our iniquities.
How do we then walk this life that
Jesus has come to give us?
Refuse to live in darkness.
Day and night are divided, light and darkness cannot mix, for they are two separate worlds.
Read | John 3:20-21
Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
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I believe that if you want to be a judge of your own character, take what you are doing and bring it to the light.
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Rule over sin.
In this lifetime, we will be tempted by many things. The Bible says not that we are saved but that we are being saved. Meaning, it is a journey. It is a renewing of the mind. It is a strengthening of your soul.
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Rule over it or it will rule over you.
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One day, we shall be saved from the presence of sin. But as long as we are in this body, there is power of sin. And as long as sin is still in the flesh, you will be tempted. So the Bible says to you, I know you will be tempted but rule over it!
Read | Romans 7:15-20 ; Romans 12:2; John 10:10
Jesus has come to give us life and life more abundantly and He wants to help us. Through Him, we are justified, which means there is no more penalty but as long as we live, the power of sin is still there.
As Paul said, “With the mind, I serve the Law of God, but the flesh I serve the Law of Sin.”
Why does he have to say I serve the law of sin? Because, the flesh is condemned. The flesh will always want sin. The flesh will always want darkness.
But if I give my mind to Christ, do you think my flesh can act on its own? My flesh cannot act without my mind. So I give my mind to the law of God. I renew my mind daily and I find I have more power over sin.
Repent and be converted.
How many of you have gone to money changer and you go like, actually I want to convert 3000 ringgit, but never mind, I will give, 2800 ringgit and hopefully he thinks that it is 3000 ringgit?
Sometimes, God is asking for our all, but we give him 80% and we expect to defeat the darkness.
The word “save” and “convert” can be different, so a lot of people talk about salvation but they do not talk about conversion. How many of us are saved but not converted?
Read | John 3:3-6; John 8:2-12
In reference to being saved, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit.”
Baptism says die to your flesh, die with Christ and you will be raised with Christ, completely immersed, completely converted.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
This scripture comes immediately after He says to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more”.
Through Christ we can live a life of victory. A life of overcoming power.
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Don’t break down, break through.
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When Christ says, “Go and sin no more.” It seems like by our power and our strength to sin no more. But the verse after this says, “I Am The Light. If you follow me, you will never live in darkness.”
Christ did not leave the woman alone. He said to her, “I am your light.”
Keep following Jesus and you will experience that no darkness shall overcome you.
Written by: Writer’s Ink
Edited by: Ivy Wambaa & Hailey Chung
