IV. NOW THAT I KNOW THAT GOD HAS FORGIVEN ME OF MY SINS, MUST I STOP LIVING A SINFUL LIFESTYE?
Galatians 5: 16 So I say, live by the Spirit,
and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful
nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is
contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that
you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are
not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:
sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft;
hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I
did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of
God. 22 But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
with the Spirit.
Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot
be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8
The one who sows to please his sinful nature,
from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the
Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
9 Let us not
become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if
we do not give up.
1 Corinthians 6: 9
Do you
not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you
were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Romans 8: 10 But if Christ is
in
you, your body is
dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he
who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through his Spirit, who lives in you. 12 Therefore, brothers, we have an
obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14
because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave
again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,
"Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are
God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that
we may also share in his glory.
Ephesians 5: 3
But among you
there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of
impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out
of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No
immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no-one deceive you
with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who
are disobedient.
7 Therefore do not be partners
with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light
Colossians 3: 1 Since, then, you have been
raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated
at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly
things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him
in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly
nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is
idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk
in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves
of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy
language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken
off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which
is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
I John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us
from all sin. 8 If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not
sinned,
we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our
lives.
I John 2:1
My dear
children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does
sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the
Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the
whole world.
I
John 2: 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in
him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him
must walk as Jesus did.
I John 3:3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No-one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No-one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Other Verses to Consider:
Romans 6:4, 6:16-22, I Thessalonians 3:10-4:11, 4:3-8 & 5:23,
I John 1:5-10, II Corinthians 7:1, Colossians 3:5-17, Titus 2:11-14, I Peter
2:24, II Peter 1:3-4