Date:18th August 2020
Minister: Pastor Bola Bello
For the past three weeks, we have been considering the topic ‘Sin as an appetite for death’. Last week we considered how the Holy Spirit is important; to help us understand the mind of God and help us live according to His will. This week, we will be taking a step further into understanding the warfare against sin.
Romans 5:12
The sin referred to in this text is not the sin of Adam. Sin entered the created world the day Satan sinned. Satan was the first being to sin, Adam was only a victim. He (Adam) was not aware that sin had existed in the world until he was given a commandment. The giving of a law was proof that there was sin in the world before Adam. His sin affected us all because he represents the spiritual head of all mankind therefore the sin of Adam affected every man that that was born into the world. He was the initial head of all humanity but after Jesus’ death and resurrection, a new spiritual head was raised for humanity.
Romans 5:17
By the resurrection of Jesus, sin no longer has dominion over man. Adam imputed sin on all mankind but Jesus imputed righteousness on us all. And in this new era, everything ought to be done as the Spirit pleases.
Our lifestyle today is a reflection of the choices we made yesterday. Also what or who you pay attention to determines the kind of atmosphere created around you. God is just, and in His justice, He has permitted man to make his own choices, which would inevitably create a specific environment for him to live in.The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil were deliberately placed in Eden. These trees were for choice making.The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the law of Sin and Death were put there for the purpose of choice making. The choice you make creates an environment for you. So, we have the privilege of making our choices and creating the right environment. In the environment that is conducive for the law of the Spirit of life to operate, there is security and peace (Romans 8:6) but in the environment of sin, there is no assurance.
Psalm 51:5
Naturally, every man is birthed into the environment of sin. However, when a man is born again, the new normal is for him to learn how to combat sin and live victoriously. Unfortunately, the church has not developed a systemic and spiritual methodology that helps to deal with both the conscious sins and the unconscious sins through sound biblical teachings.
We need to appreciate the fact that in reality, that you are born again does not mean you have been separated from sin. Though you have technically and legally divorced sin, we know from our daily experiences that sin has never divorced you. Sin will always check on us as Satan did with Christ (Luke 4:13). Therefore you must learn to combat it too as Jesus did. We were birthed into the atmosphere of sin as a baby, grew up in that corrupt atmosphere and still living in it.Hence, when a man becomes born again, he should live in the right spiritual environment. The outside environment must be controlled from the inside environment.
Acts 15:37-39
In this story we see Paul quarrelling with Barnabas over John Mark. His response to the situation demonstrated that certain habits, which could be considered as unconscious sin had not left Paul and so he could not see John Mark as fit for the task ahead of them because of the previous disappointment. Paul’s anger over the previous disappointment blinded him so much that he forgot about the work of grace. This sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas was a result of a habit he probably inherited from his parents. Same with us, like Paul, certain sins are still hidden in us that an atmosphere and situation may provoke to manifest.
2 Corinthians 10:3-7
We must agree that fighting sin is also spiritual warfare because we cannot fight it with physical weapons. Sin is the stronghold that birthed all kinds of calamities (poverty, sickness, illness, etc) in the present world. Therefore, to enjoy breakthroughs we must combat Sin first. Whether intentional or not, sin is a major stronghold (James 4:1-4).
1 John 3:8
The responsibility is on us to choose the right atmosphere and live in it. With the right atmosphere, we will be able to overcome sin. Christ has created an environment for us where we can live a sinless life. Living a sinless life is a possibility, it is only a matter of the mind.