Sin and Its Characteristics

1. Read: Romans 7:7-14

2. About the Text:

1) Every one of us faces a struggle with sin.

2) That sin begins in our hearts and works its way through to our lives.

3) In this passage, Paul discusses how sin can take advantage of God’s law.

4) Sin produces evil desires when we know what God’s law says.

5) Paul says that sin deceives us, and kills us.

6) The commandment does help us understand the sinfulness of sin.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. To deny the existence of sin is the greatest problem.

1) Some deny sin exists at all – “there is no good guy…just you and me….”

2) Others deny specific sins – most recent example of Lance Armstrong.

3) “Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness” (Proverbs 30:20).

2. We can deny sin in more than one way.

1) Sins of commission/transgression – “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).

a. Fornication

b. Theft

c. Drunkenness

d. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

2) Sins of omission/neglect – James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

a. Didn’t say something when we should have.

b. Let something go that we should have done.

c. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23).

3) Sins of thought and emotion –

a. Lust — “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt.5:28).

b. Envy – “”For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3).

c. Pride – “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

d. Fear – “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

3. Sin destroys relationships.

1) With God – Isaiah 59:1-2.

2) With one another – “Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor.15:33 ASV).

1. It requires your energies.

1) “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

2) “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).

2. It requires your mental efforts.

1) “He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil” (Psalm 36:4).

2) “Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord” (Proverbs 6:14).

3. It requires your life.

1) Proverbs 7:27 “Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”

2) Matthew 16:25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

3) “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).

1. It never gives what it promises to give.

1) “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder” (Proverbs 23:31-32).

2) Proverbs 3:3-4 “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.”

2. It gives less each time you do it, and it always leaves us desiring more.

1) “They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (Proverbs 23:35).

2) “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity” (Ecc.5:10).

3) “The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want” (Proverbs 13:25).

4) Proverbs 27:20 “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

3. It ultimately rewards in death.

1) Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death”

2) “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

1. Let’s remember these characteristics of sin.

1) Sin is real.

2) Sin requires something from you.

3) Sin rewards unexpectedly.

2. Invitation