You don't mess around with sin.

Practical Christianity:

You don’t mess around with sin

JAM 1:13-15

Next, we will be taught by Jesus, Paul, and James on the subject of sin and death.

It’s the “first half” of the story of the Bible.

EPH 2:1-3

But praise God - it’s only the first half.

At “half time” our Lord Jesus Christ appears and turns everything completely around.

EPH 2:4-7

Things start off bad, look hopeless, but then… -

Christ’s cross and resurrection change all that, and things end amazingly well.

ROM 6:23

JAM 1:13-15

Sin and death are two things you do NOT want to mess with.

“You don’t want to mess around with sin. It leads to death.”

The classroom of Jesus - the vision

JOH 8:21-30

JOH 8:24a
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins;

JOH 8:24b
for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Jesus is talking to us at “half time”. And He gives a pep-talk on a life and death matter.

Jesus starts by saying the same thing that James says-

when James says “when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

Jesus adds the one thing that gives us the way of escape out of sin and death.

That something, that solution to a hopeless situation, is simply believing in Him.

When sin is brought to completion …is full grown… brought to its end state…

When sin is allowed to proceed unimpeded all the way to the end, THEN sin brings forth death.
 
Unless…

Unless you believe in Christ!

How does believing in Christ stop sin from proceeding to its end of bringing death or eternal separation from God?

The classroom of Paul - the strategy

The power is in the death and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

And the catalyst for our life is believing in Christ.

And that sets off the greatest overcoming power in the universe acting on our behalf -

-to put an end to the reign of sin and death for us.

ROM 5:15
ROM 5:19-21