1. Washed away by the blood of Jesus, Ephesians 1.7; Acts 22.16

a. This only after a person hears the Gospel of Christ, believes in Jesus as the Son of God, repented of their sins, and baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.

2. This is the only way a person’s sins can be forgiven, Romans 4.7-8

a. Consider the greatest debt you have and it being forgiven. Student loan, home loan, business loan, etc.

b. Our greatest debt is sin because we can never pay the debt. Only Jesus could do that.

1. Those sins remain even if a person quits committing them.

2. Credit card debt not forgiven just because you quit using the card; you have to pay the debt.

1. Justify His sins – everybody else is doing it

2. Blame others for his sins—Adam blamed God for eating the forbidden fruit by blaming God for Eve. Genesis 3.12

3. Take his liberty in Christ a reason to commit sin, Romans 6.1-2

4. Allow the passing pleasure of sin cloud the situation, Hebrews 11.25

a. Probably more Christians have left the faith due to sexual sins

1. Justify sin by calling it something like ―alternative lifestyle‖ or claiming it is a disease, or simply redefine it. Gambling is taking a chance. Kiwanis club could not have a raffle but they could offer opportunities to win.

2. Often blames one’s environment for what one does. You would do this too if you grew up in this place.

3. Claim our liberty as intellectual, free will individuals, allows us to make up our own rules.

4. Make fun of or even laugh at sin. Treat it as something trivial. Example: husband leaves his wife for another woman; gets divorced and then married to the other woman. People don’t seem to have a problem with it but even rejoice with the couple.

5. To the world almost nothing is considered sinful. Lying is ok because everybody does it. Stealing is justified if you really need it. Addiction is a disease and not a choice. About the only thing I can think of that the world considers just plain wrong is murder, and being a sexual predictor.

6. As a result the world separates what they do and morality. In other words a person may lie, cheat, and steal but it does not mean they are bad. Then they separate morality from their stance before God. A person may be immoral but still saved.

1. Exposes sin, Ephesians 5.11

a. By their manner of life. Noah in Hebrews 11.7; 1 Peter 4.4

b. By condemning sin

c. By repenting of their sins, 1 John 1.7

2. A Christian hates sin because they love God.

a. When we love someone we try to please them. Part of that is not doing what they hate.

b. I used to call Elizabeth, busy bit. As a young child she was always jabbering and being busy. A few years ago I noticed that she seemed to not like it. So, I asked her and she said they did not like that nick name. I quit using it.

3. A Christian hates sins because of what it does

a. Causes us to be lost, James 1.15

b. Causes us to suffer in this life and to harm others. When you sin against your husband/wife/children you are hurting them.

c. When to do this you also are hurting yourself. Proverbs 6.32; 8.36; 13.13; 19.16

i) David harmed himself by sinning with Bathsheba against God, the husband, and his family

ii) See a drug addict you see someone harming themselves.

Conclusion: Sin is not pretty, or trivial, or justified; it is wrong. Problems arises when we start seeing sin as something excusable or not really that bad. Young people coming back from college confessing their sins but they go right bad into the same sins. They are not repenting but reporting. Why? Because they fail to see that sin is deadly, costly, and a burden that we cannot bear. It will cause us to not be in fellowship with God, suffer for eternity in hell, hurt ourselves and others. Galatians 2.20