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1 John 3 verse 4, Whosoever commit of sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. The Bible has given us the definition of sin. When you thought about how do you define sin, the Bible tells us exactly what sin is. Sin is the transgression of the law. God has given us his laws and the moment you break those laws, you transgress those laws, you've committed sin. The title for the sermon this afternoon is what to do about sin. What to do about sin, because we're all sinners, aren't we? We've all sinned against the Lord. And you know, being a pastor, I would say probably, I'm just using a rough figure, probably 70% of the phone calls that I receive as a pastor are not from my church members. I get a lot of phone calls from other people that are not even part of our church and might listen to us online or they just find us on Google or something like that and I get phone calls and of those 70%, probably half of those calls is people trying to get me to justify their sin, okay, trying to get me to justify. They're in a bad place, they're making bad decisions, they know that they're doing something that is not quite right, but they just want to hear a pastor say it's all good, go ahead and do it, okay, I'm just being honest with you, okay. And look, sometimes it's even church members, okay, that are trying to justify sin. And so the title, as I said, is what to do about sin. What do we do? Sin is the transgression of the law. None of us are perfect, we're all sinners, we're going to sin unfortunately till the day we die because we have this flesh. And so what do we do about our sin? Keep your finger there in 1 John 3, we are going to come back to this, but I need to build a bit of a foundation before we can get into the meat of this sermon. If you can turn with me to Romans chapter 3, keep your finger there in John 3, but turn with me to Romans chapter 3, okay, Romans chapter 3. Now, sin is the transgression of the law, alright? So trying to keep the law, I mean it's a good thing to do, it's like good work keeping the deeds of the law, but I just want to one day, just once again lay down that that's not how we're saved. We're not saved by not transgressing the law, we're not saved by turning from sins, because turning from sins is keeping the commandments of the law, okay? That is not our salvation. I'll quickly read to you from Acts 13, 38, which says, Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, that through Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things. So what is salvation? What justifies us from all things? Believing in Jesus. Then it says this, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. You could not be justified by the law of Moses, okay? God has given us his laws, but you cannot justify yourself by trying to keep the laws. Justification comes by believing on Jesus Christ, okay? You're then Romans 3, look at verse number 20, Romans 3 verse 20, For by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. So what is the purpose of the law? So we know what sin is. We know God's law, God says thou shalt not bear false witness, oh then I know that telling a lie or bearing false witness is a sin. You know the law tells me that I'm a sinner, alright? And when I transgress God's laws, I've committed sin. But I want to show you that no man is justified by the law, okay? Drop down to verse number 23, you guys know this passage very well, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I love that verse, we're all sinners. You know, none of us are righteous, none of us are keeping the law perfectly, or even are able to keep the law perfectly, okay? We're all sinners. Verse number 24, Being justified freely, free, salvation is free, isn't it? Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Propitiation means it satisfies. You know, God is satisfied the moment we place our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, his sacrifice, that he died for us. It says to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him, look, which believeth in Jesus. Going to heaven is based on righteousness, but not your own righteousness. It's based on the righteousness of Christ, and then he justifies us through faith on him, okay, which believeth in Jesus. Now this is what's important though. Verse number 27, Where is boasting then? It is excluded. See if we're all sinners and we all acknowledge that we can't make it on our own, I've not done it, I can't, you know, imagine salvation is by your efforts, then we can boast about it. Oh yeah, I'm a good person. That's what everyone does. Are you going to heaven? I'm going to heaven because I'm a good person. Look, where is boasting then? It is excluded. You know what's wonderful about God's salvation? Man cannot boast. Man cannot do it. Man cannot be justified by keeping the laws. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, by the law of faith. See faith removes any ability for man to boast. You know when you're in church and someone's boasting about their greatness and I've been to churches like this, you know, say, oh Kevin you don't understand, the moment I got saved, you know, all of a sudden, you know, I'm this great and wonderful person and I no longer sin and I, you know, it's like, are you boasting? Because I thought salvation was boasting on Christ, that Christ died for you, that the reason you're righteous is not because you're such a wonderful person but the reason you're righteous is because you've been covered by the righteous of Jesus Christ. See when people understand that salvation is by faith, no man will ever boast about it. Like no man will turn around, look at me, look at me, I'm definitely a saved man, look how great I'm doing in life. That's boasting. Look at verse number 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Praise God, I can't keep the law, I never have, I've never been able to. If we're justified by the law we're done for, you're all going to die and go to hell, you know, because you've all broken God's laws, we're all sinners, we saw this, okay, but we saw that sin is a transgression of the law and we know that sin offends the Lord, right, when we sin we've offended the Lord, we've not walked in his ways, we want to please the Lord, I want to be, I want to please the Lord, don't you? Like I don't want to get to the point where I'm saved by faith, therefore I'm just going to live a wicked sinful life, that's not going to please God, the God who sacrificed his son for me, am I just going to throw that in his face and live a life that's just wicked and sinful, because I can, because I'm not justified by the works of the Lord? If you can, you're still there in Romans, come with me to Romans chapter five. As I said to you, the title for the sermon is what to do about sin. I'm just building a foundation right now, okay, you guys know salvation, I preach about salvation so many times, it's still wonderful to hear anyway, isn't it, maybe about salvation, but while you're turning to Romans five, I'm going to read to you just some other passages, Galatians 2 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith, sorry, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Again, I find it strange when people say, what are the Old Testament saints that were saved by the works? For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Salvation has always been by grace through faith on Christ alone, it always has been. You know, 2 Corinthians 5 21, this is what's wonderful about Jesus Christ. You know, Jesus Christ died for us, but the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5 21, for he hath made him to be sin for us. Jesus Christ became sin for us, all of your sins was put on Jesus, and instead of God punishing you for your sins, he punished his son, he became sin for us. The Bible says, who knew no sin. Jesus never committed a sin, he was perfect, the perfect righteous son of God. And this is this, this is important, yes he died for our sins, again, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We go to heaven because of the righteousness of God in him, in Jesus. We go to heaven because God sees the righteousness of his son in us. Okay, we're in Christ, okay, and this is what's wonderful. Not only did Christ take our sins, and his shed blood washes from our sins, we gave him our wickedness, and Christ gave us his righteousness. We stand before God in the righteousness of Christ. This is why you can't lose your salvation, even if you mess up today, even if you go out and do something extremely wicked, okay, you are covered by the righteousness of Christ. Please understand, all your sins have been paid for when you died on the cross. As I said to you, the title for the sermon today was what to do about sin. And number one is be saved, okay, that's just the introduction, be saved. Point number one, be saved, okay, what do you do about your sin? You know, you accept what Christ has done, okay, you accept that he's paid for your sin, he became sin for you, and he gives you his righteousness. Be saved, alright, now that's just introduction, we know that, we know that's the most important thing, alright, but what you need to understand that even though we're saved today, does that mean you're never going to sin now? You're still going to sin, you've probably sinned this morning, okay, you're still going to sin. So what do we do about our sin as Christians? And sometimes Christians, they want to justify, well, God understands if I sin against him. You're still offending the Lord, you're still trespassing against his laws, okay, God's given us a big Bible, it's a thick book, like not every page on this Bible is about salvation. Most of it is how to live a holy, clean life, okay, to teach us the ways of the Lord. That's what most of the Bible is about, okay, I mean, we've got a lot to learn, and so I never want us to take the view that, well, okay, then, you know, we're saved and that's fine, and it's wonderful that you're saved, but, you know, we can't just stop there. We need to do something about our sin in our daily walk, okay, you're there in Romans 5, Romans 5, 20. We don't want to take this attitude in Romans 5, 20, well, actually, let's just read it first. It says, moreover, the law entered, okay, so we can't be saved by the law, moreover, the law entered, that the offense might abound. God's given us his laws so we understand how much we've offended God. Like we can't just be like, oh, I'm told a lie, but it's just a white lie. God's not going to be upset about a white lie, you know, God's laws are there, so we're like, wow, I've offended God, I've broken his laws, I've transgressed against his laws, all right, that the offense might abound, but then it says this, that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. You can't sin your way out of God's grace. Even the most wicked can turn to God in faith and accept Christ and God's grace is going to cover that sin. Isn't that amazing? And then look at verse 21, that as sin have rained unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. So you can't sin yourself out of God's grace. You can't lose your salvation or you can never get to the point where you're just so sinful that God's grace can't cover that sin. Now again, the attitude is, well, then I can just live a sinful life because God's grace abounds my sins. Well let's go to the next chapter. Let's continue, Romans 6 verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin? Now this sounds good, pastor. Then I can sin. I can continue in sin. That grace may abound. God's grace is going to continue abounding anyway if I continue to sin. Verse number 2, God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Our sins have been crucified with Christ. God's asking, how can we just continue living a life of sin? You see, God wants us to continue trying to not just be saved, and that's wonderful when we're righteous of Christ, but He wants us to overcome, have victory in our life over sin. And this is a hard one. You're never going to reach the end of it. But our goal ought to be that as we live a Christian life, we sin less and less and less. And guess what? When you sin less and less, what are you going to be doing more of? More righteousness, more like Christ, growing up, maturing, being like Christ more and more every day of your life, finding victory in your life. And so what do we do about sin? Number 1, get saved. And this is the important part that I need to explain to you. Getting saved is your position, your position. But we continue to sin in our life. And when I talk about this type of sin, which is still sin, we're now talking about our walk, our fellowship. Liliana, can I get you over here? Come over here. I want to use an illustration with you. When you understand this illustration, you'll understand some verses in the Bible that might seem a little complicated. So I have Liliana here. Now she's been born into my family. I'm her father. She's my daughter. The moment you get saved, you're born again, you're born into God's family. So what is her position to me? She is my daughter. Her position will never change, right? But our fellowship can be good or bad, can't it? She can be an obedient, submissive daughter and we can have a great relationship, right? We can have a great friendship together, spend time together, wonderful fellowship together, close together, okay? Abiding with me and her abiding with, you know, me abiding with her and she abiding with me, we can have a really good relationship. But what if my daughter says, Dad, you know, she becomes rebellious, rebellious teenager, hates her dad, you know, disobedient and let's say, she says, Dad, I never want to see you again and runs away from home and I never see her again, let's say. She runs away from home. All right, what's been affected? Our relationship, our fellowship. But has our position changed? It's never changed, okay? Our position, okay? Salvation is our position. We're born into, we're born again, we're born into God's family, okay? And no matter what happens, brethren, even if you continue a life of sin, which is not what I recommend, but even if you did and you broke fellowship with God and you walked a worldly path, your position with God will never change. You'll always be a child of God because you're covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. What gets affected in your Christian life is your fellowship with God the Father, okay? Your walk with God, your relationship, that gets affected when you continue to sin as a Christian. Okay, you can sit down, okay? Now that you understand that as an illustration, let's come back to 1 John 3, 1 John 3, okay? We're comparing your position with your walk. Your position never changes because your position is in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That will never change, but your walk, I'm sure you'd admit, you don't always walk righteously. I'm sure you'd admit you're not always walking with the Lord. You're not always living the life that God would want you to live, okay? So your walk gets dirty, okay? It creates a separation with God. And this is an important doctrine for you to grasp when you read the Bible. A lot of people don't understand this. I told you about the 70% of calls that I get. People generally do not understand this. They get confused and they want to justify their sins because they think their walk is their salvation. No, their position is their salvation, okay? And of course, what I'm talking, I'm trying to give people the gospel and if they're already saved, I'm trying to teach them this truth because I realize a lot of Christians just don't get it, okay? Look at 1 John 3, verse number 4, again, whosoever commit of sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law, that's what we started with. And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin, speaking of Jesus. Now look at this, whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not, ooh, are you in Christ? The Bible says you don't sin then, isn't that what it says? You say pastor, I sin, does that mean I'm not in Christ Jesus? Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not, whosoever sinneth have not seen him, neither known him. If you continue to sin, you've never seen him, you don't know him. Let's say, but pastor, that's all of us, yourself included. This is why you need to understand your position versus your walk, okay? Let's drop down to verse number 9, look at this, verse number 9, whosoever is born of God, let me stop there, have you been born again? Are you saved? Okay, then this is you, this is you, we're not trying to explain away the passage, this is you, whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. People read this, they don't get it. And probably some of you are reading that, you go, I don't know, I still sin, pastor. Okay, and this is where people start to justify their sins. They know they've sinned, they go, oh, maybe I'm not saved, maybe I've got to justify my sin. Pastor, can you find me a verse that justifies my sin before God? No, I can't. You're a sinner. You'll be surprised how many people, honestly, most of my calls are people in sin, or needing to sin for whatever reason they think they need to sin, and can you make it okay for me? Okay, so we've seen a truth, if you're born of God, you don't commit sin. All right? Yeah, pass out, I don't know. All right, same book, very same book, come with me to chapter one. First John chapter one, verse number eight. First John chapter one, verse number eight. It says, first John chapter one, verse eight, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Say, hold on. So am I supposed to not sin, or am I, but if I say I don't have sin, then the truth is not in me? I don't know what to do, pass out, I'm stuck. And look at verse number 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Oh, I'm sinless, I've reached sinless perfection. Okay, you've made God a liar, the Bible says. So which one is that? Well, to understand this, you need to understand your position and your walk. Okay? Your position, you never sin, because you're in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, okay? That which is born of God doth not commit sin. Was this flesh born of God? No. The new man was born of God. That new man never sins. Even when this flesh goes out and commits some grievous sin, the new man within me, in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, remains sinless. This is why, yes, there is sinless perfection within you, but it's the new man, it's your position in Christ Jesus. But then you've got your walk as a Christian person, as you go about life, serving the Lord, guess what, it's going to happen, you're going to sin. And if you say you have no sin, then the truth is not in you, you make God a liar. You see, it's an important doctrine to understand the difference between your position, which is in Jesus Christ, and your walk or your fellowship with him. In fact, if you have a look at that, there again in 1 John chapter 1 verse 5, so chapter 3 is about your position, you never sin. Chapter 1 is about your walk. You do sin. Okay? In fact, 1 John chapter 1 verse number 5, let's backtrack a little bit. It says, this then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. Verse number 6, if we say that we have fellowship with him, look at this, and walk in darkness. Fellowship and walking is the same thing. We lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship, there is again, one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. This is talking about our fellowship, our walk. When I use the illustration of Liliana with me, positionally, you know, she is my daughter, nothing is ever going to change that. But if she is disobedient, if she leaves the house and becomes a rebellious teenager or whatever, we are not walking together, we are not fellowshiping together. Okay? There is sin taking place there. And so, the rest of this sermon is what to do about our sin as a Christian person. Number 1, be saved. Positionally, nothing is going to change, but your fellowship can be hurt if you continue in sin. Okay? Your fellowship can be hurt. Now, in chapter 1, when we are talking about our walk, there is something you need to do in your walk. Look at verse number 9. First John chapter 1 verse number 9, when you do sin against the Lord, it says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is not teaching us how to be saved. In order for you to be saved, you don't have to confess your sins. Like imagine, like let's say you are 20 years old when you get saved, pretend. Think about all the sins you have committed from baby to 20 years old. Do you really think you are going to be able to sit there and confess every sin you have ever done? It's never going to happen. You probably don't even remember your sins. If salvation was based on you confessing your sins to God, you will never get to the end of it and you will probably miss, if you miss one sin, that's it, you are not going to heaven. No, no, no. That's your walk. As we go about and walk our lives, as I go after church today and I might sin, I hope not, I might sin against the Lord, I break my fellowship with him. I'm walking in darkness and what I have to do as a Christian is confess my sins. Lord, I'm sorry. Lord, please forgive me, I've messed up again, you know, I want to walk in fellowship with you, I want to be in righteousness with you, I want to spend time with you Lord, I want to be in fellowship, I want to be walking in your ways and so we confess our sins, ideally on a daily basis because we sin every day, okay. Confessing your sins is not how you get saved. Confessing your sins is how you maintain your walk and your fellowship with Jesus Christ. So point number two I have for you, brethren, is what to do about sin. Number two, know that you are saved. Confess your sins to stay in fellowship. Confess your sins, not to continue being saved, but to stay in fellowship, okay, to stay in fellowship. That's such an important part. Brethren, we need the Lord. We don't just need him for salvation, we need him every day, you know. We need him to help us and to lead us and to guide us every day in our life. That's such a wicked world, this body, you know, without the Lord, it's just going to give in to every temptation, every sin, if not for the help of the Lord. We need him. We need to be walking close with the Lord, to live a life that pleases him. Don't rely on your flesh. There is nothing good in your flesh, okay. It's the new man, the inner man, okay, that we are to walk thereby, okay. So confess your sins to stay in fellowship. Next time we meet to Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 7 verse number 14, Romans 7 and verse number 14, Romans 7, 14, Paul explains this in his own words, this principle of your position and your walk, okay, Romans 7, 14, Paul says, for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sowed under sin. This is Paul the apostle. He says in this epistle, as he's writing to a church, he says to the church, guys, I'm carnal. He goes, I give in to my fleshly desires. I'm a sinner, he's saying, all right. I'm carnal. Verse number 15, for that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do I not. He goes, I want to do good, but I don't do it. He says, sorry, I'll read verse number 15 again. For that which I do, I allow not, and what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I, because there are things that I hate, but I do them. He's just explaining the reality of the Christian life. Verse number 16, if then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now look at verse number 17, this is what he concludes. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. He goes, it's not me that sins. What's he referring to that point? His position. His new man, that which is born again. He goes, that never sins, but sin dwelleth in me. Sins in my flesh. I've got a sinful nature. But he's realizing there's a position where I never sin. It's not I that do it. Oh, that sounds like you, oh Paul, come on. It sounds like, so Paul, you can just go ahead and sin, but it's not you, yeah, it's not the new man. It's not your position. Okay, it's not that which is born of God which sins, which has sinned. It's the flesh. Then he says in verse number 18, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. Because I want to do that which is good, but if I'm just relying on my flesh, I don't do it. It doesn't get done. Verse number 19, for the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Because I don't want to do evil, and then he does it. I guarantee you right now, you've got sins in your life that you hate, say I don't want to do it, and then tomorrow you wake up and you've done it. You go, look back, I've done it. That's Paul. It's the same. What are we talking about here, your position? Your walk. Your walk gets dirty. Okay, when your walk gets dirty, you're going, Lord, Lord, please forgive me. I messed up again. Please help me. Help me have victory over this sin. Verse number, help me out guys. Verse number 22. Look at this, for I delight in the law of God after the inward man, inward, that which is born again. He goes, I love God's laws, I delight in his laws, I keep his laws in the inward man. Alright, I delight in that. Then it says this in verse 23, but I see another law in my members, that's what I mean by his body, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Verse number 24, he goes, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And then verse number 25, I thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, that's his position, that's new man, okay, which never sins. Then he goes, but with the flesh, the law of sin, he goes, I still serve sin in my flesh. How can you judge someone's salvation on how well they live a life when Paul himself couldn't do it? Paul himself is admitting, I'm carnal, I sin, I sin all the time, guys. So he has to accept this, there's a law, there's a battle within him. When he wants to do good, if he's in the flesh, he does that which is evil. He goes, but I realise there's two laws, okay, in the inner man, the law of God, he's able to keep it, he's able to delight in it, but if he's within his flesh, he gives in to the law of sin. Alright, so this is the reality, your position, you're sinless in Christ Jesus, your walk, you get dirty. Okay, now let's practice this principle, let's look at some Bible passages and see if you can figure out if the author is talking about your position or your walk. Come with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse number 16, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse number 16, I'll explain verse number 16 and then you can tell me verse number 17 is your position or your walk, okay. 2 Corinthians 5, 16, wherefore henceforth we, wherefore henceforth no we, no man after the flesh. Jesus goes look, after this flesh, I don't really know any men, I'll explain that in a moment, it says yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth no we, him, no more, sounds complicated, alright, listen, everybody on this earth knows of Christ in their flesh, everyone's heard of Christ, everyone's heard of Christ death, burial and resurrection, everyone's heard the Christmas story and the Easter story, okay, but even though everyone has heard of Christ, are they saved? No, they know Christ according to the flesh, Paul is saying well now I know him no longer in the flesh, how do you know him then, well verse number 17 says, therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new, Paul is teaching us a principle here, that if you're in Christ, you are a new creature, old things are passed away, all things are become new, now knowing what we've covered so far, is this your position or is this your walk, anyone? Position, it's your position, okay, your position you never sin ever again, in the new man, in the new creature, new creature, new man, same thing, okay, yes all things are new, the old things have passed away, that old man will never ever sin ever again, sorry that new man will never sin ever again, it's a new creature, all things are become new, that's your position, but what happens is people read this passage and so what he's saying is yeah before I was saved I knew of Christ in the flesh, I've heard of Christ, but now I know of Christ in the new creature, I know him spiritually, okay, because I'm saved, that's what Paul is trying to say, but a lot of people apply the new creature to the walk and so they'll see a so called brother in Christ commit sins and go well I don't think he's saved, why? Well because if you're saved you're a new creature, behold all things are passed, what's it say, behold all things are passed away, behold all things are become new, I still see him doing the old things, therefore he's not saved, no it's his walk that you're looking at, it's his walk, it's his flesh that you're looking at, the new man has not changed, the new man is sinless, the new man is on its way to heaven, it's in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, you see when you understand this principle of your position versus your walk, you can read a passage like this and understand that it's position, positionally all things are become new, positionally I never sin, okay, coming into another passage, John 15 verse 1, John 15 verse 1, John 15 verse 1, Jesus Christ says, I am the true vine and the father is the husband man, every branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away, he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it might bring forth more fruit, now verse number 3 is key, now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you, so the people that he's speaking to here, he says ye are clean, why are they clean? Through the word which I have spoken unto you, these people that he's speaking to are saved, they're clean, they're without sin, okay, because they believed on Jesus Christ, so he's talking to believers here, then he says in verse number 4, abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine no more can ye accept ye abide in me, he says look if you want to live a fruitful Christian life you need to abide with me, is that positionally or is that your walk? What do you think? Walk, it's your walk, but people read this, in order to be saved you've got to abide in Christ, you've got to keep trying to live that Christian holy life in order to be saved, no Jesus Christ already said you're clean, you already said that before, these people are already saved, now that you're saved what's our job? What should we be doing now that we're saved? We should be abiding in Christ, we need to be staying in fellowship with Christ so we can be fruitful, so we can have the fruits of the Spirit, so we can win souls, so we can serve the Lord, we can only do it if you abide in Christ, if you stay in fellowship with Christ, that's why you have to go and confess your sins every day and say Lord I've been in darkness bring me back into your light, people get this confused and before you know it the teaching works always works, works all the time, they don't get it, they don't get position versus walk, I want you to understand it because I want you to be students of God's Word, to open God's Word and know exactly what it's saying is this my walk, is this my position? Verse number five, he says I am the vine and ye are the branches, he that abideth in me and I in him the same bring forth much fruits, for without me ye can do nothing, if a man abide not in me, if a man abides not in me, you break fellowship with Jesus, you walk in darkness, okay, he's cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned, I say pastor if you don't abide in Christ, if you don't keep going, Jesus is gonna send you to hell, that's not what it's teaching, he's given us an illustration, those of you that are gardeners, if you've got a twig that's not bringing forth fruit, what are you gonna do with it? You're gonna break it off, burn it, okay, it's gonna be useless, okay, you as a Christian if you don't abide in Christ, if you don't stay in fellowship with Christ, you will be useless, all you will do is give into the flesh time and time and time again and continue sinning against the Lord. Verse number seven, if ye abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. I mean Jesus Christ said, you stay in fellowship with me, you're gonna have more answered prayers, what a great thing. Verse number eight, herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. Discipleship, is that salvation or is that your walk? It's your walk, disciplining yourself, doing what God asks from you, keeping his commandments, walking in the ways of Jesus Christ, if that is your walk, that's discipleship, okay, and I want to understand, I hope you can see that when you start mixing, messing this up, now you're like, this is about salvation, well now you got to just continue abiding in Christ, you got to be a disciple for Christ and you can be saved, that's all works, okay, it's an important doctrine, it's an easy doctrine but if you don't apply it to God's Word, you can really mess up the Bible and really mess up your understanding of scriptures, okay, come with me to John 13, John 13 verse 4, I'm just showing you this same teaching over and over and over again, remember Jesus said about those branches that you're already clean, okay, Jesus Christ uses these same words in this story here, John 13, this is after the Last Supper, alright, when Christ gave the illustration, the symbolism of the grape juice and the bread representing his body and his blood, right, and they share a meal together, well in John 13 verse 4 it says, he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself, this is when Jesus Christ comes to wash the feet of his disciples, now before I keep reading, let me think in light of this sermon, if Jesus Christ is going to wash the feet of his disciples, what's he addressing? Their walk, not their position, their walk, okay, it says in verse number 5, and after that he pour of water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet and to wipe them with a towel wherewith he was girded, then cometh he to Simon Peter, and I like Peter, he's a loudmouth, he speaks before he thinks, alright, he comes to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Now look, I would feel the same way, could you imagine Jesus Christ walked in here with a basin of water, just towels and started to wash, would you want to be washed, your feet washed by Jesus? I say, Lord, let me wash your feet, let me take, you know, I'm not even worthy Lord to wash your feet actually, and so Peter, I get his response, it's like, Lord, you're going to wash my feet? Look what he says, this is so important, verse number 7, Jesus answered and said unto him, what I do thou knowest not now? He goes, you don't get what I'm doing right now, okay, but thou shalt know hereafter, you'll understand that eventually Peter, but you don't get it right now, alright, verse number 8, Peter saith unto him, thou shalt never wash my feet. Now, let's talk about this idea of our position, or not our position, our walk, our fellowship, okay, so, you know, I'll give you the example of Liliana, right, my daughter, let's say we have a broken relationship, she's got dirty feet, she's disobedient, rebellious, alright, and what's the goal there is to be reunited, the goal is to be in fellowship together, isn't it? But if she says, you know what, you'll never wash my feet, what would she be saying there, Lord, I don't want to be reconciled with you, Lord, I want to stay in darkness, but Peter doesn't understand it, right, Jesus Christ said, you don't get it Peter, okay, Peter's just thinking externally, he doesn't get the spiritual lesson of Jesus Christ in this passage, okay, look how Jesus responds in verse number 8, Jesus answered him, if I wash thee not, thou has no part with me, he says Peter, if I don't wash your feet, we're not together, you've got no part with me, we're not in fellowship, we're not walking together, if I don't wash your feet, no fellowship, now look how Peter responds, again he doesn't fully understand what he's saying, but he says this in verse number 9, so in Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head, Peter's like, of course I want to be part with you Jesus, of course I want to be with you, so in that case, now that I get what you're doing, in that case, not my feet only, but wash my hands and my head, wash me all over from top to bottom then Jesus, look what Jesus Christ says in verse number 10, Jesus saith unto him, he that is washed needeth not save or accept to wash his feet, because Peter you're already washed, the only thing you need to wash is your feet, then he says, but is clean every whit, you're clean Peter, remember abiding Christ, he says you're clean, because Peter you're already clean, I don't need to wash your head and your hands, just your feet Peter, okay, he goes and continues there, and ye are clean, but not all, and when he says not all, he's speaking about Judas Iscariot, he goes Peter you're clean, I don't need to wash your hands and your feet, Reverend, positionally, the moment you trust Christ and you're born into his family, you are clean, you don't need to get saved over and over and over and over, I think I lost my salvation, get saved again, Lord I don't know if I'm saved, Lord can you please forgive me, over and over, no, no you're clean, the moment you trusted Christ, you're clean, positionally you're always clean, but your walk is dirty, your feet are dirty, I need to wash your feet Peter, or you have no part with me, no fellowship with me, he goes you're all clean, but not all, ye are clean but not all, speaking about John, keep saying that, Judas Iscariot okay, because then he says in verse number 11, for he knew who should betray him, therefore said he, ye are not all clean, so he's referring to the one that would betray him, Judas Iscariot okay, look at verse number 12, so after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, know ye what I have done to you, because do you get the lesson, you know what I've done to you, and brethren it's the same thing that I'm teaching you here, okay we need our feet washed, positionally we're in Christ Jesus, nothing's going to change that, you're a child of God, you're going to heaven, but you know as well as I do, as you go through life, your feet get dirty, you're in sin, you commit sin, you know what you need, you don't need to be washed all over again, because you're already saved, you just need Jesus Christ to come and wash your feet, say Jesus I'm sorry, I've been walking against you, I've been walking in darkness, a lot I've been given into temptation, a lot I've been far from you, please forgive me, wash my feet, because I want to be part of you, I want to be in fellowship with you, I want to be walking with you, because Lord if I don't abide in you, I can do nothing of myself, so we need to confess our sins, that's point number two, you know get in a good habit of doing this, you know maybe not even once a day, there's no reason, like how many times do you sin a day, I can't even keep count, the thought of foolishness is sin, I think a lot of foolish things in my head, I can't keep track even, but as soon as I realise, Lord sorry, Lord I'm sorry, please forgive me, but I've done it again, I'm sorry, wash my feet Lord, I want to be in fellowship with you, I want to be in the light of your presence, you need your feet washed, you need to confess your sins on a regular basis, or you're just going to continue living in the flesh, and the flesh obeys the law of sin, okay, now Jesus Christ gives this lesson, there's something more to it that you need to understand, verse number 12 he ends with know ye what I have done to you, verse number 13, ye call me master and Lord and ye say well for so I am, if I then your Lord and master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you, and again some people read this passage and they're like oh, so we've got to actually literally wash each other's feet, and they'll have feet washing ceremonies, because Jesus Christ said to wash each other's feet, you miss the spiritual point, just as much as we get break fellowship with Jesus Christ when we sin against him, and he spiritually washed our feet, you know what's going to happen within a church environment, we're going to have division sometimes, we're going to have conflict sometimes, people are going to do you wrong, so just as Christ has washed your feet, you know what you're meant to do, you wash your brother's or sister's feet as well, you forgive them as well for the wrong they've done to you, you forgive them for the wrong they've done, okay, don't grow bitter against your brethren, they're sinners just like you would expect, expect to come into a church and we're all just righteous, sinless, perfection, rubbish, you're all sinners, so am I, people have this high expectation of church, I can't go to church, because it's full of hypocrites, of course it's full of hypocrites, everywhere's full of hypocrites, not only one place on planet earth which is not full of hypocrites, because we're all sinners, and we need to learn to wash each other's feet, Christ gave us the example, he gave us the example so we can do it to others, forgive one another, okay, for the sins they commit against you on a daily basis, how often are we supposed to forgive our neighbours, 70 times 7, isn't that what Jesus Christ says, I don't even know what that number is, 70 times 7, that's a lot of times, so the third point that I have for you brethren, what are we to do about our sin, number three, you're to forgive the sins that were committed unto you, you need to forgive the sins, Christ forgives your sins every day, you go to him and you confess, then you need to do it to those that have committed sin against you, and brethren if I've sinned against you, I'm sorry, tell me, okay, I'm not so prideful to say I'm sorry, I've sinned against a lot of people, I offend a lot of people, okay, just because of my sarcasm, but I'm a sinner, I hope you accept that, you know, I accept you as a sinner, you know, people have sinned against me, but I don't want to live this life where just conflict and division and arguments, if Christ is willing to forgive me, then I should be willing to forgive you, come with me to Matthew chapter 6, Matthew chapter 6 verse number 9, Matthew chapter 6 and verse number 9, so forgive the sins committed unto you, now you say I don't want to pass, you don't know what brother so-and-so did to me, or sister so-and-so did to me, yeah, what did you do to Jesus though, he died for you, he took all of your sins, there's no way your brother or sister has committed enough sin against you as much as you've committed against the Lord God, there's no way, and if he's come to set an example, then listen, just swallow your pride and get right with people, just forgive them, you say well they've never come up to me to apologise, just forgive them anyway, for your sake, so you're not walking around in bitterness, you know, and pray to the Lord that one day the person that sinned against you will go up to you and ask for forgiveness, but for your sake, instead of living in bitterness, just forgive them in your heart, say Lord you've forgiven me for much worse, this is the important principle, okay, because in Matthew 6, 9, the disciples come to Jesus and ask him can you teach us how to pray, remember that story, what Jesus Christ teaches them in Matthew 6, 9, after this manner, therefore pray ye, our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, look at verse number 12, and forgive us our debts, see Jesus Christ is teaching us to ask the father for forgiveness, Lord can you forgive me for my debts, but look at this, as we forgive our debtors, Lord forgive me by the same measure that I've forgiven others that have wronged me, if you say I don't forgive anybody for what they've done against me, then why should the God forgive you, again I'm not talking about salvation, I'm not talking about your position, I'm talking about your walk, you see the measure by which God forgives you in your daily walk is the same measure that you've forgiven others, you want God to forgive you completely and wholly in your daily living, then you need to forgive others completely and wholly in the same way, that's the right measure, let's read it again and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen, look at the next verses, verse number 14, for if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you, you see the forgiveness that God gives us in our daily walk is based on how much you've forgiven others, maybe you've not been in fellowship with God the way you ought to be, maybe you're like you know what I go to the Lord pastor and I confess my sins but I just don't feel like I'm walking with him, I don't feel like I'm experiencing his lights and his guidance in my life, pastor I feel like I'm still stuck in my sins and I can't find victory, what's the problem, have you forgiven others, are you still holding on to some bitterness, some anger, some wrath that you've got that someone's done against you, maybe that's the issue, go and forgive them for if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you, look at this but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses, position or walk, walk, there are some people that actually teach this is your position, this is how you get saved in the Old Testament, they say well see you had to forgive others, some people everyone does wrong, hey you're going to forgive everybody, what if you forgive everybody, every sin someone's done against you but you just forget one, that's it you're going to die and go to hell, it's not your position, it's your walk, it's abiding with Christ, it's your fellowship that's affected when you can't forgive people, I like it, point number three is forgive the sins committed unto you, pastor what do I do about my sins, forgive those that have sinned against you, okay and the last one point number four Reverend is and I started with this, don't justify your sins, you're a sinner, you're going to sin every day, please don't make excuses for your sin, when you sin you say Lord it's my flesh, Lord it's my weakness as a human being with a sinful nature, instead of making excuses, what excuses do people make, the devil made me do it, it wasn't me it was the devil, the devil made me do it, what devil held a gun at your head and told you to sin, I think not, the devil is a tempter but he only tempts you with the temptations that are already in your heart, but pastor you don't understand my situation, oh you know God understands your situation, this bible is a one size fits all, it's not oh yeah I know God's word says that but you don't know my situation pastor, yeah you're right I don't know your situation but God knows your situation, that's what he says, that's what God says, it's the same for all, just say look I've sinned against the Lord, just like everybody else I'm a sinner, instead of trying to justify yourself, he'll say oh I fell into sin, oh I didn't mean to, I just fell into it, a man commits adultery on his wife, oh I just fell into it, no you did not just fall into it, you decided I'm gonna sin, I'm gonna break God's laws, you decided, people are constantly justifying their sins, it makes me sick, I don't want to justify my sins, why should, it's you've transgressed against the Lord, you've offended the Lord and you're trying to say oh Lord it's not a big deal, go to James chapter 1 please, James chapter 1 verse number 3, James chapter 1 verse number sorry verse number 13, James chapter 1 verse number 13, all these excuses people make, and look if someone calls me and they're in sin, I'm just going to tell them look you're in sin, just get right, well either get saved, if they're not saved, I'm trying to bridge gospel to people, or if you are saved, then you need to understand that's your walk, that's your position, it's going to happen, so get right with God, don't get right with me, I can't forgive sins, I can't pat you on the back and go oh God's going to be okay with that, don't worry about it, James chapter 1 verse 13, let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, but every man is tempted, look at this, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, oh the devil made me do it, no it's your own lust, and enticed, then when lust have conceived it bring forth sin, and sin when it is finished bring forth death, do not err my beloved brethren, you can't blame others for your sin, don't excuse yourself, the devil made me do it, no it's your own sin, you decided to transgress against the Lord, you've decided, don't ring me trying to make you feel better, don't ring me, I don't want to know about your sin anyway, I want to think the best of you, you need to confess your sins, go to the Lord, I don't need to know every little dirty secret you've got, and look, you guys know what I'm like, I'm talking about, I get a lot of phone calls, you know I had a lady, and I get calls like this all the time, so I'm not trying to single anyone out, but there's a lady that called me, and she wanted, she was ringing different pastors, she wanted me to do her wedding, number one, if you're not part of my church, I'm not going to do your wedding, but she was divorced, and I said look, you're divorced, the Bible says you should not get remarried, if you get remarried, you're sinning against the Lord, and for me as a pastor with a clear conscience, I cannot conduct your wedding or be part of your wedding, okay, it's sin, and she's like, well I'm just trying to find, because you know, a pastor who will basically be okay with me getting married, I said look, at the end of the day, if you want to get remarried, I mean, if that's what you want to do, then do it, I'm not saying it's okay to do it, but you need to understand you're sinning against the Lord, okay, I said look, and she's ringing up different pastors, different pastors, all the pastors she's rang so far are telling her, look, we can't do your wedding, it's against the laws of God, you're transgressing, how can we celebrate your sin, how can we do that as a church, everyone's telling the same thing, but she's ringing pastor after pastor, trying to find the pastor that will justify her sin, say pastor, you don't understand, I was young, this man that I married, he was abusive, and you know, I tried to keep it together, but he left me, and what, am I supposed to live the rest of my life alone, and look, I'm sorry for you, I'm sorry, that's what sin does, it's the consequences of sin that we have pain and stuff in our life, we've all got a cross to bear in life, right, but I can't come alongside you, come on, all right sister, just go ahead and get married, the Lord will be fine with that, the Lord understands your situation, I can't say that, I said instead of just being justified, if you're so desperate to get married, you're gonna get married, you're gonna find the pastor that will approve you, who will justify your decision, but instead of glorifying and saying, well the Lord understands, you know what you should do, you better get on your knees and say, Lord I'm sorry, Lord I know this is wrong, but I'm gonna give it to my flesh, I'm gonna do it my way Lord, please be merciful to me Lord, instead of justifying, oh God understands, it's all right with her, you better get on your knees, say sorry Lord, you know I've messed up life, I don't know what to do, I think this is the best way forward though I know it's wrong, hey be humble, be broken about it, instead of trying to find some pastor that will just pat you on the back and justify you, I've got no power to do such a thing, the only thing I can tell you is what is a sin and what is not, Reverend and here's the thing, okay that's a divorce from marriage, okay big sin, but we all sin and we all try to justify ourselves, but why? You know just go to God and say, God I'm sorry, you know, I'll read one more passage to you, Psalm 51 verse 17 says, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, oh God, thou will not despise, Reverend if you just give in to your lust, whatever it is, the temptations, you just go and just, I'm going to sin against the Lord, Reverend just remind yourself, I'm a sinner, I've messed up again, I don't know what else to do Lord, I've made a mess, can't we think we've a broken and contrite heart, instead of, oh you understand God, oh God is the devil, the devil made, it was an accident, I just fell in sin, Lord, you think, listen, God's going to despise that, he's going to despise that attitude, you say, Lord a wretched man that I am, is what you say, all right, you say, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, is what you say, I said Lord please help me, I want me to just make, I've messed up again Lord, help me to make the best decisions moving forward, but the only way you can do it, Reverend is if you're in fellowship with the Lord, if you're walking with the Lord, salvation is a done deal, you're in the righteousness of Christ, I don't want to rehash all of that, okay, but don't just sit comfortably, okay, you sin every day, go to God every day with a broken and contrite heart and say, Lord help me, Lord give me your strength, give me your power, I have the Holy Spirit within me Lord, I've got the new man that never sins, help me walk in accordance to that new man, help me to walk in accordance to your laws so I can please you, so I can live a holy life, so I can be blessed by you, so I can have some victory in my life, Lord please help me, but Reverend it's only going to work if you abide in Christ, ask Jesus please forgive me Lord, he promised you he'll cleanse you, but you know the condition is have you forgiven others, how much have you forgiven others, and so brethren in conclusion what to do about sin, number one be saved if you're not already, that's your position, the rest of it is your walk, number two confess your sins to stay in fellowship, number three forgive the sins committed unto you, and number four don't justify your sins, all right let's pray.