Sin generates Fear
Genesis 3:10 (NLT) He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked”.
Introduction: I bless the name of the Lord for His words that shed light upon our hearts.
I realize that one of the potent weapons of the Devil against Christians is fear. We have at one time or the other been fearful and may still be entertaining fear. I also recognize that the vantage position of the Devil is using sin to bring fear into our lives. That was the strategy he used against Adam and Eve in the beginning. He’s still using same method today. All he needs is to entice you with sin, then fear will come immediately to torment.
We want to look at “sin generates fear” today. Don’t be quick to say you’re not a sinner, if you do, you call God a liar.
1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Our purpose of study today is how to get to a point in our lives where we daily work out living sinless life as Born-Again Children of God.
1 John 3:9 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.
1 John 3:9(NLT) Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.
To live holy life is possible and it is an advanced study for a matured Christian who wants to move forward with strong meat not still taking milk at adulthood.
Hebrews 5:12(NLT) You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.
Now, from our text, sin brought fear to Adam and Eve, which came upon humanity. Adam responded to God’s call; “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked”.
Sin removed covering or protection and brought fear.
Having established from the Scriptures that hell is inevitable for the fearful, and we still encounter fear even as Christians along our journey in life, how shall we escape?
Key issues we are looking at are:
1️⃣ Sin as Source of fear
2️⃣ We are all sinners
3️⃣ We must avoid sin if we are to conquer fear.
Sin as source of fear
Knowing that fear is a potent weapon against believers, Satan then introduces sin as seen in the case of Adam and Eve. Immediately sin enters, sinners are grouped among the wicked characterized by hiding. For example, no Christian will include falsification of documents as he/she gives testimony of how visa is given. That aspect will be hidden.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
Sin of Joseph’s brothers brought fear when Joseph introduced himself;
Genesis 45:3(GNT) Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But when his brothers heard this, they were so terrified that they could not answer.
Devil does not respect Zion, the dwelling place of God’s children, he introduces sin to bring fear to sinners.
Isaiah 33:14a The sinful people of Zion are trembling with fright.
Having established that the first step by the Devil in bringing fear is to make us a sinner, to escape fear we then must overcome sin.
How can we overcome sin?
I can hear you say that the Blood of Jesus is there to cleanse us from all sins, you’re correct. You’re saying we are under Grace, yes, Satan is not afraid to hear that.
Romans 6:1-2 (AMP) WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
We are all sinners.
When God destroyed previous world due to wickedness in the heart of man and started afresh with Noah, God still saw sinful nature in mankind when He said;
Genesis 8:21 “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood.
We have Satan, the World and Flesh to battle with when it comes to sin. They are sources of evil thoughts and imaginations. Have you asked why fear still comes to us as Christians when facing certain situations? It’s because we don’t go to the root or source of our fear.
The world can make sin to be normal phenomenon and we most times don’t see our actions to be sinful but our adversary knows. For example; Disobedience to traffic laws, falsifying documents to get what we want, lies to achieve our goals, compromises in business, and several of such little foxes that destroy vines make a Christian to be categorized as a sinner.
The Flesh is another battle within us, living inside us. When Jesus said in Matthew 10:36 that a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. What do you think He is talking about? It is our old man, Adamic nature, the flesh that lives inside us and follows us everywhere. It is sin dwelling inside us, making us to do what we do not want to do.When I say we should not be quick to conclude that we are not sinners, it’s because of sincere letter that Paul wrote to the Church in Rome.
Read prayerfully. Romans 7:16-23(NLT) But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So, I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
I don’t know if you identify with apostle Paul as we run this Christian race. I therefore judge myself as a sinner anytime I entertain fear in any situation. Remember Romans 14:23a says; whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Evil thoughts and imaginations are sinful because we are to subject those evil thoughts and imaginations to the obedience of Christ the word of God.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This assessment of myself will make me cross check where I have fallen because God cannot be wrong; Romans 3:4 says; let God be true, but every man a liar;
Finally brethren, How can we daily avoid sin to conquer fear? I found the answer also in Paul’s letter to Roman’s church;
Romans 7:24-25 (NLT) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
The answer is in Jesus Christ, the Word of God. The absence of God’s word denies Faith and gives access to Fear that paves way for sin and allows Satan to torment. To continually obey God from the mind, we must daily load our minds with the word of God NOT the word of man. Taking the word of God the way we obey Doctors in taking drugs when we are sick, is the key to overcoming Satan, the World and Flesh that make us to sin and be fearful.
✋Maranatha
