Saints Are in Christ;in Him, they have triumphed over sin

There are too many today in the Church who are overburdened by the weight of sin-consciousness – the ‘feeling’ that they’ve sinned or have done something wrong. Satan uses this as a weapon to keep them in bondage and make them ineffective. They constantly have this guilt feeling that makes them think they’re not qualified or good enough to be used by God. What they need to realize is first, that the sin problem has been dealt with by Jesus. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” So sin is no longer a factor. Plus, God is not a man (Numbers 23:19) and doesn’t judge or see the way men do. He enlisted you into the ministry to do His work and enjoy His best not because of your own good works or self-righteousness, but because of His faithfulness and grace: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2). God has counted you faithful, putting you in the ministry (1 Timothy 1:12); therefore, nothing and no sin should hinder your faith or dampen your zeal from doing His work. Remember, you didn’t call yourself to do His work, He called you, and before He called you He knew you. He knew all the mistakes you could ever make, yet He justified you and commissioned you to go in His Name and preach the Gospel to every creature. So you have a responsibility to do God’s work; let nothing stop you.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” God did this in spite of you: He qualified you and made you an able minister of the New Testament. He’s already done it, and it’s irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Therefore, refuse to allow sin or a guilt-conscious distract you from ministering to the Lord or from fulfilling your purpose as a minister of reconciliation. Get busy for the Lord and stay on task as a soul-winner! And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice (Genesis 22:18).

God chose Israel as a nation and blessed them. However, every year, the priest had to atone for their sins; an animal had to be killed on behalf of the people. The priest would lay his hands on the animal and confess the sins of the nation upon it; this was a yearly routine. Think about that! But in the New Testament, the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was God’s spiritual Lamb and He didn’t just take the sins of Israel, but the sins of the whole world (John 1:29). He was God’s perfect sacrifice that settled the problem of sin forever. Today, no one needs to kill any animal in atonement for sin. Hebrews 7:26-27, referring to Jesus says, “For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” Also, in Hebrews 9:26, we read, “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” In some parts of the world, there are certain religions where people punish themselves for their sins; they whip themselves and lacerate their skin as penance for their sins. In some instances, the people are laid on a platform with protruding nails, piercing through their flesh with blood gushing out. They believe this would atone for their sins. How sad! O, that the world would know Jesus and all that He accomplished for humanity! Jesus ended all of such penance. The Bible says there remains no more sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:26). You don’t need to go through self-torture or self-recrimination because of your sins; Jesus already paid the full penalty for the sins of all men. This is the message of the Gospel! Christ Jesus paid it all! God’s not counting or holding your sins against you, because of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus already bore the punishment and consequences for all your sins. Therefore, serve Him with your life. Saints bring Sinners to Repentance through the Gospel, We Don't Judge, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven (Luke 6:37).

As a Christian, one of the features of your recreated human spirit is love, and love doesn’t judge or slander others. Never tell stories that’ll make your hearers dislike those you’re talking about. It’s wrong. When you judge others, God ignores you. You might want to ask, “How do you know?” One day, Jesus was sitting somewhere and the Jewish leaders and men chased after a woman whom they said was caught in the very act of adultery. So they said to Jesus, “…Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not” (John 8:4-6). These scribes and Pharisees were ready to stone the woman to death, according to the Law of Moses, and wanted Jesus’ opinion. The Bible says Jesus ignored them and wrote with His finger on the ground because that’s what God does to judgmental people. Jesus said, “I do what I see my Father do” (John 5:19). So, when He ignored them, He was expressing the Father’s response to judgmental behaviour. When He eventually raised His head, He said to the woman’s accusers, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). But they couldn’t. So, one after the other, they dropped their stones and left, leaving the woman alone with Jesus. Then Jesus said to her, “..hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:10-11); and she was delivered from the mob. We’re to act like Jesus; He said, “I wouldn’t condemn you, go and sin no more.” Jesus recognized her sin; meaning we can recognize when people do something that’s wrong; yet, like Jesus, don’t judge them. Give a good picture of others; don’t be the one to project them in a bad light. Your role is to propagate love.