1025. Did Jesus Send the Spirit to Convict You of Sin?

Overheard inside a church building near you:

"The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin."
"Sin separates us from God."
"Sin will hinder our fellowship with God."

What if none of these things are accurate? Would it positively change how you see God in your daily life? What if the blood of Jesus was stronger than sin ... stronger than your fleshly works ... would it bring an indescribable peace that surpasses your understanding?

Sometimes it's difficult to get the right answers without asking the right questions. Here is one example: Why would God repeatedly convict you or remind you—as a believer in Christ—of something that He declared He would no longer remember inside of a new and better covenant? This would only result in the same sin consciousness that the Jewish people were delivered from within a sacrificial system that brought a constant reminder of sins.

Religious legalists will indirectly declare the work of the cross as insufficient and are forced into the dubious position of trusting in themselves. God's Spirit is there to convict/remind you of His righteousness and bears witness that sins were removed and taken away, once for all. His desire is to cleanse our conscience from dead works to experience an inheritance of eternal redemption ... through a new and living way.



   
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1003. Heirs Identified by Faith, Not Doers Seeking Recompense

Hollow religion tends to focus more on our actions—good or bad—instead of the work of Jesus and the blood He shed. Even the most passionate of grace people may end up sliding down a slippery slope of diet legalism if they take their eyes off of the prize ... while contradicting themselves about the gospel and the New Covenant, established and guaranteed by God. It often occurs through a misinterpretation of a few Bible verses ... combined with not understanding their identity as a child gifted with an inheritance. You are not defined by whatever label someone else wants to put on you, especially as it relates to good or bad actions.

Under the Old Covenant, Jews pursued a specific ministry of works through a holy and righteous law, thinking it would help them to lay hold of an elusive righteousness they could never attain. It was a very specific bundle, spelled out in writing through a package of 613 commands. All they needed was to do it. But all fell short and it left them in a place of sin consciousness—wondering what else they needed to do to inherit the kingdom.

In our religious culture today, the church corporation may neglect specifics when it comes to works and deeds which they think are the deciding factor as it relates to faith being dead or alive. That is where the law-minded person will come from. Neglecting to supply a precise list of do's and don'ts is a big piece to leave out of the puzzle. Fortunately, the gospel is far better than this.



   
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852. Escaping From a Consciousness of Sins

This week, church pastors around the world will be providing sermons about sin, sinning less, seeking more forgiveness because of new sins, and perhaps erroneously declaring how sin is separating you from God. Avoiding sinful behavior is good advice, but there is more to the story. The letter to the Hebrews reveals how the blood of Jesus put sin away once for all. Although all people would continue to fall short of the perfect and holy standard that the law of commandments required, the cross dealt with sin in such a way that Jesus and the Father would not have to deal with it ever again.

If forgiveness from God is still needed for new sins committed, more blood would also have to be spilled. Jesus would not be required to keep offering Himself repeatedly for the forgiveness of sins because the cross would finish the need for more blood being shed. He paid for an eternal redemption—redeeming the Jews from a ministry of death and condemnation—and opening the door for Gentiles to also partake of a New Covenant. The old, obsolete law of works with ongoing sacrifices brought a reminder of sins and left people trapped within a sin consciousness which Jesus came to deliver people from.

   
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819. Remember Who You Are

Have you ever struggled with the fear of wondering where you stand with God? Have you ever questioned whether you were still saved? How about whether God still loves you? Were you told God is withholding blessings from you because your commitment to Him was lacking? Perhaps you were told all of your Christian life that you’re “just a sinner,” and it left you with the mindset that God considers you to be dirty and lacking. It put you into a sin consciousness state instead of a righteousness consciousness, leaving you feeling helpless, in a defeated mindset as one who was incapable of overcoming.

If you can identify with any of this, our program this week is dedicated to you. We’ll provide some encouragement to help you accept that you’ve already been accepted by God … and this will never change.

   
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751. Hebrews 10: God’s Will Was the Sacrifice of Christ

If the Old Covenant sacrifices had been able to bring perfection and deliver people from a sin consciousness, they would have stopped being offered. But bull’s blood couldn’t take away sins and therefore, those sacrifices which were offered according to the law were never really the will of God—He took no pleasure in them.

But Jesus came to do the will of God with a sacrifice that would end all sacrifices and offerings. This resulted in the first covenant being taken away in order to establish the second covenant … which is better and more excellent.



   
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733. Repentance Is Not Based Upon Behavioral Changes

Reducing the occurrence of sinful actions in our lives will be beneficial for us in this life on planet earth. However, empty religion has mistakenly defined repentance as “turning from sin” which causes people to flip the gospel inside out ... leaving people in a place of self-effort, fear and often results in condemnation. Repenting isn’t about behavior modification—anyone can do this whether they are saved or not.

Authentic repentance brings a change of mind, causing us to realize we can’t do anything to merit eternal life or God’s righteousness, forgiveness, sanctification, acceptance, etc. The “turning” that is often referenced is meant to be a departure from our works and efforts … to belief or faith in the work of Jesus. We don’t “do” anything to receive this.



   
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732. Repenting from What God Doesn’t Remember?

Christians are bombarded with repentance missiles from all kinds of Bible teaching which varies by definition from one pulpit to the next. And yet the writer of Hebrews admonished believers to avoid the constant practice of feeling obligated to repeatedly lay down the same foundation of repentance from dead works. Feeling the need to “get right with God again” because of poor choices is not how repentance is defined.

This mindset has left people wallowing in a works-based doctrine and in a state of sin consciousness which Jesus came to deliver people from. Believers are gifted with God’s righteousness, and Jesus doesn’t call the righteous to repent, but rather those identified as sinners who are still born in Adam with a sin condition they are trying to fix through their own efforts — instead of trusting in the work of Christ by faith.



   
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731. Repent! (What It Does and Doesn’t Mean)

The religious business has sold repentance as a behavioral change which results in sinning less. This places people into a sin consciousness which Jesus came to deliver people from.

It will lead towards a works-based religion, as well-meaning people vigorously strive to have their bad outweigh their good, thereby somehow making themselves more acceptable to God.

In the Greek language, this is not how repentance is defined, and it’s our discussion on this week’s program.



   
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680. 1 John 1:9 (Part 4) No Longer Asking for What Has Already Been Given (Forgiveness)

This week we reflect on a relatively small number of scriptural passages which confirm our forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It’s “forever forgiveness” that occurred through one righteous act at the cross of Jesus Christ. His blood not only brought a permanent forgiveness of all sins (past, present and future), but cleansed us from all unrighteousness. The work of Jesus has already brought us the gift of justification, righteousness and sanctification. In him we are new, alive, clean, holy, perfected and so much more. In addition to our previous programs in this series, part of our goal is to help believers understand that the context of 1 John 1:9 was not meant for us to keep trying to remember all of our sins, mistakes and shortcomings in order to try confessing all of them be forgiven again. The church has failed to realize this keeps people in a sin consciousness which Jesus came to free people from. It only brings a temporary emotional release from guilt, leaving people with a false identity by thinking they are just sinners who can’t seem to overcome. A better way to living in victory is placing faith in what Jesus did, and that it was more than enough.



   
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652. Freedom from a Sin Consciousness

“How many here are sinners?” Ask that question in most churches and the vast majority of hands will go up. “How many here are righteous?” Ask that question and you’ll typically see the hands remain on their lap. Why? Empty religion that has mixed the Old and New Covenants has left people with a mistaken identity, frequently trapped in a consciousness of sin… the very thing Jesus came to deliver people from (Hebrews 10). In fact, we have been delivered from the powers of darkness, and guilt and condemnation has been removed forever. We can’t do anything about our own sin problem, but Jesus did — by giving His own life. The reason people fall into condemnation and get confused about their identity is because they have tied it into their behavior and performance, instead of the gift.



   

650. The Conviction of the Holy Spirit

As a Christian, you may have heard it over and over in the local assembly: “The Holy Spirit will convict you of your sins.” But is this a true statement, or has it been twisted in a way that puts believers back under a sin consciousness that He came to deliver people from? Understanding our identity in Christ, and the ministry of the Spirit within us… the Helper… the Comforter. It’s part of our conversation on this week’s program.