Our episode today offers a heartfelt examination of sin’s impact on the believer’s life, dissecting what it truly means to ‘miss the mark.’ Through enlightening discussions on God’s eternal strength and the path to repentance, listeners are reminded of the unwavering hope and liberation found through faith in Jesus Christ. From the challenges of sin to the blessings of redemption, this episode is a spiritual journey towards forgiveness and peace.
Help us, O God, of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy name’s sake. Psalm 79.9 Friends, today, let’s be reminded God will help, God will deliver, God will purge. Let’s think about sin and its effect on us, and the glory of God, for He is there for us. All of that is ahead today from the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, thank you to our J. Webb. As always, we appreciate his good words in sharing with you the free materials that we offer here from International Gospel Hour and information about our work. Greetings to all of you that tune in each and every week for this, our weekly broadcast of International Gospel Hour. We are delighted to share something with you right off the bat. We have a free book from our friends at Apologetics Press of Montgomery, Alabama. We have a free book that we’d like to send you. Again, we’re not asking for your money. We’re not asking for any love offerings of your choice or anything of that nature. All you have to do is ask for it, and it’s absolutely free. It’s penned by Dave Miller, and it’s titled, Does God Exist? A great book on the existence of God. And you can have it today, and here’s all you have to do. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Does God Exist? That’s all. Again, that’s toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name and address and just say, Does God Exist? That’s all you have to do. Now, you can also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave the same information. Name, address, and just type, Does God Exist? in the message box. Again, that’s internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us your name, address, and just type, Does God Exist? in the message box. We will send it to you as soon as possible. Now, before we get into our study concerning the greatness of God and how sin does affect us and why we are thankful for God’s greatness, I want you to listen to our J-Web, who has a free online publication that you can receive. And here is the information from our J-Web of how you can receive the magazine called Truth.
SPEAKER 02 :
Please send us an email at info at internationalgospelhour.com and leave us your name, email address, and write truth in the message blank. Again, please send an email to info at internationalgospelhour.com and leave your name, email address, and write truth in the message blank.
SPEAKER 03 :
Our study question for today is, What is sin and how does it affect us? As we began our broadcast, we acknowledged how God will help, God will deliver, and God will purge away our sins. But friends, we must realize what sin will do and to see God’s great glory in that He is there for us. We do not want to live a life of sin. The word sin itself is translated to mean to miss the mark. Well, what mark does one miss when he sins? James 4.17 says, Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. That’s simply missing the target. Doing good and knowing the right way but refuses to do it. I recall some years ago as we were reaching out to individuals who once worshipped with us, that a young man was told by another young man, I know what’s right, and when I get ready, I’ll do it. To my knowledge… He never did what was right. He knew what was right and failed to do it. That’s horrible, friends. We don’t do that in other aspects of our lives. Our work, well, how about preparing something in the kitchen or trying to fix something? When we realize we’re not doing it the right way, we want to do it the right way. Even more so, and much more so with our souls. In 1 John 3 and verse 4, Whosoever committeth sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. Transgression means to go beyond a set boundary or specifically to break a law. Later translations say lawlessness. The mark of the boundaries is missed. We go before it and we subject ourselves to any danger that is ahead. When we see a sign that says no trespassing, and we trespass, we are violating the law, and we are subject to the punishment. Friends, the boundaries are there for our safety. In 1 John 5, 17, all unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. Not righteous living, but unrighteous living, aiming at the wrong target, and even if you hit the mark of sin, you still miss it all the way around. All unrighteousness is sin. Now friends, when you look at missing the mark, and you look at knowing to do good and failing to do it, and committing sin transgresses the law, and all unrighteousness is sin, friends, then we know what we do not need to do. There are other words in the Bible that apply to sin. What about wickedness or moral wrong? Proverbs 10, 2 says, Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. What about the word evil or that which is not in harmony with good? Romans 12, 9, We are commanded to abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good. The word iniquity is also another word for sin, that which is distorted or a crooked behavior, a perversion. It clearly denotes both the deed and the consequences, the misdeed and its punishment. We appreciate the theological word book of the Old Testament that gives us that definition as we consider the word iniquity. In other words, iniquities cannot be ignored by God. And we are reminded from Proverbs 22, 8, that he that sows iniquity shall reap vanity. Things that are distorted, crooked behavior. We think about the effect of pornography on an individual. We think about all of the premeditated crimes and the things that are done, the iniquities. How tragic. Friends, God cannot ignore the sin of man. He is not with man as long as man walks in sin. Nahum 1 verse 3 reminds us that Jehovah is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. Sin affects us, friends. And sin, when it affects us, moves us from the great blessings that God has. We’re going to consider further how sin affects us, but as we do so, I want us to see how we can come unto God. For example, sin affects us in that it keeps man separate from God. So if we do not have sin in our lives, then we have God who will help us overcome that sin. Isaiah 59, 1 and 2 says, Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. The word separate is a very strong word that is akin to God separating the waters in creation and how the veil separated within the temple when Jesus died on the cross. It is a clear distinction, it’s quite noticeable, and that sin will separate us from God and it draws a great separation. So many times individuals will wonder, where is God? Well, friends, if we separate ourselves from Him by the way we live, then God is not with us. He will not see, hides His face from them, Deuteronomy 31, 7, that sinned against Him. God will not hear. You know, 1 Peter 3.12 says, Friends, if God will not see or hear one involved in sin… then the one in sin must turn toward God, for He is great and He is forgiving. God has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, according to 2 Peter 1 and verse 3. Thus we are the ones that must turn from sin and turn to God. To not allow sin to continually affect us by separating us from God’s blessings, Ephesians 1 and verse 3. You know, I think of Ezekiel the 18th chapter that speaks of the one that will turn toward God and God will forgive him. But if he turns from God, God will not. Friends, we need not allow sin to separate us from God. And God has made the provision for you and I not to have sin in our lives in sending Jesus to die for us who took our sins to Calvary, 1 Peter 2, verses 21 and following, and the prophecy of Isaiah 53, to God be the glory. And we can come to Him as He says in Matthew 11, 28, Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. To God be the glory. But you see, friends, sin will affect us in that it separates us from God. Here’s another one. Sin affects us in that it keeps us from being a better self. Galatians 5.17 says, For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Friends, when we can improve our lives and do better, we should. We make choices health wise, emotional wise, we should more so spiritually. Friends, when we think about choices that we make. I’m reminded of my physical health and how my grandmother and then my mother were diabetic and I received that same diabetic gene. I’ve had to make adjustments in my eating. I’ve had to watch things a little closer to where I’m now not even in the diabetic mode. Friends, I want to stay that way. And we want to be a better self physically. We want to be able to be well and to do well. Not only to enjoy life, but that others would be there with us. And to help others. Again, friends, sin keeps us from being a better self. Now, let’s consider a third point. Let’s consider that sin affects us in that it keeps us from the blood of Christ. You see, the blood of Christ will redeem us, friends, 1 Peter 1, 22 and following. and how we are redeemed with that blood of Christ, Ephesians 1 and verse 7. And nothing else will redeem our sins. Redeeming blood means of great value. It means it’s costly, it’s beloved, and it’s very dear. It is the only blood that can save us. As John said in John 1, 29, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, speaking of Jesus. The idea of redeeming is set free by the payment of a ransom. It’s the purchase of a slave with a view to his freedom. And Jesus Christ gave his life, his blood, to set us free. Matthew 20, 28, Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. In 1 Timothy 2.6, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. In Titus 2.14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people or a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. You see, in 1 John 1 and verse 7, if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Well, you see, friends, a life of sin will deprive us of walking in the light. There is no fellowship. There is no more redeeming blood. When we think about the blood of Jesus Christ and how it is shed, and we think about shed through His death, I think something that is very beautiful. In Romans 6, beginning with verse 3, Know ye not that so many of us, as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death? Oh my! That’s where He shed His blood when He died. Therefore we are buried with Him in baptism through death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Oh, to think about robes that are white in the blood of the Lamb, Revelation 1.5. You see, friends, a life of sin deprives man from the precious flowing blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, that beautiful hymn that says, Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus. You know, friends, when we think about how the blood of Christ will redeem us, And how we can obey and come to Him and be washed away from our sins. Or to have our sins washed away. Acts 22, verse 16. That’s what Saul was told to do when he was to be baptized. Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22, verse 16. Friends, don’t let sin keep us from the beautiful blood of Christ. I want to pause here as… A few moments ago, we had a free online publication that you can access. And, of course, we talked about the free book by Dave Miller, Does God Exist? Well, we have another free publication for you today, once again from our friends at Apologetic Express. And here is our J-Web with those details.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our special free publication today is called Discovery, Scripture and Science for Kids. For over 20 years, our friends at ApologeticsPress.org have made this great resource possible to help our children in dealing with such teachings as evolution, dinosaurs, creation, and a variety of biblical subjects written on a child’s level. We at International Gospel Hour have been blessed with a very limited number of these, and you can get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Discovery. That’s it. Again, that’s 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Discovery. You can also send your request through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us your name and address and put reason in the message box. We will send you a copy. Again, we only have a very limited number, so reach out to us now.
SPEAKER 03 :
And again, friends, we are grateful to share this material with you. My, from this broadcast, you can receive a free book from Apologetics Press, A Through Us, Does God Exist? by Dave Miller, a free publication called Discovery, and you can even have access to the link to see their other editions on their website at apologeticspress.org. Grateful to have the free online publication as well. And coming up, we’ve got an online study of the Bible we think will be of interest to you. We want to help you in your study of the Word of God. And we hope all of this will be of help to you. Now we’ve been talking about what is sin and how does it affect us. It affects us in that it keeps man separate from God, keeps us from being a better self, it keeps us from the blood of Christ, but fourth, it affects us in that it keeps us from the body of Christ. Now when we say the body of Christ, we mean the church. So the body of Christ and the church is his body, the church of Christ, the body of Christ. In Ephesians 1, 22 and 23, the Bible says how God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all. In Colossians 1 and verse 18, And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. In Matthew 16, 18, Jesus, in responding to Peter’s confession that he was the Son of God, he said, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona. This is verse 17. Flesh and blood is not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The gates of hell, the Hadean rim, death, and the grave will not prevail against the Lord’s church. And to God be the glory. Jesus said he would build his church. Friends, the only church authorized in the scripture is the one that Jesus said he would build. And it is those who are the saved that are in the church. Acts 2 verse 47. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when they heard Jesus preached, the Bible says they asked in verse 37, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And verse 38, Peter said, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. How can we get rid of this wrong? How can we get rid of this sin? Repent, or change your heart, and be baptized for those sins to be remitted. Verse 41 says, They that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And again, Acts 2.47, they were added to the church. You know in Ephesians 2 and verse 13, Paul writing there to the church at Ephesus comprised of Jew and Gentile, He said, but now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Those who are far off or away from Christ. Those who are far off or away from everything. Friends, we can be brought near by the blood of Christ as we mentioned earlier. We can be added to the same church we read of in the New Testament just like they were. You know, on the day of Pentecost, they gathered on a feast day. They believed in God. They heard the preaching. Peter told them to repent of their sins, which Jesus commanded to be preached from Luke 24, 44-47. Peter preached remission of sins, which was brought forth in Luke 24, 44-47. He mentioned baptism to where in Mark’s account, in Mark 16, 16, he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. And friends, they were added to the church we read of in the New Testament. Would you love to no longer let sin affect you, see God’s greatness and His glory, and allow yourself to obey the gospel and to be added simply to the church? Friend, I want to share another offer with you. Very careful how we do this. Maybe you would like to speak to someone further about this. We would be glad to talk with you. And if you’re thinking through some things, we can also find a local Church of Christ in your area who can talk with you as well. And we’re very careful how we do that. So if we can be of help to you in that regard, we’ll return a call and talk to you first. And then we’ll see how we can go from there. We do not send people to your door unannounced. We do not send you things unless you request them. We will not ask for your money. We are concerned for the souls of men. We’re honored you’ve chosen to study with us today. And we’re thankful that you will have a trust in us to help you with the things that you wish to pursue spiritually and no longer let sin affect your life. Now, I’m going to pause one more time for our J-Web, who has a special online study of the Bible. But don’t give up on me. For those of you who do not have online access, I’ve got something else for you as well. Here is our J-Web.
SPEAKER 02 :
How about an online study of the Bible? That’s right. The World Bible School has a free online Bible study available. Just go to worldbibleschool.org and register. A study helper will assist you in answering questions and provide feedback for your lessons. That’s the free online study at worldbibleschool.org. Sign up today. Tell them the International Gospel Hour has sent you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, friends, if you do not have the online capability, I want to give you our toll-free number one more time. 855-444-6988 Please give us a call, leave your name and address, and just say Home Study, and we will mail you Bible study material through the mail worldwide now. If that will work better for you, please let us know. Again, 855-444-6988. Leave us your name and address and just say Home Study. Wow, friends, we’ve been blessed to share with you a number of awesome tools today, and we hope they will be of help to you. Let’s wrap up this broadcast by looking at one more area wherein sin affects us. It will be at the judgment of Christ. In 2 Thessalonians 1.8, the Bible says, “…in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God.” and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, sin will affect us in that we will lose our souls eternally to be away from God, to be away from Christ. And such should never be the case. Yes, friends, sin affects us. And it affects us greatly. It takes us away from so many blessings. But as we’ve studied along the way today, God has provided through Jesus Christ and through His church to no longer let sin affect your life. So once again, friends, if you believe in Christ, willing to repent of your sins, confess your faith in Christ, to be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins, adding you to His church, and to begin a faithful walk, a walk in the light where the blood of Christ will not allow sin to affect you, friend, there is no greater way to live, and we will help you toward that end. Let me give you our contact information one more time. You can call us, 855-444-6988. Again, if you would like to have the free book, Does God Exist? by Dave Miller, a free copy, the publication of Discovery, we will send those to you. We will also make it available for you to receive the truth publication by Roger Campbell. But we will need your email address for that. And the online study of the Bible at the World Bible School will need your email as well. But again, we have our free Bible study by mail. And if you call us at 855-444-6988, we’ll be glad to add you to that list. All we need is your name and address and just say, Home Study. Yes, friends, we are delighted to offer all of this opportunity to you because we are interested in your soul and we want you to go to heaven with us. And we want to give the simplicity of the gospel message and not to ask for your funds, not to ask you to pay something, but to allow you to study and to learn more of God’s will for your life. So, friends, when we follow God’s way and God’s will, our travel is better. We’ll continue our studies together at another time, but for now, thanks for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again, or our other broadcasts,
