Defeating Sin Through Faith in God's Promises

Devotional

Sermon Summary

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

"Why didn't the Bible just teach me to defeat sin by asking the Holy Spirit to do it? Why isn't prayer the be all and end all of this battle? So here comes a temptation to either feel discouraged about finances or to feel fearful because you're sick or to feel proud because you did something right. Why at that moment isn't the way of killing that simply say, 'Holy Spirit, I ask you to come now and defeat the sin of my life. Amen,' and it's done? Asking you will receive, right? Wrong. Why? Jesus gets no glory if you do it that way." [00:09:04]

"When you read Romans 8:13, 'If you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit, you will live by the Spirit,' now I have taken to mean setting your mind on the things of the Spirit. I went over to 1 Corinthians and saw that means the word of God. I went to Ephesians 6:17, I saw the sword of the Spirit by which you kill is the word of God." [00:01:15]

"This way of living the Christian life, this way of putting sin to death, this way of growing in Christlikeness is the same way you got saved. Now, the reason I point this out is this: there's so many people who think getting saved is one kind of transaction with God, and then long, you know, weeks, months, years later, you learn how to do the deep mature thing, eat meat, you know. It is not that way." [00:05:24]

"Listen to a promise and believe it. What's your temptation? Anxiety? You like me, you got back my tax forms, the guy I paid 300 bucks to have this guy do this. I wouldn't dare tell you what I owe Uncle Sam right now. I'm so financially discouraged right now about that stupid tax form. Just wipes out a bunch of plans we had and said, 'Where did, how did I estimate so wrong?'" [00:06:56]

"Glorifies Jesus to live your life this way. Now, that's real important because I believe God created everybody in this room according to Philippians 1:19 and Isaiah 43:7. He created every one of you to make much of Jesus and magnify Jesus. You are on planet Earth to make Jesus look good. If you wonder why you're here, why you're male or female or young or old or short or tall or fat or thin or blonde or black or bald or whatever, the reason you are all those things is to make Jesus look good." [00:08:09]

"All the promises of God are yes in Jesus. What that means is when you live your Christian life by picking a promise, banking on it, plugging in faith, goes into the word of God, you know who bought this for you? Jesus. We're sinners. I'm a sinner. I don't deserve any promise of God fulfilled in my life. How can I count on the promises of God being fulfilled in my life? One thing: Christ died for me. Christ bought every promise for John Piper." [00:11:15]

"Denise wrote us last Easter and she wrote it, we got it on Easter, and she wrote the email the night before Easter, and this is what she said. She's picturing the disciples between Good Friday and Easter. They are sitting quietly and numbly at someone's house, and they don't know about the resurrection that is to come. That's what this time feels like to us in many ways: darkness, an unknown future. Out of the blue, we're packing up and leaving the country, our home for the last seven years, the only home our children have known." [00:12:31]

"Whereas the constitution of this country may state one thing, the word of God says the one who is in you is greater than the one who's in the world. Where fear says, 'What if blank happens?' faith says, 'Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.'" [00:15:54]

"We need to become the kind of people who, when we're walking across a bridge or walking between offices or walking into a classroom, young people, and nervous about some test or something, where you're walking down the hall and you wonder, 'Yikes, did I wear the wrong color today or whatever? Am I going to be viewed funny?' If you believe he's right here, 'I will never leave you, and I will never forsake you,' and he says, 'All things are possible with me. Trust me. I love you. I will take care of you. I'll supply all your needs. I like you. I died for you. I have counted you righteous.'" [00:17:57]

"Learn from our missionaries, learn from the Apostle Paul. Put to death the deeds of the body, put to death the flesh, put to death sin by the Spirit, that is, by setting your mind on the things of the Spirit, that is, on the word of God, hearing with faith and trust them, and in this way, peace will come. The Holy Spirit will flow, power will be given, sins will be slain, Satan will be pushed back, and Jesus Christ, who bought all those promises, will be magnified." [00:18:56]

"God is good. He is in control. He loves us more than we can comprehend. He has plans to give us a hope and a future, plans to prosper us. Sound familiar? Our spirits are understandably low. We are emotionally and physically exhausted, but all caps, because the Lord's great love, we are not consumed. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, and thus she puts to death the deeds of the body." [00:14:08]

"Rich and Trisha Dillworth were here for several years until they left last year to go to Africa with three small children. They worked with refugees in the community, learning language and so on. They're going to a country that is so fragile, so hostile, that they can't name it. And imagine three small children, young couple going to a destitute land with no infrastructure, a religion that is hostile to Christianity. What kinds of things would arise in your mind as you make such an obedient plan?" [00:15:54]

Ask a question about this sermon