Lies I Believe Part 3: I'll Get to Heaven by Being a Good PersonSample

SIN IS THE PROBLEM (part 1)

Yesterday, we learned that none of us are good. We are going to continue to dismantle the lie that we can be good enough by continuing to look at the bad news, the problem: sin. The Greek word for "sin," hamartia, literally means "to miss the mark,” as when an archer fails to hit the center of the target. So sin is anytime we act against God’s standard, or when we remit to do what He says is right. For example, we sin when we steal candy from a store, but we also sin when we neglect to acknowledge and care for the homeless person in our city. Sin is in our nature. It is something that we can’t avoid doing. The apostle Paul, who wrote the book of Romans, describes the struggle with our sin and our desire to live up to God’s standard that we all experience in perfect detail! We do what we do not want to do and don’t do what we do want to do. Yet again, he reminds us of our answer to this dilemma at the end: we are delivered through Jesus Christ!

Ask Yourself:

What are some of the things you know are sinful, and you try to avoid, but you keep going back to?

Pause to Pray:

Lord, help me to see the areas of sin in my life. Remind me that I can’t save myself from my sinful nature.

Take the Next Step:

Reflect on how not acknowledging sin in your life can make it difficult to grow in your faith.