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Mills River SDA Church

Cory Reeves

The Battle with Sin

Today we're going to be looking at the battle with sin and if you remember last week we talked about the beautiful grace that is extended to you and it's more than 1 time alone.

Grace is extended at the plan of salvation when it was created.

It's extended to you in your intercession in your life now when you accept salvation and the process of sanctification and when we are fully reconciled.

So last week we looked at that, today we're looking at the battle of sin.

When I preach on the 30th we're gonna be pausing this series and looking at giving thanks because that's Thanksgiving weekend.

And then we will come back and finish with sanctification.

So I wanna jump in, and it's amazing though, before I jump in, it's amazing.

I could probably preach a 10 or 15 part series on sin, the battle of sin.

So this is a high level as much as I can get in, so buckle up a little bit.

But also, the interface between grace, sin, and sanctification is beautiful.

And you're going to see that throughout all 3 of this series is that interconnection.

Has anyone ever heard of Ann Bates before?

She was born around 1748 in Pennsylvania.

She was a school teacher, like a few of you in this room, in Philadelphia.

But back then, being a school teacher, I guess, her income, to supplement her income, she had to keep bees, raise sheep, and she ran a store.

Interestingly, and this is where the plot twist happens, interestingly, she also became a British spy.

She was a British spy in the American Revolution.

At this time, and I'm gonna say that this is not my stance, but at this time in the 1700s, Women were largely considered incapable of understanding military matters or the significance of what they saw and heard, and thus were allowed unfettered access to military camps.

That allowed Bates to easily cross into Continental Army lines and report back to the British troop the movement, supplies, planning of future operations.

Bates is said to be probably the most, if not 1 of the most, if not the most, successful British spy of that war.

Her espionage began in 1778 after she accompanied her husband, a British soldier and gunsmith to his post in New York.

Even with limited training, Bates managed to gain access and breach General Washington's camp headquarters himself.

Multiple occasions, not just once, she disguised herself as a peddler, and she roamed freely into these camps.

She eased out dropped on conversations with officers following 1 such mission in 1778 Bates warned the British about continental troops advancing towards roll Rhode Island and totally spoiled the attack altogether.

Now today, as we talk, have we allowed as a people such a breach to occur with us?

Many times it seems innocent and like it could not spoil much, but to be honest, This breach has ruined everything.

This breach is such a big deal that the entire universe is watching us for the outcome.

What will be the outcome of sin here on earth?

Friends, why did we let it in and why have we not forsaken it?

You see, the problem with sin is we all know this text, Romans 3.23, for how many?

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

And then Romans 6.23, what's the bigger problem?

You know, I like to look things up in the dictionary.

I think you guys have learned that by now.

And in the dictionary, sin is an offense against religious or moral law, but number 2, I really like this 1, it is a transgression of the law of God.

I've always been amazed how often the dictionary gets these kinds of things right.

And it's a review for many of us, but when did this transgression first occur?

There was a little bit of a trick question intentionally, so sorry for those that I caught.

They're small, but I'm going to try to cram them all up here.

From Eternities Past, page 10, little by little, Lucifer indulged the desire for self-exaltation.

Lucifer, this covering cherub, this angel, he wanted more.

It started small with subtle whispers about this and that.

The root of a lot of sin has to do with what?

From Attorneys Past, page 11, he insinuated doubts concerning, this is really interesting to me, concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings.

Intimating that angels needed no such restraint for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide.

A couple things that are interesting to me on this is this is before, long before God wrote in the stone here on earth.

Many Christians don't understand that the law existed way before.

So 2 things we've already seen out of these 2 quotes alone is a desire for exaltation of who?

Before I read this Bible text, we're also told that God bore long with Lucifer.

Something that's going to be interesting for me when we get to heaven is to find out what bore long means.

Our time is very… I mean, we think 100 years is a long time.

And we're told that it wasn't until it became active revolt, active fighting, that God threw Lucifer out.

So this could have been over a period of who knows how long that this protest, this revolt happened.

You see, destroying Satan and his angels at this point, we are told some would have served God out of fear rather than love.

And our God is nothing but a God of love.

So Isaiah 14, 13, and 14, it reads, for you have said in your heart, talking about Lucifer, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne, and above the stars of God, I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.

I'm making a point, especially if you're following along in your study guides, who is Satan really worried about?

I want you to pause for a minute and think of times when you have struggled with something.

How many times when you're struggling have you said, I don't deserve this, I deserve more.

How is it fair that they get that and I am stuck with this?

It's amazing to see that sin creep into ourselves, right?

Regarding Satan's claim that the law was unfair, from Eternities Past, page 14, we are told, it was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven and all the world that God's government is just and His law perfect.

Sin seems to be about self and a disagreement with the law.

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The Battle with Sin

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