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You Can be Delivered From the
Power of Sin |
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Author: Fred Pruitt |
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It is the will of God for everybody to be saved.
(I Tim. 2:4-5.) It is not the will of God for anybody to be
lost. The only reason people are lost is because they fall under
the wrong spirit or influence and thereby do wrong and sin
against the Lord and His righteousness. The penalty of sin is
death, destruction, and misery. We read in Ezekiel 18:4, "The
soul that sinneth, it shall die." All men and women who are
sinning and doing wrong in the sight of God have the penalty of
death and destruction hanging over their heads. Church joining,
shaking hands with the preacher, or merely being baptized in
water will not lift that penalty. But God has a way whereby all
who are transgressing His laws can be delivered from sin and
made free from the power of sin so they can know beyond a shadow
of a doubt that they are saved from sin and have peace with God,
are prepared to meet Him in peace, and have heaven for their
home; for it is the will of God for all to be saved, and it is
not His will that any should perish. (II Pet. 3:9.) God does not
force anyone to get saved nor to serve Him. We have the choice
to make. Satan is the enemy of God and the enemy of man. He is a
spirit (Eph. 2:2), even as God is a Spirit. (John 4:24.) Satan
is a deceiver and a liar. Jesus says of him that he never did
abide in the truth, and was a murderer from the beginning. (John
8:44.)
Paul writes of the condition of souls in the past, while they
were still transgressors and before they were quickened or made
alive through belief in Christ: "Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience." (Eph. 2:2-3.) When people find
themselves in sin and wrongdoing, it is because Satan has
deceived them and has them under his power and influence, and
they are unable to save their own souls and have no power to
break away from sin and evil. This truth is brought out in
Jeremiah 13:23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the
leopard his spots? then [or, if so] may ye also do good, that
are accustomed to do evil." This scripture teaches us that it is
as impossible for us in our own power or strength to fully cease
from doing wrong or evil in the sight of God as it would be for
an Ethiopian to change his skin or a leopard to remove the spots
from his body. This is the awful condition of sinful men and
women today.
God, knowing that death, punishment and torment in a
never-ending hell where there is fire and brimstone would be the
doom of man for his sins and transgressions, looked upon us in
great love and pity and sent a Saviour to save us from our sins
(Matt. 1:21), causing a hope of heaven and immortality to spring
up in our souls, which gives joy and peace in this world. We
read in II Timothy 1:10 of what Jesus has done for those who
will believe on His name. Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, "hath
abolished death [removed the penalty of death that hung over our
heads because of our sinning], and hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel." This is why the
apostle Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one
that believeth." Rom. 1:16.
Dear sinner friend, you will find the power of God to save your
soul through believing the gospel of Christ, the Word of God.
Jesus is the only hope for mankind. Peter said, "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
[other than Christ's] under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved." Acts 4:12. Dear friend, there is no other place
for you to look to be saved, only to Christ, and you must
voluntarily choose Him in order to be saved. Getting saved is an
individual matter, a matter you must settle with God for
yourself.
In Jeremiah 17:9 we read of the condition of an unsaved or
unregenerated heart in man: "The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Man is in this
condition because Satan, who is the enemy of God and
righteousness, has control and is a deceiver, a liar, and
murderer, who corrupts man's heart and causes him to do wrong
and to do evil, transgressing the laws of God. This is just why
man needs a Saviour to save him from his sins, and God has
provided this Saviour for us through Christ our Lord who
conquered the Devil for us over nineteen centuries ago when He
arose from the tomb, put on a glorified body, ascended up to
heaven, and has all power in heaven and in earth. (Matt. 28:18.)
It is in Christ that sinful mortals can find the power which
changes the inner being and He gives freedom in this life from
the power of sin and makes us ready to meet God in peace.
In Isaiah 59:1-2 we read concerning the condition of a sinner or
an unsaved person, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and
your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." If
you become sorry for sinning against Him and humble your heart
before Him in repentance, confessing your sins and turning from
them, the Lord will have mercy and forgive you; for it is
written in Proverbs 28:13, "He that covereth his sins [will not
confess them] shall not prosper [or be forgiven]: but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." God will
forgive the soul who will confess his sins and forsake them. In
I John 1:9, we read, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." In John 3:35-36 Jesus said almost the same
thing, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things
into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but
the wrath of God abideth on him." The wrath of God abiding on
any one means that the penalty of death and destruction can only
be removed by believing on the Son of God to the saving of the
soul. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn people,
but that through Him we might be saved: "For God so loved the
world [sinners] that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John 3:16. Men can have everlasting life in
heaven if they will believe on the Son of God to the saving of
the soul.
In Isaiah 5:6 we read, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near:" When you are convinced that
you are a sinner and lost, then is the time to call upon Him,
for He is near and can be found of you by repenting of and
confessing your sins to Him, and forsaking them. Verse 7, "Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
God is ready to abundantly pardon a penitent sinner, one who
confesses to God that he is a sinner and asks God to have mercy
upon him and forgive him. He will separate our transgressions
from us as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12), and
will remember them against us no more forever. He also says He
will not despise a broken and a contrite spirit. (Ps. 51:17.)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me
with all your heart." Jer. 29:13. The publican, who was a
sinner, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but
smote upon his breast and asked God to have mercy on him, a
sinner. The Lord said he went down to his house justified. (Luke
18:13-14.)
The prodigal son, of whom we read in the 15th chapter of Luke,
was so humbled because of his sinning that he was miserable. He
went to his father and confessed. He was so humble that he asked
to be only a hired servant if the Father would forgive and take
him back. The Father did forgive, and put his arms of love
around him and fixed him up to live at home with him. Oh, poor
sinner, the Lord will have compassion if you will confess and
repent. He will forgive; He will save your soul.
Ezekiel 18:21-22, "But if the wicked will turn from all his sins
that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that
which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not
die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall
not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath
done he shall live." The Lord deals justly and right with us. He
is equal in all His ways.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself a perfect sacrifice for our
sins and brought to us a perfect salvation from sin. If we will
humble our hearts before Him, confessing our sins and believing
on the sacrifice He made for us, we can have perfect
salvation-absolute deliverance from all sin.
It does not matter how deep into sin the enemy has led you, God
still loves your soul and will save you. He has power to lift
you up out of the boggy mires of sin and to clean you up, put
your feet on the solid Rock, Christ Jesus, and put a new song in
your mouth, even praises unto God. (Ps. 40:2-3.) In the first
chapter of Isaiah, the sinner who desires to wash his soul in
the blood of Christ can read what to do: "Wash you, make you
clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;
cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the
oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now,
and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be
as scarlet [many and easily seen], they shall be as white as
snow [the blood will wash them all away]; though they be red
like crimson [deep and of long standing], they shall be as
wool." The blood of Christ applied to your soul will cleanse the
heart and keep it pure. God says that the willing and obedient
shall eat the good of the land-shall have good soul food to eat.
And your soul will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the
Lord.
The Lord will set you free from evil and wrong, and free from
the power of Satan so you can do those things that are always
pleasing in the sight of God and have joy and peace within. You
can be made alive and become a new creature in Christ Jesus.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II
Cor. 5:17.
In Hebrews 7:25 we read, "Wherefore he is able to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by him [Christ], seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them." Christ is risen from the
dead and is at the right hand of God and makes intercession
(pleads our case) for us to the Father. When we confess and
forsake sin, He intercedes for us and washes all our sins away
by His precious blood.
Isaiah gives a word picture of the suffering of Jesus: "Surely
he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a Lamb
to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so
he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut
off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my
people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many; for he shall bear their iniquities." Isa. 53:4-11.
Dear sinner friend, just think of the immense suffering Jesus
went through in order to make an atonement for your sins. By His
suffering and death and the pouring out of His innocent blood,
we can be saved from our sins and have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans 10:9-10 we read, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation."
When the jailer asked Paul, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
the answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved." Acts 16:30-31. It means repentance. Jesus said
in Mark 1:15, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Peter said to
the guilty Jews, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ." Acts 2:38. Water baptism is the next
essential step after you repent and are saved. Baptism shows
that you are now dead to the world and will walk in newness of
life as Paul teaches us in Romans 6. Believing on the Lord Jesus
Christ means to believe in the sacrifice He made for your sins.
He was put to shame and contempt as He was lifted up on the
cross between two thieves as though He were one of them. Thus
the Scripture was fulfilled which reads, "For he hath made him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him." II Cor. 5:21.
Dear sinner friend, Christ died for you. Will you believe it?
They drove spikes through His feet that were often weary for
you. They pierced His hands likewise, that had so tenderly
ministered to the poor, sick, and suffering. They wagged their
heads and mocked Him while He had love in His heart for them.
They pierced His side with a spear. He died of a bruised and
broken heart for all sinners. This is the climax of what you,
dear sinner, are to believe, that the innocent blood poured out
may cover your soul and hide your sins from the face of the
Father who has already accepted this sacrifice for your sins.
You can be free if you will only confess, repent, and believe.
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. (I John 1:7.)
Dear sinner friend, Christ suffered for you; He bore your sins
in His own body on the cross. Kneel before God, acknowledge your
sins, and ask Him to forgive you, and by faith let the innocent
blood of Christ atone for your soul and be freed from all sin
and guilt. |
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Printed By: Faith Publishing House,
P.O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044 |
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