Part 2 in the series “Knowing the Truth About Sin Will Set You Free”

• Part 1
• Part 3

Message delivered by Robert Peck to ZChurch (https://zchurch.life), February 24, 2024

Imagine yourself in a time of prayer in the presence of God. Now imagine that in the middle of fellowshipping with Him, you discover you’re currently committing a sin. Would you suddenly feel condemned? Would you cringe and turn away from His face? Would you fear being separated from your heavenly Father’s love? If so, then you don’t have a full revelation of what happened at the cross and have not thoroughly grasped the realities of the new covenant. It’s time to drive a stake through the heart of old testament, works-based thinking, and get a new covenant perspective.

OUTLINE

Introduction

People struggle to understand sin and forgiveness.

We seem to think that we got saved by grace, but stay saved by works and not sinning again.

My breakthrough began when I realized the difference between the Old Testament and the new.

My big breakthrough came when I realized I could sin while standing right in the presence of God, fellowshipping with him, and not be separated from his love for a single moment.

The primary point of this message is to break the stronghold of Old Testament, works-based thinking that brings into bondage and condemnation.

Sin is Dealt With

Hebrews 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

Jesus is resting, not concerned he’s going to have to jump up to deal with each new sin in our lives. We should be resting equally easy.

Hebrews 8:12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”

Not just sins of the past, but all “sins” covered by the one sacrifice forever.

We should have no consciousness of sin.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

Hebrews 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

(AMPC Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin.)

Sin should be a nonfactor – a nonstarter in the mind of New Testament believers.

God’s Will is Free Gifts Not Works

Works are not God’s will. Everything in the garden was given as a free-gift – everything in Christ is given as a free-gift.

Satan taught fallen man to think in terms of works – man looking to himself to justify himself by works. Once Satan gets us into works-based/performance-based thinking, then he can bring us under condemnation when we fail. If he can get us into condemnation, he can get us under fear of losing God’s love.

God Has Abolished the Old Covenant

The old covenant of works was never God’s will as it left man under bondage and in fear of failure and condemnation.

God has now abolished the old covenant law system.

Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances…

Colossians 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Hebrews 8:13 In that He says, “A NEW COVENANT,” He has made the first obsolete.

The Old Testament law system of works is no longer in effect. It is not available as a means through which to even attempt to approach God and it is no longer available as an instrument for the judgment and condemnation of men. It’s now Jesus or nothing.

New Understanding of Sin

Sin is no longer a violation of law and resulting condemnation as the law system has been abolished and there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.

The word translated sin in the New Testament merely means to miss the mark. The only mark for the New Testament believer is to be one with Christ and be conformed to his image, nature, character, or ways of being and doing.

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

A more relatable way of looking at this might be – to miss the mark or go outside of your maker’s design for you and the ways of our king and his kingdom.

There is no Law to Violate

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

There is that which misses the mark and there are reasons to not do it, but there is no such thing as sin in the sense of violating the law, being guilty, or being condemned.

Under the new covenant, there is no law to break, there is only a mark to miss, but no condemnation for it.

The Old Testament Was Performance Based, the New Covenant is Promise Based

The only condition placed on us is to believe on Jesus for the salvation promised through him. Everything else in the New Covenant is Christ to obtain and perform as promised.

• Offer himself as a sacrifice for sins forever
• Confer on us his own righteousness
• Give us his name
• Make us his joint heirs
• Ever live to make intercession for us
• Remember our sins and iniquities no more
• Guarantee that nothing will ever be able to condemn us
• Be with us always
• Never leave us nor forsake us

Having a sin consciousness where we feel condemned for failure, or even worse, fear punishment, makes the bride of Christ look like the victim of an abusive relationship, cowering in the corner fearing a beating for displeasing our master.

Jesus does not want his bride under a performance-based system nor under fear that anything could ever separate us from the love of God. There is no conduct left in the realm of human experience that can condemn one who is in Christ.