Based on Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, this lesson looks at the remedy for sin, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians tend to forget that the Gospel is for sinners and that they still qualify as such. This lessons talks about how to deal with sin in your life and how to preach the Gospel to yourself each morning.

1. The Remedy for Sin
Based on Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

2. John Newton, author of Amazing Grace was
a slave trader and slave ship captain.
▪ When he left the sea, he studied theology and became a minister. At the end of his
life, he said “My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great
sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”
▪ Saul of Tarsis (later called Paul) was guilty of grievous sins.
▪ Acts 7:54-8:1; 9:1-2
▪ ITimothy 1:13-15
▪ You and I may not have murdered, sold others into slavery, dealt drugs, embezzled
company funds, and the like but we are still sinners.
▪ I have gossiped, cursed, lied, cheated on tests/homework, acted selfishly, failed to
trust God, been materialistic, and even let other things become idols in God’s place.

3. Neither of them said “I was a sinner.”
▪ Both John Newton and the Apostle Paul said “I am a sinner.”
▪ Note the present tense! Sin is a constant battle for the Christian.
▪ Look at how Paul referred to himself and how it changed over time.
▪ I Corinthians 15:9, written in AD 55
▪ Ephesians 3:7-8, written in AD 60
▪ ITimothy 1:15, written in AD 63 or 64
▪ As Paul grew older, he acted more like the saint he became on the
Damascus road.That growth process involved becoming more aware of and
sensitive to the sinful expressions of the flesh still dwelling in him.

4. The Remedy for sin is the Gospel
▪ The Gospel is that Jesus Christ came to Earth as a baby born of a
virgin, He lived a perfect, sinless life, died a cruel, painful death on
the cross to pay for the sins of all humanity, and rose from the grave
under His own power three days later.
▪ Jesus Christ, in His work for us and in us, saves us from both the
penalty of sin and from its domination or reigning power in our lives.
▪ We will discuss specific sins and how to deal with them in future
lessons.
▪ First we need to talk about the Gospel itself.

5. First, the Gospel is for sinners
▪ Christians have the tendency to think that once they get saved, the Gospel
doesn’t apply to them anymore, except for when we share it with others.
▪ “All the ethical commands and exhortations addressed to believers in the
NewTestament assume there is still sin present in our lives that needs to be
addressed.”
▪ IITimothy 3:16 would not have been written if there were not still sin in our
lives to be addressed after salvation.
▪ We must see ourselves as sinners, even if we know Christ as Savior.

6. Second, the Gospel prepares you to face
your sin and frees you up to do so.
▪ Facing our sin causes us to feel guilty (which is why we don’t want to do it!) The
Gospel assures us of God’s forgiveness of sin, so we can acknowledge it and begin
to deal with it.
▪ Acknowledging your sin is more than a half-hearted admission to yourself. It is a
wholehearted, defenseless admission.
▪ For example: “I am a selfish person, and that particular act was only a
manifestation of the selfishness that dwells within me.”
▪ The Gospel gives me the assurance that God no longer holds my sin against me.
▪ Romans 4:7-8
▪ Isaiah 53:6

7. Third, the Gospel motivates and
energizes me to deal with my sin.
▪ It’s not enough to admit it; you must deal with your sin.
▪ The Scriptural term is “put it to death.” Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5
▪ We can’t deal with the activity of sin without first dealing with its
guilt.
▪ God, through Christ, has dealt with our guilt. That means God is for
me, not against me. I am not in this battle with sin alone!
▪ This should also produce an attitude of gratitude for what He has and
is doing for me through Jesus Christ.
▪ These together should produce a desire to deal with our sin.

8. Dealing with sin is not optional
▪ “We are commanded to put sin to death. It is our duty to do so. But
duty without desire soon produces drudgery.”
▪ We need to preach the Gospel to ourselves every day.
▪ Galatians 2:20 (note the use of the word me)
▪ There is never a day when we are so “good” we don’t need the
Gospel.
▪ Since the Gospel is only for sinners, start each day with the
realization that despite being a saint, you will sin every day in
thought, word, deed, and motive.
▪ Acknowledge your sins, repent of them, and ask God’s forgiveness.

9. ▪ Apply specific Scriptures that assure you of God’s forgiveness to the sins
you just confessed.
▪ Generalize the Scripture’s promise of God’s forgiveness to your entire life
and acknowledge your only hope is in the shed blood of Jesus.
▪ Psalm 103:12 Psalm 130:3-4 Colossians 2:13-14
▪ Isaiah 43:25 Isaiah 1:18 Hebrews 8:12
▪ Isaiah 53:6 Isaiah 38:17 Hebrews 10:17-18
▪ Romans 4:7-8 Micah 7:19 John 3:16
▪ Romans 8:1 Ephesians 1:7 I John 1:9
▪ Next week, we will talk about being cleansed from sin’s power.