Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 55:7 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.
Daniel 4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
I Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
MEMORY VERSE: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. —I Corinthians 6:11
CENTRAL THOUGHT: As God spoke to Israel, King Nebuchadnezzar, the man at the pool, the woman caught in adultery, and the Gentile believers, “Sin no more,” so He speaks to all who mourn their sinful condition, turn to Him, and confess their sins: “Forsake your sins and live!”
WORD DEFINITIONS
Proverbs 28:13 “Forsake”: relinquish; leave.
Daniel 4:27 “Break off”: tear away; break away; discontinue.
John 8:11 “Condemn”: judge worthy of punishment; issue a penalty.
I Corinthians 6:9 “Fornicators”: anyone engaging in sexual immorality. “Abusers of themselves with mankind”: same-gender sexual activity.
LESSON BACKGROUND
We have studied the steps of repentance—turning back to God, humbling oneself, having sorrow for sin, fasting, and confessing sin. The order of these things may not always be the same, and that really isn’t important, but they should all lead to a total break with the old life, where we leave all sin behind.
God promised to the Israelites that He would abundantly pardon the unrighteous man when he forsook his thoughts, and the wicked man when he forsook his ways.
Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which foretold how God would humble him by bringing him down to the level of a beast for seven years. He let the king know that he could lengthen his time of prosperity and safety from such a plight by forsaking his sins and turning to righteousness. A year later, King Nebuchadnezzar was walking in his palace, boasting of his selfish glory, when God brought the pronounced chastisement upon him. How sad that he had not taken the wise counsel Daniel gave him!
The Pharisees had brought the adulterous woman to Jesus to test Him and see if He would keep the law, which said those caught in adultery should be stoned. Jesus ignored them and wrote on the ground. Then as they persisted, He looked them in the eyes and said, “Whoever is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” One by one, the men slipped away, each convicted by his own conscience. The only man there who could have cast a stone, did not. He offered forgiveness. He did not issue a penalty to the adulterous woman, but He did command her, “Go and sin no more.”
The man at the pool of Siloam whom Jesus made whole obeyed Him and took up his bed and walked away; however, Jesus met him later in the temple and let him know that he would be in a worse condition if he did not forsake his sins.
Jesus pardons, but His pardon does not condone sin. The two passages we quote from Paul’s writings let us know clearly that sin is not allowed in God’s kingdom. Being under the law of grace and no longer under the old law does not give us license to continue sin. God’s unconditional love, which He commended to us while we were yet sinners, will also lift us up from the pit of sin and set us free from sin and its bondage.
—Angela Gellenbeck
DISCUSSION:
- Give the action words which describe forsaking sin in the following scripture references: Proverbs 28:13, Isaiah 1:16, Isaiah 55:7, Daniel 4:27, John 5:14, John 8:10.
- Name the different steps of repentance which we have studied so far.
- How did Paul answer the question he asked in Romans 6:1?
- Many people today say that moral sins do not matter to God. Give the scripture that lets us know they do matter.
- Share other Bible verses that have to do with forsaking sin.
LIFE APPLICATION
What if you had a “pet” sin. A “drug” of choice. A sin you loved and enjoyed. You had left God to go after your sin. You preferred it over the sweet sense of His presence. But God had offered you His loving grace and forgiveness. He had given you a chance, an opportunity to return. So you began the journey back to Him.
You knew you had broken many of His laws. The importance of those unlawful things began to grow less and less as you longed to know God again. You regretted ever doing them and confessed them, one by one. You mourned the wasted years, the hurt you had inflicted upon yourself and others; and especially you mourned the knowledge that Jesus had suffered your penalty and died in your place.
In seeking Him, you grew so convicted that instead of eating, you prayed during your lunch hour. You quit going to the bar at night, and spent the evening praying and reading your Bible. Still, there was something missing. You began to sense a struggle going on between what you knew to do and what you had always wanted to do.
Here are all the steps being taken in returning to God. The last step is forsaking the sin you love. What if you wouldn’t do it? What if you let go of all your ungodly lifestyle except that one thing? What if you hid the fact that you still preferred it, but professed to come back to God and live for Him?
We all know the answer. Pretty soon God’s offer of grace to you would be forgotten, and little by little the deeds of your old life would return. You would go back to sin and pretend everything was the same. But it would be different. The bondage would be greater, the fun would be gone, and instead of your sin comforting you, it would torment you.
I began with “What if…” but this is a true story for many people. The only remedy is to totally, completely and without reserve, forsake every sin and return unto the Lord.
—Angela Gellenbeck
REFLECTIONS
The Road Back Home
Vessels of clay mar in his hand, Taking their way, follow their plan.
Sin so enticing, lust to fulfill, Pleasure, promises—consequence conceal.
Blinding the mind, deceiving the heart, Till fatal wound strikes, a deep piercing dart.
Death of the soul—separation from God— For the sin I love, Oh, what cost!
Purity, honesty, integrity displaced For guilt, shame, and confusion of face.
Glamor of world, smile of sin; Fake indeed, delusional trend.
Revealed in the Gospel, good news divine: In search for one, He left ninety and nine.
He’s searching for you, or it may be me; Calling us out, sensing our need.
He called for famine on prodigal son. To gain attention—to feel undone.
“Father loves me!” —senses arose; Road brought hence, leads back home.
The road back—difficult to bear. Pride was crushed as he travelled there.
Blot of sin, the mark of shame; I will face all; find a new name.
Looking so hard, straining to see— Is my son on the road, coming to me?
All was spent; nothing to boast. For mercy he cried, and that alone.
Father’s arms opened wide; Price is paid, you may abide.
New heart, new mind, new life had he; Forgiven at last, Oh, jubilee!
Vessels of clay, marred in his hand, Reshaped and born, to live again!
When you have strayed, so far and alone, Always remember the road back home.
—Bob Wilson
love the poem