Darkness. dark·ness 1.the state or quality of being dark 2.absence or deficiency of light 3.wickedness or evil: Satan, the prince of darkness. 4.obscurity;

Darkness

dark·ness

1. the state or quality of being dark2. absence or deficiency of light3. wickedness or evil: Satan, the prince of

darkness.4. obscurity; concealment: The darkness of

the metaphor destroyed its effectiveness.

5. lack of knowledge or enlightenment: heathen darkness.

Questions

• Which does sin prefer: darkness or light? • Why?• Evolution of sin: do we usually jump into

“big” sins or do we ease into them via smaller sins?

Romans 1:18-32The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts…. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful;

they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Rom. 1:18-32

Why Do We Sin?1. Original sin– Gen. 3 & Rom. 5:19, “…through the disobedience of

the one man the many were made sinners…”2. Satan’s ongoing influence– II Cor 4:3-4. “The god of this age has blinded the

minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ …”

3. It’s fun…for a season– John 3:20 (ESV). “For everyone who does wicked

things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Slippery Slope of Sin1. Know, but suppress truth. Romans 1:18-192. Futile thinking darkens heart. 1:213. Become fools…move into deeper darkness. 1:22-234. Lose God’s protection. 1:24 “God gave them over…”5. Exchange truth for lies…worship created instead of

creator. 1:256. Filled with “every kind of wickedness.” 1:29-317. Invent evil and approve of those who do same. 1:328. Death. Romans 6:23

"You will say that these are very small sins, and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy [God]. It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to keep the man away from the Light.… Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

C.S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters

Youth – Young Adult – Middle Age - Senior

Pathway Out of Darkness

1.Mind and Spirit2.Actions3.Put off…put on4.Community

Pathway Out of Darkness1. Mind and Spirit• Repent (I John 1:9) then Forgive Yourself

• Rom 8:1, “…no condemnation for those who are in Christ…”• Heb. 10:17, “Their sins…I…remember no more.”• Ps. 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west….”

• Faith. Mark 10:46-52. Jesus gave Bartimaeus sight b/c of his faith.

• Bible. Joshua 1:8. “Do not let this book…do everything written in it…then you will be prosperous…”

• Spirit. Gal. 5:16. “walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh…”

Pathway Out of Darkness2. Actions• Resist Devil. James 4:7. “…and he will free from you.”• Don’t mention… Eph. 5:12-16, “It is shameful even to

mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible….”

• Avoid bad company. I Cor. 15:33, “Bad company corrupts good character.”• Prov. 13:20, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a

companion of fools suffers harm.”• Eph. 4:17-19 (The Message). “And so I insist…that there

be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore….”

Pathway Out of Darkness3. Put off…put on • Eph. 4:22-32. “Old self/corrupted desires…new

self/holiness”• Eph. 4:25. “Put off falsehood and speak truthfully”• Eph. 4:28. Put off stealing and do “something

useful”• Lust? Matt. 18:9. Amputation--gouge out eye. • Money? Don’t store up treasures on earth—give

it away. Matt. 6:19-21; Can’t have two masters. Matt. 6:24

• Relationship w/unbeliever? Don’t yoke. II Cor. 6:14-

Pathway Out of Darkness4. Community• “Spur one another on toward love and good

deeds…” Heb. 10:24• One another’s: admonish/instruct (Rom. 15:14), live

in harmony (12:16), care (I Cor. 12:25), serve (Gal. 5:13), be hospitable (I Peter 4:9), bear burdens (Gal. 6:2), encourage and build-up (I Thes. 5:11), be at peace (5:13), do good (5:15), put up with (Eph. 4:2), be kind and compassionate (4:32), submit (5:21), forgive (Col. 3:13), confess and pray for (James 5:16)

• Love one another (I Peter 1:22)

From Darkness to Light• John 1:1-3, 5-7, “In the beginning was the Word, and

the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

From Darkness to Light• John 8:12. “I am the light of the world,

whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness.”

• I Peter 2:9-10. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”