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#6.6 DESTROY ALL ASSOCIATION WITH PAST SIN FOR FORGIVENESS

Greek Word Study on μετανοέω, metanoeo, 'to repent'
Greek Word Study on μετάνοια, metanoia, 'repentance'

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Introduction 6.6

If you are a Christian who has struggled with sin in your Christian walk, making the same mistakes over and over again, then this study on how to repent is of the utmost importance to you. The more you become like Jesus, the less sin will be a problem in your life. This process of repentance will take you through that transformation - but be warned: it is no quick fix. True repentance is a slow ongoing process, dealing with each sin in your life as God reveals them to you. Total and utter destruction of each sin is what is required.
This bible study gives the sixth of nine steps to repentance, and teaches us that we must destroy all association with past sinful practices to obtain forgiveness. This is necessary to ensure that we do not return to the sin at a later time, or leave our sin for others to find. It helps with the crucifixion of "our old man" (Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:22), the death of our spiritual "self" (Galatians 2:20), and requires serious and deliberate intention on our behalf. It will prepare for the growth of "the new man" (Ephesians 4:24) in us, which is the spirit of Christ: "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14), building us up in faith and love. A true repentance will break your spiritual chain and set you free. It will set in motion "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2) which will set you free from the law of sin and death.

#6.6 Destroy all Association with Past Sinful Practices for Forgiveness

DEUTERONOMY 9:16, 21 (Moses)
16 And I looked, and, behold, you had sinned against Yahweh your God, and you had made a molten calf: you had turned aside quickly out of the way which Yahweh had commanded you.
21 And I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust of it into the brook that descended out of the mount.

JOSHUA 7:11-12 (God)
11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, unless you destroy the accursed thing from among you.

2 CHRONICLES 34:3-5 (About Josiah)
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4 And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molded images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and scattered it upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
5 And he burned the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

ISAIAH 27:9
9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all his fruit to take away his sin; when he makes all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in pieces, the groves and the images shall not stand up.

ACTS 19:18-19
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Note: When the children of Israel sinned against God by making a golden calf to be their God, this is what Moses said he did with it; "I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust of it into the brook that descended out of the mount" (Deuteronomy 9:21). Although they had contributed the gold to make the calf, none of them were allowed to take any of it back. When Achan sinned by taking some of the spoil from Jericho, that too was burned and destroyed (Joshua 7:24-26). When Josiah removed idolatry from Judah, he destroyed the altars and images to dust, and dispersed them on the graves of the idolaters (2 Chronicles 34:4). Was all this a waste? No, the price had to be paid to remove the sin (Isaiah 27:9), and it had to be done. Well, a man might say, "All this is Old Testament, what about forgiveness in the New Testament?" The answer is still the same (Acts 19:18-19), sin has to be destroyed. Look at the price of the books that were burned, fifty thousand pieces of silver. Why didn’t they sell them and give the money to the poor? - because you cannot obtain forgiveness by selling your sin and corrupting someone else; it has to be destroyed for true repentance. Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler, "go sell what you have, and give to the poor" (Matthew 19:21)? because covetousness is idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5), and his possessions had to be dispersed before he could live by faith. Jesus told his apostles to teach others, "to observe all things whatever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20), and this was the result in the early church:

(Acts 2:44-45) "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
(Acts 4:32-37) "And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Neither was there any among them who lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
And laid them down at the apostles feet: and distribution was made to every man according as he had need.
And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, {which is being interpreted, The son of consolation,} a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet."

Consistently, throughout the Old Testament, through the teaching of Jesus, and of the apostles in the early church, we can see this principle of destroying all association with past sinful practices was strictly adhered to, and those who tried to avoid it, such as Ananias and his wife Saphira, died (Acts 5:1-11).

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