1. Concrete Sin Jeremiah 13:15-27

2. Concrete Thinking in an Abstract World We’ve grown up in a world that has taught us to “take the hypothetical seriously” ▫All people from Zorg are aliens ▫Your neighbor tells you that he is from Zorg ▫What can we conclude about your neighbor? This hinders our spiritual thinking ▫All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ▫Those who have sinned need salvation ▫Only God can offer salvation ▫What can we conclude about what we need and where to get it?

3. What is sin? 1 John 3:4 ▫Sin is “lawlessness” (ESV) ▫Sin is “a transgression of the law” (KJV) Straying (1 Peter 2:25) Missing the mark (Romans 3:23) Daniel 9:5 ▫“done wrong” ▫“acted wickedly” ▫“rebelled” ▫“turned aside from your commandments and rules”

4. What does sin do to us? It separates us from God ▫Cain was sent from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 4:16) ▫Isaiah 59:1-2 ▫For eternity, if we are not careful (2 Thessalonians 1:8- 9) Imagine a life without God ▫No hope (Romans 15:13) ▫No joy or peace (Romans 15:13) ▫No comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) ▫No love (1 John 4:8) ▫No salvation (Hebrews 5:9)

5. What does sin do to us? It exposes us ▫Jeremiah 13:22, 26  Iniquity causes us to be exposed (v. 22)  If we think we have hidden it, God sees (v. 26)  He will make it to be seen and it will be a shameful thing (v. 26) ▫Adam and Eve saw their nakedness (exposure) (Genesis 3:8-10)

6. What does sin do to us? It defiles us ▫Jerusalem was unclean (Jeremiah 13:27) ▫Sin is impure (unclean) (2 Corinthians 12:21) ▫We need to be cleaned! (1 Peter 3:21) It condemns us ▫Judah was exiled for their sin (Jeremiah 13:19) ▫Sin brings death (Romans 6:23; James 1:15) It traps us (Proverbs 29:6)

7. Is it possible to escape? Without God? ▫Absolutely not (Ephesians 2:8) ▫Man cannot direct himself (Jeremiah 10:23) ▫The end result is death (Proverbs 16:25) With God? ▫Absolutely (Ephesians 2:8-10; Jeremiah 13:23) ▫Our relationship is restored (Hebrews 4:16; Ephesians 2:13) ▫Our nakedness is clothed (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 6:13) ▫Our defilement is cleansed (Hebrews 10:16-18) ▫Our cage is opened (Romans 6:17-18)

8. Concrete Sin Sin is as real as anything we see in this physical world Its consequences are concrete, not abstract ▫Separation from God ▫Exposure ▫Defilement ▫Condemnation ▫Ensnarement There is an escape ▫Not of ourselves ▫From God