Why So Many Unfaithful Professing Christians

A Message to Preachers on the Need to Preach Repentance from Sin.

Why So Many Unfaithful Professing Christians?

Romans 6:1-18 _________________________________

Intro: The title of the message identifies the problem. To

some degree in all our churches there is a number of people

who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior who are not

faithful to Him.

Their lives pretty much remain the same after their

profession of faith, with the exception that now they are

identified as Christians because they now have their names on

a church roll.

They are frustrating to the God fearing pastor who

loves his flock, and longs with heart felt love to see those to

whom God has entrusted him with living victorious lives in

Christ, being a ready and willing tool of God to bring Glory

to our Lord and Savior, and reaping the benefit of the full

blessing of God.

These "Christians" in name only, are frustrating and

a source of discouragement to any child of God who longs to

see Christ lifted up and magnified and to receive the honor

and worship our God and Savior should receive.

They are frustrating because they are a liability to any

local congregation of believers. These folks do not bring

anything into the church, they are a stumbling block to others

in the church and the lost the church is trying to reach.

We all have heard someone say, "Well if so-in-so is a

member of that church I do not want to have anything to do

with it." What they are really saying is that if that person is

a Christian, a child of God the whole thing is a sham.

I am not talking only of those who do not come to

church or tithe or take a part in the ministry of the church. I

am also talking about the outwardly piteous hypocrite who

sits on the front pew and has a part in everything....a negative

part!

I agonize over the matter, trying to come to grips with

it, and explain it....so as God’s preacher, his pastor, His

messenger I can help the poor souls whose lives are marked

by being unfaithful to God.

I. FIRST BEING UNFAITHFUL TO GOD IS SIMPLY SIN.

A. In order to offer help to a person with a problem

there must be a correct diagnosis of the ailment.

1. Here I believe is the problem. Many pro-

fessing Christians, and church members....have never

come to grips with sin, what sin is or how God looks at it.

2. I preached a message some years ago about

the fact God hates sin, and the roof fell in the church I was

pastoring. I was accused of being unkind, unloving,

uncaring.

3. Why, I ask myself are they so unset over

preaching a basic fundamental true, that God hates sin?

4. The conclusion I came to is that they do not

understand what sin is. Further I wonder how can someone

claim to be a Christian, a SAVED child of God and not know

that God hates sin.

5. How can one know of true salvation without

understanding what sin is and how God views sin?

B. In reading Rom. 6:2, Paul I believe is addressing

this very issue.

1. Note V1. "What shall we say then? Shall we

continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How

shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

2. There were people in Rome whom Paul had

heard of who were practicing sin openly with no conviction

and justifying it by saying....its OK is under Grace.

3. In the strongest terms possible Paul says,

"God Forbid!". Kenneth Weust, "May such a thing never

occur!" Literally Paul says, "Let it not be!"

C. Paul is saying in the next verses, "We were saved

FROM sin!!!!"

1. Salvation is salvation from sin. Sin is the

reason we need saving. We need saving from sin!

2. The true believer is DEAD to sin. That is

the redemptive act of God. That’s what salvation is all

about....being saved from sin! God forgives us when we

repent of sin and then gives us a new nature that enables us

not to sin anymore. If men are not sinners there was no need

of Christ to die for...what? SIN.

3. We now live unto God, V10 We are not

alive unto Christ our Lord.

Yes, Paul says CHRIST is our LORD! That

means our master our God.

D. It seems apparent to me that if a professing

Christian, who claims to be saved has no real understanding

of sin....then there is a grave problem.

1. If he has no regard for sin, thinks lightly of

it, has no real conviction about sin then this person has a

serious spiritual problem. I ask the question what was on