We are now using the ESV, the English Standard Version as the church Bible. And for those who are still not very sure why, you may approach one of us and they can explain to you. But that doesn’t mean that every one of you has to change your Bible to the ESV. You’re free to use any good translation that you are at the moment using, like the New King James Bible or even the Old King James Bible and the New American Standard Bible or the New International Version. But for church Bible reading like just now, we shall from today onward be reading from the English Standard Version.

Now for preaching, I think it takes a while for me to transit from NKJV. In fact, it took a long time for me to transit from the Old King James to other translation. So I think that is probably true of all. We have an emotional attachment alright to our Bible. So bear with me, I’m still using the New King James Version this morning. And I do not know for how long until I get my new Bible, but I have an ESV here. So I may from time to time be reading from the ESV. I’m sure you can follow alright, not a lot of differences between the two translations. Alright with that short introduction, let us now come to study the Word of God this morning. And we are studying the epistle of James.

And for those of you who are joining us for the first time, I hope you are somewhat familiar with the epistle. But just in case you are not so, so a short and brief introduction. Now James is written by James, but there are many James or many James’. So this James (most believed) is the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ who initially was not a believer but later became a believer. And not just a believer but became the elder or the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. Now he wrote this letter, we are told in the very first chapter in the first verse to probably his church members who at that time were scattered all over the places.

And so he describes them as “to the twelve tribes who were scattered abroad”. We know that there was persecution at that time. And due to persecution, so people were scattered in different places. But James as the pastor, he continues to care for them. What he could not do in person (just like the last two and a half years, very often we were not able to do so in person). Now James didn’t use Zoom or other live streaming alright, but he wrote them letters alright, and this is the letter that he wrote to them.

Now he wrote about many subjects just like a pastor who cared for the flock and there are many things he is concerned about them. But one of the most important concerns he has about them is their faith, that they would be true to their faith wherever they might be- locked down, in your own homes, or you might be suffering because of Covid. Wherever you might be, he’s concerned that they would continue to remain true to their faith. And he said it is so important alright- so important because if not then to him, it might well be that you are not in the faith in the first place.

If these trials as it were can take you away and then you become so cold and you behave so very differently, then when you are found with God’s people, then James says then it cannot be alright if you have true faith whether you are found in the church or outside the church because people or not, you should still manifest that vibrant faith or Christian life. So James therefore talks about or writes about a faith that works. And that is our theme alright for this series- “Faith That Works”.

So with that short introduction, I’m not going to go through all the other things that we have already studied. But today, we are looking at chapter 4. In fact, we are still looking at chapter 4. We have been looking at chapter 4 for the past several many Sundays alright. And today I would just like to look at one verse that is the last verse of chapter 4. The last verse of chapter 4. So let me first of all read alright that verse. James 4:17.

Now in the New King James version it reads this way: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”. Or in the ESV: “So”. So means therefore. He’s coming to the conclusion of that chapter that is chapter 4. And the conclusion is this: “(Therefore or) so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”. Now if I were to ask you to circle you know or underline your Bible and circle the key word in this verse, now which word would you circle? Now look at your Bible alright and you look at James 4:17 and you read this, to me a very important verse that we should pay some attention to.

That’s the reason why we are looking at this verse this morning. So which word would you circle? Would you circle ‘therefore’ or ‘so’? Would you circle ‘what’? Now I would like to draw your attention actually to the word that I circled, and that is the word ‘sin’ alright- and that is the word ‘sin’. Now to me in a sense that is the key word because that is what James wants to draw our attention to. He writes here: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it”. You know what? Do you know what that means?

That is what he’s saying. If you know- if you know the right thing to do and fails to do it (or in my verse translation he says to him who knows the good) that is the right thing to do (that’s what good here means) and does not do it. Do you know what that means? Have you given some thought to this fact, to this thing here that James is talking about that people who knows the right thing to do? I’m sure you know many things that you ought to do, the right thing that you should do. You know the many things that God wants you to do. And if you do not do them, what does it mean? Oh, no problem. It doesn’t mean anything alright. If I know the right thing to do and I do not do them, it’s okay. So what?

Now that is the attitude of a lot of people. They know the right thing to do and they don’t do them. They say it is okay. But I say there is a lot of people outside the church. But the sad thing is for a lot of people inside the church we have the same attitude that we know what we ought to do. And that’s what the translations, the right thing to do. You know the right thing to do but you don’t do them. Is it okay? Does it really matter? You see for a lot of people inside the church, just like those outside the church, to them, it is okay.

So what James wants us to think about this morning is this. Is that for those people or to him who knows the good or the right thing to do but fails to do them, James says here it is not okay. It is not okay. Why is it not okay? Have you ever asked? I’m sure you know a lot of things that you don’t do. Is it okay? If it is okay, why is it okay? If it is not okay, why is it not okay? Now it’s so important for us to kind of ponder upon this. If we know what is right and don’t do them, why is it not okay? So we won’t ask James. James. Pastor James, why is it not okay for us? And James tells us here.

It is not okay because he says in this verse that if you know the right thing to do and fails to do them, you know what? That is sin alright- that is sin. And so I want to draw your attention to this word alright ‘sin’, and that is what James is thinking about. That is the key. That is what he’s thinking about. He wants us to think about this thing called sin. So the first thing I want to draw attention to is that James talks about sin. James talked about sin. James is talking about sin to his church members. James is talking about sin to his church members. And this morning, I want to talk to my church members about sin.

I hope it’s okay. I hope you don’t say: Pastor, you know, why you talk about sin to us? I say James talks about sin to his member. I think we ought to. We ought to talk about sin. Now I want to ask you: Have you ever said this to anyone in your life? Have you ever said this to anyone in your life that if you know what is right and you do not do them or fails to do them, you know what? It is sin. Have you ever said it to anyone? No, not to your friend? What about your own children? Parents, have you ever said to your children: Children, if you know what is right and you do not do them, that is sin? They say oh, no, no, no, no. Okay, no. That’s not good.

Why not good? Have you ever mentioned the word ‘sin’ to your children? Have you ever said to your children or your child alright: Son, don’t hit your sister. Don’t hit. Ezra, don’t hit mei mei. That’s not good; mei mei will cry. Or will you say: Don’t hit your mei mei, that is sin. You see the word ‘sin’ you see, we find it so hard to utter. It’s not our nature, not common for people to talk about sin. But I say James talks about sin. And we see that this is not the only place he mentioned sin. In fact, this sin is, you know this concept of sin is so much in James’ mind that he talks about it actually all through his epistle.

You look for example in chapter 1 and verse 13. And James says here: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”. But he says in verse 14: “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. And then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin”. James says here is an important thing I want you to be aware of. Deal with temptation in your life. There are temptations all around us, but deal with temptation in your life because if not, you are drawn into it and then what? You sin. You see, James talks about sin, and then he says sin when he is full grown brings death.

Or chapter 2 and verse 9, James says do not show partiality because if you show partiality, you commit sin. If you show partiality, it is a sin. And then in chapter 5. Now towards the end of his letter and verses 15 and 16, verse 15 says: “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins”. He mentions sin. Verse 16: “Confess your sin to one another”. Then he talks about sin.

Then you see in verses 19 and 20: “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”. He ends his epistle with sin. Sin, he says, is an important subject in the Bible. Sin is what we ought to be talking about. Sin is what the Bible talks about.

You read in the Old Testament when Joshua confronted Achan, he said: Why have you committed this sin or this evil? When Nathan confronts David, he said the same thing. Why have you done this sin or this evil? When God said to Israel in Isaiah and said: Why do you sin? The Bible talks about sin. Now Jesus talks about sin. Now Jesus talked about sin. It’s not just James, not just elsewhere in the Bible. When Jesus was on earth, He talks about sin.

Turn with me to Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9, and look at verse 43. Mark 9:43, now listen to Jesus. And this is what He said: “If your hand causes you to sin”. Now Jesus says if anything causes you to sin. It could be your hand, it could be your leg, it could be your car, it could be your house, it could be your job, it could be your children. Anything or anyone that causes you to sin. Now look, listen to Jesus. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Cut it off. Now why does Jesus talk about sin? Why does the Bible talks about sin? And here Jesus gives us the reason why it is so important for us to think and talk about sin.

He says here, the reason is because it is better for you to “enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched”. That is the reason Jesus said I want to talk to you about sin because if you sin, you go to hell. That is not a nice word to say, but Jesus couldn’t care less whether it is nice or not nice. What Jesus cares about is whether it is real or not real, or whether it is true or not true. Is it not true that if you sin against God you are going to face His judgement and that He is going to punish you? And that punish you is eternal fire in hell.

Listen to what Jesus says that there the fire shall never be quenched. Verse 44: “where ‘their worm shall not die and the fire is not quenched.’”. It is in other words a terrible place to be in. It is a place of torment. It is a place of suffering. It is a place that no one should want to go to. But if you do not deal with sin in your life, that is the place you are going to go to. And just to underscore his point, just to press home his point, he repeats that in verse 45: “If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

And if (verse 47) your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better (He says) for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”. Why is Jesus repeating Himself? He is repeating Himself because He sees that this is important enough to be repeated. He is repeating Himself perhaps because a lot of people are not paying attention to this truth of Scripture. Jesus talked about hell; James talked about hell. And they talked about hell because it is a serious (to talk about sin I mean) because it is a serious matter. If you sin against God, you face His wrath. You face His wrath.

And that’s why the writer to the Hebrews writes this. The writer to the Hebrews alright writes this in Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10:31, he says: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So James talks about sin in his epistle when he writes to his church people. He says think about this. Think about this. Are you living a life of sin? Are you sinning against God? Now you see, James is not here just asking his church members. He wrote this by inspiration. The question is meant for us. Are we living a life of sin and do we care? Do we care? Do we care? We must not sin, James says.

Now secondly. The second point in this verse is this. Now what is the particular sin that James is talking about? Alright so James talks about sin. And I say the reason he talks about sin because it is a serious matter because if you do not deal with sin in your life, it drags you into eternal damnation in hell. And that the Bible repeatedly mentions is a cause of concern, something that we should ponder upon seriously. Now what is the sin or the particular kind of sin that James is talking about here?

So back to James 4:17. Now listen again to what James writes here: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it”. Now that is the kind of sin that James is talking about, the sin of failing to do the right thing that you know. Those who know the right thing but fails to do it. So you see in the Bible, there are two kinds of sins. Two kinds of sin. One is what we call the sin of commission alright- the sin of commission. And here in the Shorter Catechism alright, question 14 asks what is sin, and this is the answer.

Now sin is any one of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. Now just repeat that alright. So what is sin? Sin is anyone of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. In other words, sin is not just about transgression. Transgression means sin is not just about doing what God doesn’t want you to do, break God’s law in that sense but it’s also lack of conformity. And that is what James is talking about here that is not doing what God wants you to do. So the sin that James is talking about is what we call the sin of omission. The sin of omission- the sin of not doing what you ought to do.

And so you see that sin is not just about what you do but what you do not do alright- but you do not do. So here is about what you do not do. I said that is James’ great emphasis. Again you see in his epistle alright in this letter, you see James is talking, thinking about his fellow believers. He says there are a lot of things that fellow believers know but they don’t do. And that is true of believers in James’ day, and I believe that is true of believers all through the ages and that is true of believers today that we do not do what we ought to do. The sin of omission. I said that is James’ great emphasis.

Again in the letter we see in James 1:22, he says: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only”. Don’t be people who come week after week, week after week and you only gain knowledge. You only hears then you know what you ought to do but you don’t do them. James says no, no, no. Don’t be that kind of believer. Don’t just know only but be doers of the word. And there in chapter 2 verse 14. Chapter 2 and verse 14, and James writes: “What good is it, my brothers”. What good? If you ask fellow believers that kind of question: What good? “What good, my brothers or my sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”

Now in verse 16 he repeats. He said what good is that? Now James is thinking what good is that for Christians to gain knowledge. You come and you learn the Bible. You want more theology. You want more doctrine in your head. You memorize all the things in the confession, but then you do not do them. So what good is that? That is James’ point here. He says no good alright. That kind of Christianity, no good. No point. That’s what he means. But again you see, Jesus make the same point when He was on earth.

You look at Matthew chapter 23. Matthew chapter 23, and Jesus makes here the same emphasis. Matthew 23:23, and Jesus saying to the Pharisees. He said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier (things or) matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith.”. Now these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. So there are things that they’ve left undone which they ought to have done.

And that is what James is talking about. And that is what Jesus is talking about to these people. See, there are a lot of people who knows a lot of things, and maybe especially Reformed people. We say we believe in doctrine. And so we come to the church we want to learn doctrine. But you see, Jesus says no point if you learn doctrine and you learn truth only for the sake of head knowledge. You just want to know but you do not do them. What is the point? That’s what James says. What good is that? Have you heard anyone say that to you?

You say oh no, no, no. I know a lot of theology. I mean, I’ve been in the church for a long time, Reformed for the last twenty years. Oh, I studied the Calvin institute or the 1689. You know you want to come to the church also you need to press 1689 alright to come in. So we’re experts, you see. James says what good is that if that’s all there is to your Christian life? It’s all about knowing. Maybe you memorize all the Scripture. I memorize all the Scriptures, but it’s only memory. There is no use. Well, anyone would say that kind of things to you, no use. Anyone dare say that kind of thing to you, they’ll face your wrath alright. You say how dare you! You’re judgemental.

But Jesus is judgemental. No, there’s no judgemental; that’s stating a fact. That is being honest. That’s being frank. That is telling you what you ought to hear. That’s what James said when he read the letter, he say it’s a very practical letter. Now a lot of people call James’ letter the practical Christian living. Oh, James’ letter is a very practical letter. Practical Christian living. You think that James’ letter practical Christian living is like you go to the bookshop (Christian bookshop) you see a lot of practical Christian like how to be a good husband or how to be successful in your workplaces and how to and all. Practical, you know. You think that James is writing that.

Yes it’s very practical, but it’s not all the how to’s but it goes right to the heart and tells us what we ought to know. So Jesus says why you do these things? These things you ough to have done but you are not doing them. Now there are many things we ought not do alright. There are many things we know that we ought not do. I’m sure you know. I hope you know that there are many things that you ought not do. Like what? Well, you know that you ought not rob. Don’t be a robber. You ought not rob the bank. Oh, I mean, I know I must not rob the bank.

You know that you ought not kill or murder. Oh, I know, I know alright. I ought not murder. You ought not go to Genting and gamble. You can go to Genting alright, but not gamble alright. You ought not go to Genting and gamble. And you ought not strangle your cat. I hope you know that also alright. Now you see, these are probably not our main problems, all the ought not. All these you know, and you probably know that you probably don’t do these things. I said these are probably not our main problems. The question James raises here is this, are not those questions. The question James raises here is what about the good or the right thing that you ought to do?

That is the question. What about the right thing that you ought to do? So James is talking about the right thing or the things that we ought to do. Why? Because you see, this is so important because ultimately speaking- ultimately everyone who misses heaven does so because of the sin of omission. Now, let me repeat. Ultimately, everyone who misses heaven does so because of the sin of omission because you see that if you are a murderer (I hope there is no murderer here, but inside we are all murderers). If you are a murderer or a robber or a rapist, you still can go to heaven if you do the right thing. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of your sin, you will go to heaven.

Have you done that? Have you repented of your sin? Have you looked at your life and said that it’s not right with God? Have you seen yourself as a rebel and you said to yourself: Woe to me. I’ve been done for other men of unclean lips. Have you said that the thing the good that you ought to do? And that’s what James is talking. Is if everyone who misses heaven, that’s all because of the sin of not doing the right thing. The sin of omission. Because you do not repent and you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not go to heaven.

But you were like what James tells us here and Jesus tells us here that we will go to a place of damnation. And that is a serious thing for us to ponder upon. And so that is what James talks about. The kind of sin James talks about here is the sin of omission. The sin of omission. Now that leads us to the last point I want to talk about here in this verse. What then are the right things that we ought to do? What then are the right thing or the good that we ought to do?

Now let us ponder about that because James says here you know we ought to do the right thing. Those who know, but do you know what are the right things that we ought to do? Turn for example with me. You know the many alright we should think about, but just a few here in the gospel of Luke in chapter 18. The gospel of Luke and chapter 18, and listen to what Jesus says here in verse 2.

And Jesus said to the disciples that “there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her (constant or) continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?””.

What are the right thing that we ought to do? What is Jesus saying here, the good that we ought to do? And Jesus says the good that we ought to do in regard to prayer is this in verse 1 that He spoke this parable to them so that men should always pray and not lose heart. That is what we ought to do that we should always pray and not lose heart. That is the reason why He told this parable. He tells them that they should not give up praying. Have you given up on prayer? Do you pray? Really? What about the friend or the missionary for whom you promised to pray? Are you still praying for that friend?

Or what about the sick friend who asked you for prayer? You say I’ll pray for you. Did you pray, and are you still praying? Or the church member’s spiritual needs. You pray for church members. Are you still praying for them? Or for that particular one? Or that friend who is still unsaved or that relative of yours. Have you given up praying for them? And that is what Jesus is saying here that men should pray and not lose heart. That is what we ought to do. And he who does not do what he ought to do or the right thing, to him it is sin. Nothing short of that. You see, we don’t think of it that way. We don’t think of neglecting our Christian responsibility as a sin against God. That’s the reason why we don’t take many of our responsibilities seriously.

What about Luke 10 alright- Luke chapter 10? Luke 10:41-42, and here Jesus was speaking to Martha. Verse 41: “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part”. Now the good here alright in the NKJV, the good in James is the right thing. That is the right thing. That’s what you ought to do, Martha. Just being distracted by the business of life will not do. It’s not good. It’s not right. And yet we know that so many of us are like Martha. We are so busy in our life doing this and doing that, and then we neglect our devotion. We neglect our time with the Lord. And we think it is okay.

But Jesus says here it is not okay. Mary has chosen the right thing to do. Have you chosen the right thing to do, or are you neglecting the right thing that you ought to do? Don’t you realise that the thing we ought to do as a Christian is to draw near constantly to the feet of Jesus and spend time with Him and learn from Him? If you have not learned that in your Christian life that that is the right thing to do, then what have you been learning in your Christian life? What is Christian living to you about? This is what is right for you as a Christian and if you neglect that, you do not do that, it is what? Sin. It is sin alright. That’s what James says here.

And that’s why James is thinking about this word ‘sin’. The sin of omission. What about Hebrews? Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10, and here in verse 23 or beginning in verse 2. And the writer to the Hebrews writes this. Verse 23 of chapter 10: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some (or the habit of some) but exhorting one another, so much more as you see the Day approaching.”.

What is the right thing we ought to do according to Hebrews 10, according to these few verses? What is the right thing you ought to do as a Christian? It is to come together, assemble as the people of God. If you neglect that, and here the thing we see here is that even in those days that there were people who neglect, neglecting to do the right thing. And the right thing is assembling. Are there Christians who still neglect the assembling together?

And people who travel all over the world (I heard, I’ve never been to Europe), but they say when you go to Europe you see empty churches. People are not assembling together. They’re neglecting the coming together to worship the one and the true God. And they think that it’s okay. It is not okay. I hope you get that because if you read your Bible and you don’t get that, you don’t understand your Bible. It is not okay to neglect the worship of God, to neglect the coming together as the people of God because if you neglect that, James says it is sin. Nothing short of that. This is not like not so nice or whatever reason or things they might think of that. It’s sin.

What about Ephesians chapter 4? Ephesians chapter 4, beginning in verse 11. Beginning in verse 11, and here Paul writes: “And He (that is Jesus) Himself gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and some teachers.”. And you say okay, very good alright. God has given the church these gifts of pastors and teachers. But why? Why does God give the church pastors and teachers? Verse 12: “for (that’s for the purpose of) equipping of the saints”. Why?

So that for the purpose of the work of ministry “for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—(that is) Christ— from whom (verse 16) the whole body (that is the church), joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, thereby causing growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”.

What is Paul talking about here? Paul is talking to the Christians, believers in the church. Paul is saying to every one of us. This message is not to the pastors and teachers; this passage is to every church member. And what is the duty of every church member? Ah, we do not know. We think our duty is to come and fellowship around food, and then we have chit-chat and that’s all. No, that is not what the Bible says here. The duty of every church members is to build up the church of Jesus Christ. That’s what verse 16 says that “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint (that’s what every part) supplies, where every part does its share, thereby causing growth of the body of Christ”.

That is the duty. That is what every Christian ought to do. We ought to be involved in the building up of the church of Jesus Christ. If you neglect that, what do you call that? Sin. We don’t call that you know some Christian they are the kind who love church. They are the kind who don’t like church. No, no, no, that’s not what James is talking about. You know preference. It’s not about preferences. It’s not about your kind. If you’re really that kind, James says, then those are sin, are committing sin. He who knows the right thing to do but do not do them, to them it is sin.

Just one more. Turn with me to Acts chapter 2. Acts 2:37. Acts 2:37, and here Luke writes. Verse 37: “When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?””. What shall we do? “Peter answered and said to them, “Repent, let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.””. That is what you ought to do. If you have not done that, that is what you ought to do. The question is: What must I do to be saved? The answer, repent and be baptised.

Have you done that? If not, that is sin. And Jesus says if anything that causes you to sin, cut it off. Deal with it because it is better to go to life maimed or go to heaven maimed rather than go to hell full alright or hell with the whole body because if you do not do what is right, now that is sin and sin brings us to hell.

So let me ask: Do you know what you ought to do? Do you know that you ought to forgive your brother and sister seventy times seven times? Do you know that you ought to love one another as Christ loves us? Do you know that you ought to bear one another’s burden? Do you know that you ought to restore an uring brother or sister? Is it true that our problem is not much, not so much the wrong that we do but that the good or the right thing that we don’t? Let us pray.

“Our dear Father in heaven, we pray again that You will help us to let Your truth sink into our hearts. Help us to ponder upon this great truth that has been revealed to us, this great subject of sin. O Lord, we pray that You’ll help us to understand that this is our greatest problem that we have to deal with. And that unless we deal with this problem of sin that we will suffer the consequence of eternal damnation in hell. We want to thank You that You have dealt that problem with that problem in our lives, for You have sent Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on that cross that we who repent of our sin and trust in Him may be fully forgiven and be given eternal life. We thank You, for we pray these in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.