Embracing God’s Abundance

Welcome to “Let The Gains Begin,” part 2 of “WORK IT OUT” a 3-part sermon series on Finances. In this sermon Ps Peter shared much of his personal testimony to inspire us, you can watch the whole sermon below and read the summary of his key points:

Let the Gains Begin

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 1:2

In 3 John 1:2, the Apostle John prays for believers to prosper in all aspects of their lives—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The concept of prosperity is deeply embedded in Scripture, appearing 92 times.

What does the Bible mean by prosperity? It means that ‘You have enough to meet your needs and enough to help someone else’.

Look up these scriptures and see God’s heart for His people to be blessed:

Psalms 35:27
Psalms 1:3
Proverbs 10:22
Psalms 68:6

What encourages you about these scriptures?

Faithfulness in Small Things
Being faithful in little things prepares us for greater responsibilities. Whether it’s taking care of our possessions or our work, diligence is crucial. As Proverbs 10:4 says, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Stewardship and Growth
Growth is a process that requires patience and stewardship. Like an oak tree that takes years to mature, our prosperity unfolds over time through diligent effort and faithfulness. We must start from where we are, being good stewards of what we have today.

The Spiritual Foundation of Giving
Giving is a core principle of prosperity. Jesus teaches that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. Starting with tithing and building from there ensures that we honour God with our resources. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that it’s God who gives us the power to get wealth to establish His covenant.

Three Tests of Stewardship

Having Little: Isaac sowed in famine and reaped abundantly.
Having Plenty: Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, demonstrating faithful stewardship.
Continuing Faithfulness: Cornelius’ consistent giving was honoured by God.

The Right Attitude Toward Wealth
Prosperity isn’t just about accumulating wealth but about using it for God’s purposes.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 instructs the rich to do good, be generous, and store up treasures in heaven. Our fullness is for the benefit of others’ emptiness, and our prosperity should overflow to meet others’ needs.

Seek the Blesser, Not Just the Blessing
True prosperity comes from seeking God, not just His blessings. Solomon sought wisdom and God blessed him with wealth. When we seek God wholeheartedly, blessings follow. Our relationship with God should be the foundation of our prosperity.

Practical Steps to Prosperity

Be a Worshiper: Keep the sacrifice of praise sweet.
Maintain a Soft Heart: Choose gratitude and positivity despite pain.
Live Thankfully: Cultivate a habit of thankfulness.
Step Out in Faith: Take bold steps trusting God’s guidance.
Pursue God’s Purposes: Align your life with God’s will.

Overflowing Blessings
God’s desire is for our lives to overflow with blessings, both for our benefit and the benefit of others. By working it out with diligence, faith and a focus on God, we position ourselves for His abundant provision. As Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38). Embrace the journey of prosperity, grounded in God’s promises and your faithful action.

Missed Part 1 of our “Work It Out” series? Click here.

As we continue exploring this topic, we’re unpacking a key tension in the Christian life: why we still struggle with sin even though Jesus has already defeated it. Read the notes below to understand what Christ has done at the cross, what we experience today, and how God is shaping us through the ongoing journey of sanctification.

The Power of Sin

Overview
The Defeat of Sin’s Power
The Struggle with Sin’s Influence
Why We Still Struggle With Sin
The Victory We Can Have Over Sin
Conclusion

Overview

Many of us understand that when Jesus gave His life on the cross, He defeated the power and authority of sin. He became sin in our place so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Yet, it’s clear that sin is still present in the world, and many Christians still struggle with temptation and sinful habits. This can feel confusing. If sin has been defeated in Christ, why do we still struggle with it?

In this blog, we’ll explore:

The defeat of sin’s power at the cross
The ongoing influence of sin
Why believers still struggle today
How we can walk in victory over sin

The Defeat of Sin’s Power

At the cross, Jesus didn’t just deal with sin emotionally or symbolically. He broke its authority and dominion over believers completely.

We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 6:6–11 explains this clearly:

Our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

This is a decisive spiritual reality for everyone in Christ:

Sin no longer rules over us
We are no longer under its authority
We are now alive to God in Christ Jesus

Before salvation, sin wasn’t just something we did. It was something that ruled us. Paul uses the image of slavery to explain this:

“You were once slaves of sin…” (Romans 6:17–18)

A slave does not have full autonomy. In the same way, sin shaped our desires, decisions, and direction before Christ.

Freedom through Christ’s exchange.

Jesus broke that system through His death and resurrection:

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin…” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Through Christ’s sacrifice:

We are freed from sin’s power
We are transferred into righteousness
Sin is no longer our master

But this leads to an important question: If sin is defeated, why do we still struggle?

The Struggle with Sin’s Influence

Although sin’s power has been broken, its presence and influence remain in the world.

Sin is no longer our master, but it still tries to tempt, lure, and influence us. We still live in a fallen world where spiritual battle is real.

Even Jesus experienced temptation, yet He never sinned.

Scripture is clear that believers must still actively resist sin:

Ephesians 6:10–12 – We wrestle against spiritual forces
1 Peter 5:8 – The devil seeks to devour
James 1:13–14 – Temptation comes through desire

We are still in a spiritual battle

While sin no longer rules us, it still:

Appeals to our flesh
Uses external influences
Seeks to draw us away from God

However, sin will not always remain. Scripture promises a future where it will be completely removed:

“He will wipe away every tear… death shall be no more…” (Revelation 21:4)

Why We Still Struggle With Sin

To understand the tension we live in, we need to understand the three stages of salvation (Ordo Salutis):

Justification

We are saved instantly

Freed from sin’s power
Declared righteous in Christ

2. Sanctification

We are being saved progressively

Freed from sin’s influence over time
Becoming more like Christ

3. Glorification

We will be saved fully in the future

Completely free from sin’s presence

Where we live now

We currently live in sanctification:

Sin’s power is broken
Sin’s influence is still present
Sin’s presence will one day be removed

State of sin vs acts of sin

A helpful distinction:

State of sin: We are no longer separated from God
Acts of sin: We still sometimes fall and miss the mark

Being saved does not mean we never sin again. It means sin no longer defines our identity or separates us from God.

We are:

Fully forgiven in Christ
Still being transformed in daily life

The Victory We Can Have Over Sin

We are not powerless against temptation. Scripture gives us practical ways to walk in victory.

1. Identify the sin

You cannot overcome what you refuse to acknowledge.

2. Understand there is no condemnation

“There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Conviction leads us to God. Condemnation pushes us away from Him.

3. Recognise triggers

Identify patterns and remove environments that fuel temptation.

4. Repent quickly

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just…” (1 John 1:9)

Don’t delay restoration.

5. Bring sin into the light

Confession breaks secrecy. Sin grows in darkness and weakens in the light.

6. Remember your identity

You fight sin from freedom, not for freedom.

“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

7. Rely on the Holy Spirit

Change is a process empowered by God, not human willpower alone.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)

Conclusion

Jesus has defeated sin, but sin has not yet been fully destroyed.

That is why:

We are free from sin’s power
We still face its influence
We still experience the process of sanctification

One day, at glorification, sin will be gone completely. Until then, we live in the tension of already free, but still being transformed.

The good news is this:

Sin does not define you
Sin does not separate you from God
Sin does not have authority over your life

You are justified, being sanctified, and one day will be glorified.

And in the meantime, the Holy Spirit is faithfully shaping you into the image of Christ.

Flourish

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