Edgar Reich shares a powerful testimony of being set free from a false conversion through repentance, surrender, and the victory of Jesus Christ over sin.
This sermon emphasizes the journey of personal struggle, sin, and redemption, highlighting the importance of surrendering to God for true freedom and victory over sin. It shares a personal testimony of losing faith, facing deep sin, and ultimately finding redemption through repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ. The message underscores the need for daily dependence on Christ, understanding the battle between the inner and outer self, and the victory found in surrendering to Jesus.
Full Transcript
Thank you for joining me again this afternoon. It's a pleasure and an honor to share with you. I have a very, very important message this afternoon that is of being set free.
I lost 20 years of my life not believing that God was able to help us with sin. I walked away from God. I incurred a great hurt in my life.
I nearly died and I nearly went to hell for eternity, but God had mercy on my soul. And so I'd like to share that back when I was in my 20s, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. I thought I went forward, but I was not saved at that time point, I believe.
For the next 20 years, I lived as a hypocrite in the church and went to church and did things that appear to be good, but I had no power over sin. And so there came a day in my life, I was in my office and started to wrestle with evil starting about noon. And for the next five to six hours, I was wrestling with evil, being overcome by evil.
And I said, no, and I quoted scripture. I quoted the blood of Christ and none of these things would help me and evil thoughts would not leave my mind. Finally, I gave into sin, but I said to God, God, I had asked you to set me free and you didn't.
So I will no longer believe in you. This was the worst decision in my whole life. I ended up in a deep sin.
I ended up walking away from my family. There was a divorce. And then after the divorce, of course, I went into further sin and I should have died.
I should have gone to hell. Then came that morning when Jesus came, I was in a vision of a grave where I was to go into eternity, into hell. And the son of God came and rescued me.
And I knelt and I prayed and I repented off my sin. And I asked him to come into my life. And that was the day when everything started to change.
But part of the problem was that during this period of time, I had not been taught the correct way to understand myself. I had always thought that the whole person must be saved and that there would be no more sin after that that would attack me. I did not understand that the inner man, the inward man is born again through the Spirit of God and that the outer man, who is the old flesh, must fall away and be put to death daily.
And so, also beloved young people, if you watch this, even so you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you need to walk in daily dependence on him because Christ is the victor. And you must surrender to him. If you do not surrender to him and you try to oppose sin in your own self, in your own strength, you will not succeed.
Because sin, Satan and the world, they conspire against you to defeat you and to bring unbelief, to take hope away from you, to take your joy away from you. But 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, Christ is the victory. He is the Son of the living God.
He has not only set us free from the penalty of sin, but he has also set us free from the power of sin. Praise God. As you repent, as you ask Christ to come into your life, and as you surrender to him fully, you will have that joy.
You will have victory in your life through the victor, Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining me.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Edgar's early false conversion and 20 years of struggle
- Living as a hypocrite without power over sin
- The moment of spiritual crisis and wrestling with evil
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II
- The consequences of unbelief and deep sin
- The vision of judgment and Jesus' rescue
- Repentance and true surrender to Christ
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III
- Misunderstanding salvation and the inner vs outer man
- The need for daily dependence on Christ
- The battle against sin, Satan, and the world
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IV
- Christ as the ultimate victor over sin
- Freedom from penalty and power of sin
- Encouragement to fully surrender and experience victory
Key Quotes
“I lost 20 years of my life not believing that God was able to help us with sin.” — Edgar Reich
“Finally, I gave into sin, but I said to God, God, I had asked you to set me free and you didn't.” — Edgar Reich
“Christ is the victory. He is the Son of the living God. He has not only set us free from the penalty of sin, but he has also set us free from the power of sin.” — Edgar Reich
Application Points
- Examine your own faith to ensure it is genuine and not merely outward.
- Commit to daily surrender and dependence on Christ to overcome sin.
- Trust in Jesus as the ultimate victor who frees from both the penalty and power of sin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Edgar mean by a false conversion?
He refers to a time when he accepted Christ outwardly but was not truly saved, lacking power over sin and genuine transformation.
How did Edgar experience freedom from sin?
Through repentance, surrender to Jesus, and understanding the ongoing battle between the inner new man and the outer old flesh.
Why is daily dependence on Christ important?
Because the outer man still battles sin, and only by surrendering daily to Christ can believers overcome the power of sin.
What role does scripture play in this testimony?
Scripture was quoted during spiritual battles but true victory came only after genuine repentance and surrender to Christ.
What encouragement does Edgar give to young believers?
He urges them to walk in daily dependence on Christ and to understand that victory over sin comes through Him, not their own strength.
