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Introduction. Ever heard of someone ?selling their soul to the devil"?Doesn't require devil to come and make a bargainSome people sell their soul for practically nothingMost people, like Ahab, sell their soul gradually over yearsLike a mortgage payment. Ahab's early years. 1 Kings 16:30-33Conti
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1. Ahab:A Soul for Sale
2. Introduction Ever heard of someone “selling their soul to the devil”?
Doesn’t require devil to come and make a bargain
Some people sell their soul for practically nothing
Most people, like Ahab, sell their soul gradually over years
Like a mortgage payment
3. Ahab’s early years 1 Kings 16:30-33
Continued in Jeroboam’s sins
Golden calves in Bethel and Dan
Idols, but meant to be worship to God
Married Jezebel, a pagan princess
(Her father was also high priest of Baal)
Built temples for Baal and Asherah
Ahab even worshipped Baal
Still, apparently, believed in God, but only as one of many idols
4. A summary of Ahab’s life 1 Kings 21:25-26
He sold himself to do wickedness
His early steps (marrying Jezebel) led to worse and worse behavior
Threatened and chased Elijah
Allowed Jezebel to kill God’s prophets
Tested God in a competition
Allowed Jezebel to try to kill Elijah
Eventually allowed Jezebel to have Naboth murdered so he could expand his garden
1 Kings 21:17-24
5. The power of sin Many think sin is like a cookie
“I’ll just eat one”
But sin is more like an avalanche
Starts small and builds up momentum fast
Prov 5:22 – sin is like locking yourself up
Rom 7:14 – sin is like selling yourself into slavery
Rom 1:22-32 – As man pushes farther away into sin, God lets them go
6. The value of sin For those who sell themselves to do sin, the question is, did you get a good deal?
Heb 11:24-26
All the pleasures of sin are fleeting
But the cost is your eternal soul
7. Redemption God wants to buy back your soul
You sold it for nothing
But He was willing to pay its full price
Eph 1:7-8
1 Pet 1:18-19
If we let Him redeem us, we are His, not our own
Titus 2:14
1 Cor 6:19-20
Rom 6:20-23
8. Conclusion Ahab sold himself to do evil
No one made him do it
No one makes you do it
He got no lasting benefit from the sale
The wages of sin is death
But God will redeem us
On His terms, not ours
He paid the price, not us
We will be His, not our own
We sold the right to be our own
Will you let Him?