BibleDiscipleship

Lessons in Defeating Sin from Josiah

Lessons in Defeating Sin from JosiahJosiah was only 8 years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem. He was one of the few good kings of Judah, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD (2 Kings 22:1-2).

When he was 26, Josiah told his servants to use money that had been collected from the people to repair the temple (2 Kings 22:3-7). While making the repairs, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law which had been given by God through Moses to the children of Israel (2 Kings 22:8-10). The Book had apparently been lost or hidden, perhaps during the long reign of wicked King Manasseh–Josiah’s grandfather–who reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 21:1-18).

When Josiah heard the words of the Book of the Law read, he was devastated and ashamed that God’s people had not been obeying God’s will (2 Kings 22:11-13). In 2 Kings 23, Josiah zealously worked to purify the nation of Judah and initiate a spiritual revival.

We can still learn a great deal about purity and revival in our own lives by studying Josiah’s example. If you’re serious about defeating sin and purging it from your life (23:1-3), then just like Josiah…

  1. Get rid of the physical stumbling blocks (23:4).
  2. Separate yourself from the people who shamelessly promote sin (23:5).
  3. Assess and address your presence in the places where temptation flourishes (23:7-10).
  4. Put the passing benefits and pleasures of sin into perspective (23:11).
  5. Leave the pieces of impurity behind forever (23:12).
  6. Fill the vacuum left by sin with godly practices and priorities (23:21-23).

This sermon was delivered on June 23, 2013.

For more sermons, visit the sermons archive or subscribe to the podcast.


For further study, check out Phillip Shumake’s Lifelong Zeal: How to Build Lasting Passion for God, which proved to be a valuable resource for this sermon.

Back to top button