Post by disciple on Dec 3, 2011 14:21:07 GMT -5
What is the Gospel?
c. 3—Man the Sinner
Assumptions about sin
o Most people tend to think of sin, especially their own, as not much more serious than a parking violation
o It is actually the breaking of a relationship and a rejection of God Himself—rejection of His rule, care, and authority. It is the rebellion of the creation against the Creator.
What went wrong
o God created humans to live under His righteous rule in perfect joy, worshiping, obeying, and living in perfect fellowship with Him
- Gave us a job—made us to rule His world under Him (Gen. 1:28)
- Authority was not their own; it was given by God, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil reminded them of this (Gen. 3:17)
o They rejected God’s authority over them and declared their independence from Him
- Knew what the consequences for disobedience would be (Gen. 2:17), but they didn’t care—traded favor with God for the pursuit of their own pleasure and glory
- Sin is “missing the mark,” disobedience of God’s commands in word, thought, or action
- Adam and Eve missed the mark, “shooting” in the totally opposite direction of the “target” God had for them
o Adam and Eve’s sin had disastrous consequences for them, their descendants, and all creation
- Cast out of the perfect garden of Eden
- Brought the sentence of death upon them
- Fellowship with God was broken
- Their hearts filled with selfishness, and their eyes were darkened to God’s glory
o All of us are guilty, not just Adam and Eve (Rom. 3:23, 3:10)
Ways we misunderstand sin
o Confusing sin with sin’s effects—our fundamental problem is not meaninglessness, disintegration in our lives, or guilt. These are symptoms of a deeper problem: our sin.
o Reducing sin to broken relationship—sin is not only a broken relationship but also rebellion, treason, and a rejection of God’s kingly majesty
o Confusing sin with negative thinking—self-reliant people want to believe they can take care of sin by themselves by positive thinking, but the Bible teaches that a big part of our problem is that we think too highly of ourselves. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to think more positively—reach for your “full potential” and be like God
o Confusing sin with sins—sins don’t bother us too much, but sin is IN and OF us, not just on us (Eph. 2:3, Matt. 15:19). Our sinful words and actions rise out of the evil natures of our hearts. Every part of us is corrupted by sin and under its power (Rom. 8:7). Only when we realize that our very nature is sinful do we see just how good the news of the gospel is (Eph. 2:1, 5).
God’s judgment of sin
o What will it mean for God to deal with sin?
- Rom. 6:23: not just physical death, but also spiritual death—a separation of our sinful selves from the presence of a righteous and holy God
- Other passages: Isa. 59:2, Rev. 16:1, 1:7, 6:16-17, 19:15
- God’s eternal judgment of unrepentant sinners in hell—Rev. 20:10, Mk. 9:43. We don’t believe in and talk about hell because we enjoy it; we believe in it because we believe the Bible.
o This is God’s verdict: no one is righteous, not even one. But…
c. 3—Man the Sinner
Assumptions about sin
o Most people tend to think of sin, especially their own, as not much more serious than a parking violation
o It is actually the breaking of a relationship and a rejection of God Himself—rejection of His rule, care, and authority. It is the rebellion of the creation against the Creator.
What went wrong
o God created humans to live under His righteous rule in perfect joy, worshiping, obeying, and living in perfect fellowship with Him
- Gave us a job—made us to rule His world under Him (Gen. 1:28)
- Authority was not their own; it was given by God, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil reminded them of this (Gen. 3:17)
o They rejected God’s authority over them and declared their independence from Him
- Knew what the consequences for disobedience would be (Gen. 2:17), but they didn’t care—traded favor with God for the pursuit of their own pleasure and glory
- Sin is “missing the mark,” disobedience of God’s commands in word, thought, or action
- Adam and Eve missed the mark, “shooting” in the totally opposite direction of the “target” God had for them
o Adam and Eve’s sin had disastrous consequences for them, their descendants, and all creation
- Cast out of the perfect garden of Eden
- Brought the sentence of death upon them
- Fellowship with God was broken
- Their hearts filled with selfishness, and their eyes were darkened to God’s glory
o All of us are guilty, not just Adam and Eve (Rom. 3:23, 3:10)
Ways we misunderstand sin
o Confusing sin with sin’s effects—our fundamental problem is not meaninglessness, disintegration in our lives, or guilt. These are symptoms of a deeper problem: our sin.
o Reducing sin to broken relationship—sin is not only a broken relationship but also rebellion, treason, and a rejection of God’s kingly majesty
o Confusing sin with negative thinking—self-reliant people want to believe they can take care of sin by themselves by positive thinking, but the Bible teaches that a big part of our problem is that we think too highly of ourselves. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to think more positively—reach for your “full potential” and be like God
o Confusing sin with sins—sins don’t bother us too much, but sin is IN and OF us, not just on us (Eph. 2:3, Matt. 15:19). Our sinful words and actions rise out of the evil natures of our hearts. Every part of us is corrupted by sin and under its power (Rom. 8:7). Only when we realize that our very nature is sinful do we see just how good the news of the gospel is (Eph. 2:1, 5).
God’s judgment of sin
o What will it mean for God to deal with sin?
- Rom. 6:23: not just physical death, but also spiritual death—a separation of our sinful selves from the presence of a righteous and holy God
- Other passages: Isa. 59:2, Rev. 16:1, 1:7, 6:16-17, 19:15
- God’s eternal judgment of unrepentant sinners in hell—Rev. 20:10, Mk. 9:43. We don’t believe in and talk about hell because we enjoy it; we believe in it because we believe the Bible.
o This is God’s verdict: no one is righteous, not even one. But…