Nature
of sin
“falling short of the glory of God”
Introduction
1. Sin is a dominant theme in the Bible’s
portrait of reality.
2. It has been easy to describe man’s problems
in terms other than sin for several reasons.
a. We
live in a time when a positive “self-image” is a very high priority. Sin is too
negative.
b. We have become “hardened” in our hearts so
that we do not sense “guilt.” Guilt is something we have worked hard to
eradicate in our enlightened age.
c. We find it easier to understand “acts of sin”
than the concept of sin.
3.
Are all sins individual
(personal) or are there corporate sins? Are there systemic sins?
4.
How much of our
behavior is really under our control?
|
Chemistry
(nature) |
Culture
(nurture) |
Character
(spirit) |
A. How have various Christian and non-Christian groups understood sin?
1. 20th century secular explanations for what Christians call
“sin.”
a. Animal nature - To man’s natural
selfish impulse of survival is added (in time) a conscience (expressed in
Hebrew moral law) resulting in a sense of guilt & sin. NOTE:
Further evolutionary progress is our salvation.
b. Anxiety of finiteness - Man’s sense of
finiteness is in tension with his freedom to aspire. Religion is the formal expression of that
dramatic tension. Sin is the aspiration
to be god. NOTE: Salvation is a matter of altering our
attitude about self and God - accepting self & trusting God.
c. Existential estrangement - Man’s
turning away from his own essence (what he was designed to be) and entering an
existence (what he unfortunately is) is sin.
NOTE: Salvation is a matter of
altering our attitude so as to be in touch with “god”, the ground of being.
d. Economic struggle - Sin is not private
or religious but socio-political, economic oppression, and exploitation of one
class by another. NOTE: Salvation is a matter of economic and
political reform.
e. Individualism and competitiveness - Man’s failure to appreciate his social
context and interdependence leads to an individualism & competitiveness
which is the essence of sin. NOTE: Salvation is a matter of educating people
stressing noncompetitive endeavor toward common goals.
2. “Christian” emphasis in defining the nature of sin.
a. Sensuality
- Greek dualistic philosophy and gnosticism.
Man has a spirit derived from the kingdom
of light, and a body with its animal life derived from the kingdom of darkness.
Sin is thus a physical evil, the defilement of the spirit by its union with a
material body. Sin is to be overcome by destroying the influence of the body on
the soul.
b. Selfishness
- Strong.
Sin is selfishness. It is the preference
of one’s own ideas to God’s truth. It is the preference of the satisfaction of
one’s own will to doing God’s will. It is the loving of oneself more than God.
It may manifest itself as sensuality, unbelief, or enmity to God.
c. Choice
of evil - Pelagius.
Adam’s sin injured only himself. All
persons are born into the world in the same state in which Adam was created.
They have knowledge of what is evil and the power to do all that God requires.
Sin, therefore, consists only in the deliberate choice of evil.
d. Hereditary
depravity - Augustine.
All persons possess an inherent,
hereditary depravity, which involves both guilt and corruption. We are
offensive to God’s holiness because of deliberate acts of transgression and the
absence of right affections. But sin is negation; it is not necessary.
e. Corruption
of nature - Roman Catholic tradition.
Original sin is transmitted to all people.
We are born in sin and oppressed with the corruption of our natures. This
privation of righteousness allows the lower powers of man’s nature to gain
ascendancy over the higher, and he grows up in sin. The nature of sin is stated
as the death of the soul. Sin, therefore, consists in the loss of original righteousness
and the disorder of the whole of nature.
f. In short I define sin in three ways.
1. On one level, sin is failure to conform to the character of God as revealed in the law
of God. This is a failure to be true to ourselves as “bearers of God’s image.”
a. The law written on our hearts - The moral
common sense that comes from being made in God’s image.
b. The law written on stone - The moral commands
of the Law of Moses.
c. The law revealed in Jesus - The moral example
of Jesus.
This can also be stated as a failing to live up to the image of God
within us .
2. Sin is the failure to acknowledge and walk in the light (reality) of:
a. This fallen world.
b. The living Lord God.
c. Our nature as the bearers of God’s image.
3. Sin can also be understood as the response to our finiteness and pain (soul
sorrow) that moves us in any direction but to God.
4. In the next section of notes we will address
the relationship between imputed sin, indwelling sin nature, and implemented
sin.
g. Millard
Erickson summarizes with the following points.
1. Sin is an
inherent inner disposition inclining us to wrong acts. We are not simply
sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
2. Sin is
spiritual disability.
3. Sin is rebelliousness
and disobedience.
4. Sin is failing
to live up to God’s standards.
5. Sin
is the displacement of God. Idolatry
in any form, not just pride, is the essence of sin. The Bible uses many terms
to describe the nature of sin. Sin’s essence is placing something else in God’s
place. It is anything that falls short of His glory and perfection.
h. The
universal nature of sin.
1. Ps.143:3
“no one living is righteous before you”
2. Eccles.7:20
“there is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins”
3. II
Chron.6:36 “There is no one who does not sin”
4. Rom.3:12
“There is no one who does good, not even one” (Ps.14:1-3, 53:1-3)
5.
I
Jn.1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.”
6.
Rom.3:23
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
7.
While it is true that
not everything that man does is sinful, there is no person who does not sin in
many areas of life.
8.
It is also true that
there is no area of human experience that is not touched in some way by sin.
For example, we cannot assume that human reason is untouched by moral weakness.
3. How does the Bible talk about sin?
a. Gen.3 “When
the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the
eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit
and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”
1.
Introduction.
a. Genesis 1-2 speak of human dignity. Genesis
3 reveals human depravity.
b.
Genesis 2 is a
transition between chapters one and three. It expands one and sets the stage
for three.
1.
Chapter two ends with
God’s provision of Eve for Adam.
2.
The text suggests that
we are social creatures who find loneliness to be painful and community
(especially family) to be vital.
3.
Eve is described as “a
helper suitable for him.” (two mistaken interpretations).
a. #1 Equality
without distinctive callings and natures.
b.
#2 Subordination
without ally status, equal worth, and freedom to be all God intends one to be.
c.
These misconceptions
are corrected not only by proper teaching but also by modeling. (church leaders
who use their authority to empower others).
c. Genesis 3 addresses the meaning of “the
knowledge of good and evil.” Adam and Eve come to an intimate knowledge of evil
as they choose to live independent of God’s Word.
2. Outline
a. Temptation
1. Questioning God’s Word 3:1-3
2. Questioning God’s heart 3:4-5
b. Fall - Walk by sight not by faith 3:6
c. Consequences
1. Personal shame 3:7
2. Accounting before God 3:8-13
3. Judgments
a. On
the serpent 3:14-15
b. On
the woman 3:16
c. On
the man 3:17-19
4. Protections
a. From
temporal shame
3:20-21
b. From
eternal shame
3:22-24
3. Satan’s lie – The heart and Word of God are not to be
trusted.
a.
II
Cor.1:3 “but I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, your minds should be let astray form the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ.” Satan messes with Eve’s mind. “If you do things God’s way
you will not find life but will be harmed.”
b.
Jn.6:44 “he
is a liar, and the father of lies.” There are many issues in our day that are
more confusing than they need be because Satan has muddied the water – sexual
ethics (homosexuality), gender distinctives, eternality of hell, exclusivity of
the gospel, blood atonement, resurrection of Jesus, etc.
4. Eve’s choice – common
sense or God’s Word.
a. There seemed to be no good reason (from a
sensual perspective) not to eat of the fruit.
b. Eve puts a subtle spin on the original
command. She says, “you must not touch.” This makes the command seem even more
unreasonable. We can do the same thing by taking God’s Word to extremes (gender
roles, legalisms).
5. Adam’s silence – Adam
participated but does nothing to counter the serpent.
a. In Rom.5:12 Adam is seen as culpable even
though it was Eve that feel at the temptation.
b. Original Sin is tied to this one act of Adam
and Eve. But even though we might find the imputation of Adam’s sin onto us to
be hard to accept, we cannot deny that we have sinned like Eve. We have
protected ourselves with lies, tried to find wholeness in power, sexual
license, and social position, and sought freedom in writing our own rules.
6. The discernment of evil – three indications that we can
discern evil.
a. Covering
– a sense of shame. “Wretched man that I am.” Shame is God’s tool before
repentance and Satan’s after.
b. Avoiding
– hiding out of fear. The fear of and attempts to avoid moral authority are
increasing characteristics of our culture. This indicates that we are all in
deed sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.
c.
Excusing –
blaming others. “You are more responsible than I am.” When we take the blame we
end the strife.
Note
that “walking in the light” consists of more than knowing evil. It also
consists of knowing the solution to the human dilemma of shame and guilt. I
Jn.5-10
7. The curses of the Fall have a God ordained purpose.
a. The curses seem to be related to God’s
callings.
b. The curses are gender specific.
c.
The curses have a God
ordained purpose.
1.
The curses came from
God not Satan.
2.
God is not removing His
call on our lives but He is rendering it less joyful and more painful.
3.
The object of this
curse is the Gospel. Rom.8:18-25
a. Our present
suffering is nothing compared to the coming glory. Vs.18
b. Our present
bondage is to showcase our coming freedom. Vs.19-21
c. Our present
groaning sets the stage for our coming redemption. Vs.22-23
d. Our present lack
gives meaning to our coming hope. Vs.24-25
d.
We should respond to
the frustrations of living in a fallen world with wisdom.
1.
Be patient – there will
not e full relief until Christ returns.
2.
Be assured – our
frustration will be overwhelmed by the glory that awaits us.
3.
Be diligent as you wait
– resisting the impulse of the curse by walking in the Spirit of Christ and by
resisting the temptation to find hope in something less than Christ.
8. What ended in the Garden?
a. The good old days ended with the Fall.
b.
The present age of
darkness is initiated.
1.
The Fall was not the
end of all life.
2.
The Fall was not the
end of God’s care.
3.
The Fall was the end of
our access to the tree of life.
4. The age to come
will bring back the tree of life through Christ.
b. Jas.1:13-15 “Let no one say when he is
tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He
Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust
has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings
forth death.”
1. Sin does not originate from God or nature.
2. Sin does originate from human longings.
a. CASUAL LONGINGS - desires for temporal
superficial comforts.
b. CRITICAL LONGINGS - desires for deep
interpersonal relationships with others.
c. CRUCIAL LONGINGS - desire for reconciliation
and peace with God.
3. Sin is the inner desire of the heart to
satisfy deep human longings apart from God.
c. I
Jn.2:16 “For all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not form
the Father, but is from the world.”
Sin is the misdirection of our natural
desires.
1. To
enjoy - experiences, things & people can become “the lust of the
flesh.”
2. To
acquire and rule over - things & people can become “the lust of the
eye.”
3. To
accomplish or achieve - can become “the pride of life.”
4. In Matt.4:1-11
Jesus models an appropriate response to each of these areas of temptation.
a. Satisfying physical appetites -
Live by the Word of God.
b. Ruling
the earth - Bowing down to God alone.
c. Dramatic
acts of control - Respecting God’s sovereignty.
5. We are convicted of sin in many ways.
a. Our conscience is distorted in two
directions.
1. We can be hardened
so as to not recognize sin as sin.
2. We can be
conditioned to guilt over things that are more of this world than the Kingdom.
b. The Body of Christ has an important role in
helping us see our sin.
1. We learn to be
sensitive to sin through the values of our parents.
2. We learn to be
sensitive to sin through the teaching of the Word.
3. We learn to be
sensitive to sin through friends who counsel us.
d. Rom.1:18-32, Sin is man’s willful rejection of God.
1. vs.18
“suppress the truth in
unrighteousness.”
2. vs.23
“exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man.”
3. vs.25
“exchanged the truth of God
for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”
4. vs.28
“they did not see fit to
acknowledge God any longer.”
e. Rom.3:9-18,
Sin is something that every person is “under.”
1. In quoting from several Psalms Paul underscores
the fact that “there is none righteous”, “none who does good.”
2. This would suggest that sin is more than just
a deed done. Sin is a state or condition from which we do not escape in this
life of the flesh.
3. We never outgrow our need for grace.
4. An example of this is seen in the Sermon on
the Mount where Jesus applies the law of God to the motives and intentions of
the heart not just to the behavior of the person. Motives are seldom if ever
pure.
f. Terms
used for sin in the Bible.
1. Terms emphasizing causes of Sin:
a. IGNORANCE
(to not know) AGNOIA - Eph.4:18
“They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of
God because of the IGNORANCE that is in them, due to their hardness of
heart.” (see Eph.4:17-19).
b. ERROR
(to miss the mark as a result of being deceived or led astray) PLANOMAI - Rom.1:27 “--- receiving in their own
persons the due penalty of their ERROR.”
c. DISOBEDIENCE
(to disobey because of hearing amiss or incorrectly) PARAKOE - Rom.5:19 “through the one man’s DISOBEDIENCE
the many where made sinners,”
2. Terms emphasizing the character of the Sin:
a. SIN
(to miss the mark) AMARTANO - Rom.3:23 “For all have SINNED and fall short
of the glory of God.” (This is the most
common word for “sin” in the N.T. The
Hebrew equivalent, CHATA, is also
the most common O.T. expression for “sin.”)
b. UNGODLINESS
(to not worship) ASEBEO -
Rom.4:5 “---Him who justifies the UNGODLY.”
c. UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
(to fail to measure up to the standards of righteousness) ADIKIA - Rom.1:18
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS of men,”
d. LAWLESSNESS
(to be outside the law generally) ANOMIA - I Jn.3:4 “Every one who practices sin also practices
LAWLESSNESS; and sin is LAWLESSNESS.”
e. TRANSGRESSION
(to violate the Jewish law) PARABAINO - Rom.4:15 “Where there is no law,
there is no TRANSGRESSION.”
f. INIQUITY
(to lack integrity) AWAL - Ps.51:5 “Behold I was brought forth in
INIQUITY and in sin my mother conceived
me.”
g. DISOBEDIENCE
(to be beyond persuasion) APEITHEO - Eph.2:2 “---of the spirit that is now
working in the sons of DISOBEDIENCE.”
h. FALL
AWAY (to defect) APHISTEMI - I Tim.4:1 “---in later times some will FALL
AWAY from the faith”; APOSTASIA -
Heb.3:12 “---lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart,
in FALLING AWAY from the living God.”;
PARAPTOMA - Heb.6:6 “---and
FALLING AWAY, it is impossible to renew them again”
3. Terms emphasizing results of Sin:
a. WICKEDNESS
(to be restless) RESHA - Isa.57:20 “But the WICKED are like the tossing
sea;”
b. EVIL
(to be toxic or bad) RA - Jer.42:6 “Whether it is good or EVIL (ADVERSE),
we will obey the voice of the Lord,”
c. SIN
OFFERING (guilt) ASHAM - Isa.53:10
“---shall make His soul an OFFERING FOR SIN.”
d.
CALAMITY (trouble) AVEN - Prov.22:8 “He who sows injustice will reap
CALAMITY.”
Pastoral advice
How should we view sin?
1. One
of the mistakes we can make is to reduce sin to outward behavior and fail to
see the complex nature of our sin as it effects our motives and perspectives.
We are indeed all under sin.
2.
There is need for wisdom to know when to forbear with a sinner, when to
punish or discipline a sinner, and when to forgive and restore a sinner.
Questions that you should be able to answer.
1. Specific facts you should know.
a. What is
a good definition of sin?
b. What
texts of Scripture define sin for us?
2. Issues that you should be able to discuss.
a. How is
sin defined outside the Christian faith?
b. How are
we convicted of sin?
c. In what
sense can we expect to control sinful behavior?
d. In what sense is sin something that we will
never be able to control in this life?
3. Issues that you should be wrestling with.
a. How is
sin to be understood in the context of genetic and environmental determinism?
b. How does
personality type effect our understanding of sin?
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