My notes for Wednesday night, Oct 11th. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. Our study over the next few months will be “The Roots of the Faith.” This study will focus on key biblical truths that will transform our thinking and allow us to faithfully live out the Christian life. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.
Resources for this Study
50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith – Gregg R. Allision
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine – Wayne Grudem
Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth – John MacArthur & Richard Mayhue
Basic Christian Doctrines – Curt Daniel
SIN
Definition: Sin is any lack of conformity to the moral law of God. Original sin is the state of all human beings at birth, and it includes their sin nature, which is the root of all actual sins that violate God’s law.
The doctrine of sin is presented in Scripture from Genesis 3 through Revelation 19 and is experienced in every realm of the creation—human, angelic, and natural. The pervasiveness and perversity of sin manifest themselves in various ways: disobedience, any noncompliance with God’s will; faithlessness, the lack of trust in God and his provision; abomination, any heinous crime that is particularly reprehensible to God; transgression, a violation of a divine commandment or prohibition; autonomy, or setting up oneself rather than God as the ultimate authority; missing the mark (the most common notion of sin in the New Testament), or intentionally aiming away from the target so as to miss it; pride, or thinking more highly of oneself than one ought to think; rebellion, a revolt against God’s design; indifference, or apathy toward God; injustice, any unfairness or discrimination by which others are not given the respect and treatment they are due; hopelessness, the premature abandonment of trust in God and his promises.
Generally speaking, sin is any lack of conformity to the moral law of God. Such nonconformity applies to one’s (1) being: the sin nature, or tendency to sin; (2) actions: evil deeds like idolatry and murder; (3) attitudes: wrong mind-sets like envy and pride; (4) words: inappropriate communications like gossip and slander; and (5) motivations: disoriented purposes like self-glorification and people-pleasing. As sovereign and holy, God establishes the moral law as a reflection of his righteous nature, and sin is any violation of this law. For example, God always speaks the truth, so lying, which is against his nature, is prohibited, yet people lie and thus sin.[1]
Understanding Sin
By: Dr. Stuart Scott
Sin began with Satan in heaven
- Gen. 3:1–15; Isa. 14:12; Luke 10:18; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6
Sin on earth began with Adam and has been passed to all mankind
- Gen. 2:17–18; 3:1– 7; Rom. 3:23; 5:12, 18
We are responsible individually for choosing to sin
- Eccl. 7:20; Isa. 53:6; Ezek. 18:2, 20; Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:10; Eph. 2:1–3
Sin separates
- Gen. 3:8–24; Isa. 53:6a; 59:2; Titus 3:3
God’s wrath is upon all mankind
- Ps. 5:4; Prov. 15:8–9; John 3:36; Rom. 1:18
Death, judgment, and hell are the results of our sin
- Ex. 34:6–7; Ps. 7:11; Matt. 10:28; 13:38–42, 49–50; 25:31–46; Acts 17:30; Rom. 6:23; Gal. 3:10; 1 Thess. 1:10; Heb. 9:27; 10:26–27; Rev. 20:11–15
Mankind has been totally depraved since the fall of Adam
Jer. 17:9–10; Rom. 3:10–18; Eph. 2:1–3; 4:17–19; Titus 3:3
The consequences of sin impact all relationships and realities. As all sin is ultimately against God, it alienates from him, produces enmity with him, and brings guilt before him. Its impact on oneself is seen in self-centeredness, self-deception, and enslavement to sin. In regard to others, sin breaks relationships, brings shame, fosters competition rather than cooperation, and destroys empathy for others. Sin’s impact on the creation is seen in hardship in work, natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis, human sickness, and genetic problems. Sin is a very serious matter, with devastating consequences.[2]
[1] Gregg R. Allison, 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018), 137–138.
[2] Gregg R. Allison, 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018), 139.