What is the Gospel?

 
Part 2: MAN – the sinner

Last week we looked at the first in our 4 part understanding of the Good news
of the gospel, that is GOD, the Creator, the Holy and Righteous One!

The implications of this – quite simply we are accountable to Him.

Yet, The world we live in is sick. There is a problem. The Good news is –
there is a diagnosis, the Bible says its Manʼs sin – Man is a sinner.

1. What is the definition of Sin

Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or
nature.

Its not just a matter of doing a wrong thing, its even thinking the wrong thing,
or having a wrong attitude within your, your very nature is in contrast to God –
To reject His moral law, is to reject the One it comes from. God takes offence
personally – it is always directed straight at the character of God personally!

2. What is the Origin of Sin? (Genesis 3)

God says “Do not…” (Big YES, small no) Satan brings God to the test in our
own minds to draw us away from Him - with these 3 Questions:

1. “What is true?” Satan brings Eve to doubt the Word of God as true.
2. “What is right?” God had determined the moral standard, what was
right for Adam & Eve by telling them not to eat of the tree.
3. “Who are you?” God gave true identity; all dependence, purpose,
service, significance, happiness came directly from Him.

Eveʼs sin is a sin of Commission – she does what she should not do. Doubts,
makes her own judgment about right & tries to be like God.
Adamʼs sin is two fold, Omission, meaning – he does not do what he should
do, i.e. uphold and protect his family then also Commission by eating.

3. Not only them, but also us!

a. We Inherit guilt: We are counted guilty because of Adamʼs sin.

Romans 5:12, 18 & 19
Adam, as the legal first representative of the human race passes on
to us his guilt before God, thus we are born into a state of guilt. God
counts all men as having sinned. Adamʼs guilt is imputed to us.

b. We inherit corruption: We have a sinful nature because of

Adams sin. Psalm 51:5. David looks back over his life and
concludes: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my
mother conceive me.”

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 What is the Gospel?
 
We have a natural tendency to sin ourselves. Simply put – we are
each sinners by both nature and choice! Itʼs not just committing sins
that are the problem, its sin itself. Matt: 15: 17 – 20. It manifests in
actions – the fruit of who we are before God. Romans 3:10 – 12

Through law comes the knowledge of sin – it exposes us, eg: “You
shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20) What is at the
center of your heart? Your function, a person, yourself, God? Your
own standard? – you would have stilled failed to reach it – your
conscience condemning you!

c. We are unable to save ourselves

All our motives, words, deeds & thoughts are affected by sin. Total
depravity – not utterly depraved – meaning we are not as evil as we
could be – Godʼs common grace keeps us from this. Weʼre totally
pervaded (Spread throughout) and even the good things we do are
counted as filthy rags before God.

We are all sinners, no-one is righteous and all fall far short of the glory of
God is scandalous and revolting news.

It must be so – many have tried to water it down. For example:

• Itʼs not merely a matter of having a greater purpose. Purposelessness
is not the main thing God is saving us from!
• Itʼs not merely a matter of wonderful restored relationship with your
Friend who really loves you. We are saved from the treacherous,
rebellious treason of rejecting His kingship or Lordship.
• Itʼs not merely a matter of negative thinking. To not tell people about
their inward state of sin before the Lord and lie to them about just
changing their minds is a serious distraction.
• Itʼs not a matter of making a few mistakes. Our mistakes are sins that
flow out of our human state of sin and by nature we are children of
wrath until we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

4. What are the consequences of Sin

a. Judgment has come upon us, which includes,

b. Alienation from God and from other people
c. Creation is under a curse
d. Pain in childbirth & wives desire to usurp their husbandʼs
leadership.
e. Men will work the soil by the sweat of the brow
f. Sickness, aging and death surround us.
g. Hostile weather, earthquakes, and tornadoes…
h. The more we sin, the more we are enslaved to it!
i. Identity in function becomes the source of achievement and
satisfaction yet never satisfies.
j. People turn to good things and make them ultimate things.

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 What is the Gospel?
 
Finally, God as Holy and Righteous Creator, will have dealt with:

• The Penalty of Sin for those who believe paid for by Jesus
• The Power of Sin is overcome by Jesus for all those who repent
• The Presence of Sin, utterly dispelled like darkness before the dawning
of the coming of Jesus Christ – the Light of the World, our hope.

But we must end off with the most frightening part of the bad news:

5. Godʼs active judgment against sin.

Romans 6:23 says that the “wages of sin is death”, not just physical death,
but also spiritual death of forceful separation from the presence of a Holy God!
Isaiah 59:2 says: but your iniquities have made a separation between you
and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does
not hear.

Godʼs active judgment will be dreadful on the Day of Judgment. Revelation

16 speaks of the judgment of God, 7 bowls of wrath poured out on the
unrepentant. And the final destiny of the unrepentant is a place of eternal,
conscious torment of unquenchable fire called “hell”.

As if Good News were softening the reality of Hell. Itʼs not just a deterrent or
warning for us, the primary reason is that Godʼs righteousness demands
judgment.

If we love people, by the power and love of the Holy Spirit, naturally and
sincerely tell them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who
restores us to a Loving and Holy God by saving us from the Bad News: sin,
death and Satan and Godʼs wrath to come. They need simply believe in Jesus
and repent of living apart from God.

So God is Holy, we are sinners and are accountable to Him; the exposure of
sin has only one purpose – to convince us of our need of Jesus Christ… Next
week we focus on the life, death and work of Jesus Christ – the Saviour!1

                                                                                                               
1  Books  that  are  a  great  resource  during  this  series:  “What  is  the  Gospel”  by  G  Gilbert,  

“Basic  Christianity”  by  J  Stott,  “The  Reason  for  God”  by  T  Keller,  “God  is  the  Gospel”  by  J  
Piper,  “Systematic  Theology”  by  W  Grudem,  “Doctrine”  by  M  Driscoll  &  G  Breshears  and  
of  course  ESV  Study  Bible.  Please  see  our  book  table  for  sale  of  these  &  others.  

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 What is the Gospel?
 
Some questions for use in devotions and in life groups to stimulate
understanding and especially for us to see our greatest need:

Is there a problem in the world?

What is the problem?

What is sin?

Why is sin not just broken relationship with God?

Why is sin not just negative thinking?

What is the difference between sins and sin?

Where do sinful words and actions come from?

What is the source of sin?

Who is responsible?

Why is bad to make that which is good into that which is ultimate?

What does sin do to God, creation and mankind?

What does God do about sin?

What does the Bible say about hell?

Where is the good news in all of this?

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