This week is my last article on the results of sin. To conclude the series, I want to look at how sin results in the curses that we experience in this life.
The Bible plainly tells us that because of sin painful curses fall upon man as he lives in the world: ‘However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him’ (Deuteronomy 28:15-20). And that is only part of the passage. The rest of the chapter outlines in greater detail what horrible things occur to man because of his sin, such as wasting diseases, natural disasters, wars and failed marriages. It would be a healthy exercise to read the rest of Deuteronomy 28 to remind you of all the terrible things that occur in this world as a direct result of sin.
Now I must be careful to emphasise that whenever you see someone suffering you cannot draw a direct line to a particular sin that they have committed. Jesus demonstrates this when he encounters a blind man: ‘As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus’ (John 9:1-3). However, we can say that this man would not have been born blind if there was no sin in the world. The Biblical principle is that we only experience pain and suffering here because there is sin here.
So what can we to do to avoid these curses? The sad fact is that while we live in this sinful world we will still continue to feel the effects of our sin and the sin of others. But the great hope for the Christian is that he can one day be completely cured of sin and placed in an environment where there is no sin and thus no curses. That place is heaven.
So although we cannot avoid the curses now, we can avoid them for eternity by repenting and believing in Jesus for our sins. Will you be cursed for eternity? Or have you repented and believed?
Joel Radford.
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sin results in further sin
After a short break, we now return to our series on sin, particularly the results of sin. This week I want to look at how sin results in more sin.
When we sin, part of God’s punishment is to give us over to more and more sin. This is very clearly stated by Paul: ‘They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion’ (Romans 1:25-27). When you choose not to worship God, you are delivered into ever increasing amounts of sin. In the context of this particular passage, we see that rejection of God leads to shameful lusts which includes the sin of homosexuality.
Yet we don’t need the Bible to tell us that once we begin sinning our sin abounds. As a child, the first time you tell a major lie to your parents there is an intense feeling of guilt. This guilty feeling may continue in subsequent lies, but over time the guilt subsides and it becomes easier and easier to lie. The same thing occurs with any sins that you may struggle with: swearing, lustful looks, drunkenness, gambling, shoplifting, showing up late to work, being lazy, getting angry with your spouse. The first few times it is unpleasant and maybe difficult to commit the sin. But before long you are sinning without even thinking about it.
So how do you break the vicious evil cycle? For if your sinning increases from a few small sins, imagine the sin that will come from sin compounded upon sin! Thankfully Jesus gives us the answer. He recognises that everyone who sins will sin again and again because they are enslaved to it: ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’ (John 8:34). However Jesus then tells us that he can break the cycle: ‘So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’ (John 8:36). How does Jesus do it? He does it by his death on the cross – at the cross he was putting sin to death and if you trust his death and ask for his help he can help you put sin to death too.
Does your sin result in ever increasing sin? Or are you breaking the cycle because you are trusting in Christ?
Joel Radford
When we sin, part of God’s punishment is to give us over to more and more sin. This is very clearly stated by Paul: ‘They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion’ (Romans 1:25-27). When you choose not to worship God, you are delivered into ever increasing amounts of sin. In the context of this particular passage, we see that rejection of God leads to shameful lusts which includes the sin of homosexuality.
Yet we don’t need the Bible to tell us that once we begin sinning our sin abounds. As a child, the first time you tell a major lie to your parents there is an intense feeling of guilt. This guilty feeling may continue in subsequent lies, but over time the guilt subsides and it becomes easier and easier to lie. The same thing occurs with any sins that you may struggle with: swearing, lustful looks, drunkenness, gambling, shoplifting, showing up late to work, being lazy, getting angry with your spouse. The first few times it is unpleasant and maybe difficult to commit the sin. But before long you are sinning without even thinking about it.
So how do you break the vicious evil cycle? For if your sinning increases from a few small sins, imagine the sin that will come from sin compounded upon sin! Thankfully Jesus gives us the answer. He recognises that everyone who sins will sin again and again because they are enslaved to it: ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’ (John 8:34). However Jesus then tells us that he can break the cycle: ‘So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’ (John 8:36). How does Jesus do it? He does it by his death on the cross – at the cross he was putting sin to death and if you trust his death and ask for his help he can help you put sin to death too.
Does your sin result in ever increasing sin? Or are you breaking the cycle because you are trusting in Christ?
Joel Radford
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sin results in a guilty conscience
We have been looking at the results of sin and this week I want to look at how sin results in a guilty conscience.
Sinners feel the weight of their sin by their conscience. David gives us two examples. When he cuts off part of the robe of Saul (‘David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe’ 1 Samuel 24:4-5) and when he counts his soldiers (‘David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men’ 2 Samuel 24:10).
We also see that a guilty conscience is not a comfortable thing. David immediately desires to have it removed: ‘David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."’ 2 Samuel 24:10.
But do all sins result in a guilty conscience? It is true that many people do not feel guilty for different sins that they have committed when they should. This is because part of the punishment for their sins is that their consciences have been damaged. Paul describes this: ‘Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron’ (1 Timothy 4:2).
But usually we feel some guilt when we commit certain sins. Sometimes this feeling of guilt is overwhelming, like what David describes: ‘My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart’ (Psalm 38:4-8).
So what can remove our guilty consciences? Only the blood of Jesus: ‘How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!’ (Hebrews 9:14). By his death, Jesus paid for our sin so that God no longer considers us guilty. Those who trust in Jesus are not guilty.
Do you have a guilty conscience? Repent and believe in Christ to gain a clear conscience from sin.
Joel Radford
Sinners feel the weight of their sin by their conscience. David gives us two examples. When he cuts off part of the robe of Saul (‘David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe’ 1 Samuel 24:4-5) and when he counts his soldiers (‘David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men’ 2 Samuel 24:10).
We also see that a guilty conscience is not a comfortable thing. David immediately desires to have it removed: ‘David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."’ 2 Samuel 24:10.
But do all sins result in a guilty conscience? It is true that many people do not feel guilty for different sins that they have committed when they should. This is because part of the punishment for their sins is that their consciences have been damaged. Paul describes this: ‘Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron’ (1 Timothy 4:2).
But usually we feel some guilt when we commit certain sins. Sometimes this feeling of guilt is overwhelming, like what David describes: ‘My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart’ (Psalm 38:4-8).
So what can remove our guilty consciences? Only the blood of Jesus: ‘How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!’ (Hebrews 9:14). By his death, Jesus paid for our sin so that God no longer considers us guilty. Those who trust in Jesus are not guilty.
Do you have a guilty conscience? Repent and believe in Christ to gain a clear conscience from sin.
Joel Radford
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sin results in a depraved mind
We return this week to our series looking at the results of sin in man. Last time we saw that sin blinds the mind, this week I want to look at how sin results in a depraved mind.
When we sin, God gives us a depraved mind. Paul says: ‘Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done’ (Romans 1:28).
But what does it mean to have a depraved mind? The Greek word used in Romans 1:28 is the opposite of another Greek word that means to test something and find it passes. So the opposite of a passed test would mean a failed test. Thus a depraved mind is a failed mind. This is the sense in which the word is translated in 2 Corinthians 13:5. Another way of translating the word is by the word ‘unfit’, which is the sense in Titus 1:16 ‘They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.’
So if depraved means to be a failure and unfit, what does it mean to have a depraved mind? It means your mind doesn’t function the way it should. The mind is responsible for thinking and making decisions based on its reasoning through different outcomes. So if you have an unfit mind it means you cannot think clearly and cannot make right decisions.
Therefore it makes sense that a stupid mind would be the consequence of sin. Sin is a rejection of the knowledge of God as the one who is all-powerful and putting ourselves in charge instead. Such thinking is foolish. It demonstrates a clear inability to weigh up the consequences – if God is God, the last thing you want to do is cross him. So if you are going to make the dumbest decision in the world and reject God, your brain is obviously not working properly and you’re going to make more foolish decisions.
So how do we get a fit mind and start thinking clearly again? We need to accept the knowledge of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. He has revealed that if we accept him through repentance and faith we will begin thinking clearly and our minds will be renewed.
How is your mind? Is it depraved? A failure? Unfit? Or is it thinking clearly because it has accepted knowledge of God through Jesus Christ?
Joel Radford
When we sin, God gives us a depraved mind. Paul says: ‘Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done’ (Romans 1:28).
But what does it mean to have a depraved mind? The Greek word used in Romans 1:28 is the opposite of another Greek word that means to test something and find it passes. So the opposite of a passed test would mean a failed test. Thus a depraved mind is a failed mind. This is the sense in which the word is translated in 2 Corinthians 13:5. Another way of translating the word is by the word ‘unfit’, which is the sense in Titus 1:16 ‘They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.’
So if depraved means to be a failure and unfit, what does it mean to have a depraved mind? It means your mind doesn’t function the way it should. The mind is responsible for thinking and making decisions based on its reasoning through different outcomes. So if you have an unfit mind it means you cannot think clearly and cannot make right decisions.
Therefore it makes sense that a stupid mind would be the consequence of sin. Sin is a rejection of the knowledge of God as the one who is all-powerful and putting ourselves in charge instead. Such thinking is foolish. It demonstrates a clear inability to weigh up the consequences – if God is God, the last thing you want to do is cross him. So if you are going to make the dumbest decision in the world and reject God, your brain is obviously not working properly and you’re going to make more foolish decisions.
So how do we get a fit mind and start thinking clearly again? We need to accept the knowledge of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. He has revealed that if we accept him through repentance and faith we will begin thinking clearly and our minds will be renewed.
How is your mind? Is it depraved? A failure? Unfit? Or is it thinking clearly because it has accepted knowledge of God through Jesus Christ?
Joel Radford
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sin results in blindness
As we continue to look at the results of sin, this week I want to look at the spiritual blindness that sin produces.
We all know that physical blindness means being in darkness and so not being able to see where you are going, but the Bible also speaks of a spiritual blindness. People who sin show that they are blind and walking around in darkness: ‘Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed’ (John 3:20). This blindness means that they do not understand Jesus and his teachings. The apostle Paul says: ‘The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is as though sinful people have a physical barrier between them and Jesus. Therefore they cannot comprehend his warnings that the way they are going is straight to hell. So they blindly continue walking along the path that leads to their destruction.
How then does a sinful blind person begin to see clearly again? Well they need someone outside themselves to come and help them. Just as a physically blind person needs a doctor with vision to transplant functional eyes into their head, the spiritually blind need someone who has vision to come and give them sight. However that means no-one in the human race can help the spiritually blind, because everyone has sinned and is spiritually blind. No one can help themselves, let alone someone else.
But there was one person who never sinned and so was never blind – Jesus Christ. He is the eye doctor qualified to heal the blind and loves to do so: ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). If you come to Jesus and repent of your sins and ask him to cleanse you from your sins and blindness, he will.
Then those who follow Jesus can see and can actually be used by God to open other people’s eyes as well. Paul is told by Jesus that he is being sent to the Gentiles ‘to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light' (Acts 26:18). Christians point people to the great eye doctor and so are helping heal the blind when people respond to Jesus.
Are you still blinded by sin? Or have you had your eyes opened and now are being used by God to open the eyes of others?
Joel Radford
We all know that physical blindness means being in darkness and so not being able to see where you are going, but the Bible also speaks of a spiritual blindness. People who sin show that they are blind and walking around in darkness: ‘Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed’ (John 3:20). This blindness means that they do not understand Jesus and his teachings. The apostle Paul says: ‘The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is as though sinful people have a physical barrier between them and Jesus. Therefore they cannot comprehend his warnings that the way they are going is straight to hell. So they blindly continue walking along the path that leads to their destruction.
How then does a sinful blind person begin to see clearly again? Well they need someone outside themselves to come and help them. Just as a physically blind person needs a doctor with vision to transplant functional eyes into their head, the spiritually blind need someone who has vision to come and give them sight. However that means no-one in the human race can help the spiritually blind, because everyone has sinned and is spiritually blind. No one can help themselves, let alone someone else.
But there was one person who never sinned and so was never blind – Jesus Christ. He is the eye doctor qualified to heal the blind and loves to do so: ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). If you come to Jesus and repent of your sins and ask him to cleanse you from your sins and blindness, he will.
Then those who follow Jesus can see and can actually be used by God to open other people’s eyes as well. Paul is told by Jesus that he is being sent to the Gentiles ‘to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light' (Acts 26:18). Christians point people to the great eye doctor and so are helping heal the blind when people respond to Jesus.
Are you still blinded by sin? Or have you had your eyes opened and now are being used by God to open the eyes of others?
Joel Radford
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sin results in slavery to Satan
For the last two weeks we have seen that sin results in rejection from God and makes people objects of God’s wrath. This week I want to look at how sin results in slavery to Satan.
But firstly, who is Satan? The Bible tells us that Satan is known by a number of names including Abaddon, Apollyon, Beelzebub, Belial, the accuser, the ancient serpent, the angel of the abyss, the devil, the enemy, the evil one, the father of lies, the prince of demons, the prince of this world, the ruler of the kingdom of the air and the tempter. He is the fallen angel who was present in the garden of Eden and is still living and active today in the world: ‘Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). One of the most dangerous things that people can do is to disbelieve in Satan.
Yet the awful truth is that people who sin are slaves to this Satan. Sinful humans are spoken of in 2 Timothy 2:26 as being in ‘the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will’ (2 Timothy 2:26). The word ‘captive’ is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to those people who are taken alive by soldiers. This is what has happened to those who fall into sin, they are taken alive by Satan and then subject to him. The problem is that Satan is not a righteous and holy angel who treats his slaves well. He is out for their destruction and wants to kill them. Jesus tells us this: ‘He was a murderer from the beginning’ (John 8:44).
So what hope is there for people to stay out of Satan’s control? One possibility would be not to sin. But the problem is that everyone has sinned which means that everyone has fallen into Satan’s trap and is his slave. Another possibility is that Satan would set us free himself, but Jesus says that is not logical and it would mean the end of Satan: ‘If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?’ (Matthew 12:26). The only possibility is that someone comes and sets us free from him. Thankfully Jesus is the one who tied up Satan and sets people free when they believe in him and repent of their sins. Paul tells us this when he instructs Timothy to gently instruct unbelievers ‘in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil’ (2 Timothy 2:25-26).
Are you still enslaved to Satan or have you been set free by Christ through repentance and faith in him?
Joel Radford
But firstly, who is Satan? The Bible tells us that Satan is known by a number of names including Abaddon, Apollyon, Beelzebub, Belial, the accuser, the ancient serpent, the angel of the abyss, the devil, the enemy, the evil one, the father of lies, the prince of demons, the prince of this world, the ruler of the kingdom of the air and the tempter. He is the fallen angel who was present in the garden of Eden and is still living and active today in the world: ‘Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). One of the most dangerous things that people can do is to disbelieve in Satan.
Yet the awful truth is that people who sin are slaves to this Satan. Sinful humans are spoken of in 2 Timothy 2:26 as being in ‘the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will’ (2 Timothy 2:26). The word ‘captive’ is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to those people who are taken alive by soldiers. This is what has happened to those who fall into sin, they are taken alive by Satan and then subject to him. The problem is that Satan is not a righteous and holy angel who treats his slaves well. He is out for their destruction and wants to kill them. Jesus tells us this: ‘He was a murderer from the beginning’ (John 8:44).
So what hope is there for people to stay out of Satan’s control? One possibility would be not to sin. But the problem is that everyone has sinned which means that everyone has fallen into Satan’s trap and is his slave. Another possibility is that Satan would set us free himself, but Jesus says that is not logical and it would mean the end of Satan: ‘If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?’ (Matthew 12:26). The only possibility is that someone comes and sets us free from him. Thankfully Jesus is the one who tied up Satan and sets people free when they believe in him and repent of their sins. Paul tells us this when he instructs Timothy to gently instruct unbelievers ‘in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil’ (2 Timothy 2:25-26).
Are you still enslaved to Satan or have you been set free by Christ through repentance and faith in him?
Joel Radford
Last week we saw that our sin results in rejection by God. Now I want to look at how our sin results in the wrath of God.
Firstly, it is necessary to affirm that God is indeed wrathful. Some people would rather not believe that God is a wrathful God. But God is repeatedly spoken of in the Bible as a wrathful God. For example, Psalm 7:11 says that God is regularly wrathful: ‘God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.’
Secondly, we need to know what is wrath? It is a deliberate opposition to someone or something. This is not a friendly opposition, but an opposition that is associated with anger. We see this in God’s words in Ezekiel: ‘I will pour out my wrath upon you and breathe out my fiery anger against you’ (Ezekiel 21:31). But God’s wrath it is not an uncontrolled or irrational fury. God is a God of justice and so he does not flare up in unrighteous anger like humans do. When he opposes someone it is for good reason.
What, then, is the reason that God is wrathful with anyone? God is wrathful against those who show that they are against him by their sinful actions. As we have seen previously sin is a deliberate act of rebellion against God and so it is only natural that God would oppose such acts of rebellion. Thus sin makes people objects of God’s wrath. Paul affirms this: ‘All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath’ (Ephesians 2:3).
Therefore the wrath of God should be a very scary prospect to everyone as everyone is a sinner. It means the all powerful God has set his mind against you and is very angry. But thankfully God is willing to divert his wrath from sinners toward his Son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus hung on the cross he experienced the wrath of God. Jesus is therefore spoken of as the one ‘..who rescues us from the coming wrath’ (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
But did Jesus take the wrath of God for everyone? No. John tells us: ‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him’ (John 3:36). You need to accept Jesus as your saviour if you are to escape God’s wrath. Do you fear God’s wrath? Then accept Jesus as the sacrifice that absorbed the wrath of God for you. Do it now and flee the coming wrath of God against sinners. Joel Radford
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sin results in the wrath of God
Last week we saw that our sin results in rejection by God. Now I want to look at how our sin results in the wrath of God.
Firstly, it is necessary to affirm that God is indeed wrathful. Some people would rather not believe that God is a wrathful God. But God is repeatedly spoken of in the Bible as a wrathful God. For example, Psalm 7:11 says that God is regularly wrathful: ‘God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.’
Secondly, we need to know what is wrath? It is a deliberate opposition to someone or something. This is not a friendly opposition, but an opposition that is associated with anger. We see this in God’s words in Ezekiel: ‘I will pour out my wrath upon you and breathe out my fiery anger against you’ (Ezekiel 21:31). But God’s wrath it is not an uncontrolled or irrational fury. God is a God of justice and so he does not flare up in unrighteous anger like humans do. When he opposes someone it is for good reason.
What, then, is the reason that God is wrathful with anyone? God is wrathful against those who show that they are against him by their sinful actions. As we have seen previously sin is a deliberate act of rebellion against God and so it is only natural that God would oppose such acts of rebellion. Thus sin makes people objects of God’s wrath. Paul affirms this: ‘All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath’ (Ephesians 2:3).
Therefore the wrath of God should be a very scary prospect to everyone as everyone is a sinner. It means the all powerful God has set his mind against you and is very angry. But thankfully God is willing to divert his wrath from sinners toward his Son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus hung on the cross he experienced the wrath of God. Jesus is therefore spoken of as the one ‘..who rescues us from the coming wrath’ (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
But did Jesus take the wrath of God for everyone? No. John tells us: ‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him’ (John 3:36). You need to accept Jesus as your saviour if you are to escape God’s wrath. Do you fear God’s wrath? Then accept Jesus as the sacrifice that absorbed the wrath of God for you. Do it now and flee the coming wrath of God against sinners.
Joel Radford
Firstly, it is necessary to affirm that God is indeed wrathful. Some people would rather not believe that God is a wrathful God. But God is repeatedly spoken of in the Bible as a wrathful God. For example, Psalm 7:11 says that God is regularly wrathful: ‘God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.’
Secondly, we need to know what is wrath? It is a deliberate opposition to someone or something. This is not a friendly opposition, but an opposition that is associated with anger. We see this in God’s words in Ezekiel: ‘I will pour out my wrath upon you and breathe out my fiery anger against you’ (Ezekiel 21:31). But God’s wrath it is not an uncontrolled or irrational fury. God is a God of justice and so he does not flare up in unrighteous anger like humans do. When he opposes someone it is for good reason.
What, then, is the reason that God is wrathful with anyone? God is wrathful against those who show that they are against him by their sinful actions. As we have seen previously sin is a deliberate act of rebellion against God and so it is only natural that God would oppose such acts of rebellion. Thus sin makes people objects of God’s wrath. Paul affirms this: ‘All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath’ (Ephesians 2:3).
Therefore the wrath of God should be a very scary prospect to everyone as everyone is a sinner. It means the all powerful God has set his mind against you and is very angry. But thankfully God is willing to divert his wrath from sinners toward his Son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus hung on the cross he experienced the wrath of God. Jesus is therefore spoken of as the one ‘..who rescues us from the coming wrath’ (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
But did Jesus take the wrath of God for everyone? No. John tells us: ‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him’ (John 3:36). You need to accept Jesus as your saviour if you are to escape God’s wrath. Do you fear God’s wrath? Then accept Jesus as the sacrifice that absorbed the wrath of God for you. Do it now and flee the coming wrath of God against sinners.
Joel Radford
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sin results in rejection from God
Now that we have examined what sin is and where it came from, I want to spend a few weeks looking at the results of sin. This week I want to examine the most obvious one, sin results in rejection by God.
Sinners have always been rejected by God. Sin is simply incompatible with the holiness of God and so sinful man cannot stand in his presence. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned they were forced to leave the Garden of Eden and God’s presence: ‘So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life’ (Genesis 3:23-24). The Israelites later recognise this rejection when they ask the question: ‘Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?’ (1 Samuel 6:20).
Yet this rejection has not taken place completely. While we are sinners on earth we are not completely rejected by God. God continues to seek us and continues to give us blessings, such as sunshine and rain: ‘He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous’ (Matthew 5:45). But this won’t last forever. Eventually sinners will be completely rejected by God. This will take place on the coming day of judgement: ‘He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes…’ (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).
But if everyone is a sinner and is completely sinful with nothing good in them, how will anyone be able to experience acceptance by God? Surely everyone will be rejected? This is true. Except that God in his mercy sent his Son into the world to be rejected by God the Father at the cross as a ‘rejection substitute’ for those who believe. This means that those who put their faith in Jesus will never be rejected because Jesus was rejected on their behalf. On judgement day instead of being eternally rejected, they will be eternally accepted into the presence of God: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God’ (Revelation 21:3).
Are you a sinner rejected by God? Or are you a sinner who is accepted by God because of Christ?
Joel Radford
Sinners have always been rejected by God. Sin is simply incompatible with the holiness of God and so sinful man cannot stand in his presence. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned they were forced to leave the Garden of Eden and God’s presence: ‘So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life’ (Genesis 3:23-24). The Israelites later recognise this rejection when they ask the question: ‘Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?’ (1 Samuel 6:20).
Yet this rejection has not taken place completely. While we are sinners on earth we are not completely rejected by God. God continues to seek us and continues to give us blessings, such as sunshine and rain: ‘He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous’ (Matthew 5:45). But this won’t last forever. Eventually sinners will be completely rejected by God. This will take place on the coming day of judgement: ‘He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes…’ (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).
But if everyone is a sinner and is completely sinful with nothing good in them, how will anyone be able to experience acceptance by God? Surely everyone will be rejected? This is true. Except that God in his mercy sent his Son into the world to be rejected by God the Father at the cross as a ‘rejection substitute’ for those who believe. This means that those who put their faith in Jesus will never be rejected because Jesus was rejected on their behalf. On judgement day instead of being eternally rejected, they will be eternally accepted into the presence of God: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God’ (Revelation 21:3).
Are you a sinner rejected by God? Or are you a sinner who is accepted by God because of Christ?
Joel Radford
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Can sinners please God?
Most people recognise themselves as sinners. They admit they do some things that are morally wrong and acknowledge it with the saying ‘nobody’s perfect’. But can sinners do anything that pleases God?
The Bible tells us that no person by their own strength can do anything that pleases God. Without Christ everyone sins all the time and when they are not committing great sin, all they are doing is committing splendid sins. The apostle Paul tells us plainly: ‘Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God’ (Romans 8:8). Meanwhile in the Old Testament Isaiah said, ‘all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6).
But if you are a Christian, you are a sinner who can please God. Jesus says ‘If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). Once you become a Christian and are with Christ, you are able to bear good and pleasing fruit despite being a sinner.
Now this may sound harsh. I have friends who are not Christians but appear to be lovely people. They have a genuine interest in others and try to help those who are suffering. Does that mean that they are always sinning and never pleasing God. The Bible says, ‘Yes’. How is a non-Christian sinning when they are being kind to the poor or helping the sick? It is their motive that is the problem. They are doing it not to serve the God who made them, but to serve another god. That god may be themselves or it may be a particular charity organisation for which they do volunteer work. Yes, they might be doing something that is declared by Scripture to be a righteous thing, but their motivation is wrong and a bad motivation makes a righteous act unrighteous. Everything we do should glorify God, not someone or something else.
So if someone genuinely wants to please God, they need to start with faith in him and that means faith in Christ. If they don’t start there they won’t get anywhere. Hebrews tells us this: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6). First, believe in God through Jesus Christ. Only then can you begin to please him by your actions.
Do you please God because you are in Christ, or do you displease God because you are outside of Christ?
Joel Radford
The Bible tells us that no person by their own strength can do anything that pleases God. Without Christ everyone sins all the time and when they are not committing great sin, all they are doing is committing splendid sins. The apostle Paul tells us plainly: ‘Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God’ (Romans 8:8). Meanwhile in the Old Testament Isaiah said, ‘all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6).
But if you are a Christian, you are a sinner who can please God. Jesus says ‘If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). Once you become a Christian and are with Christ, you are able to bear good and pleasing fruit despite being a sinner.
Now this may sound harsh. I have friends who are not Christians but appear to be lovely people. They have a genuine interest in others and try to help those who are suffering. Does that mean that they are always sinning and never pleasing God. The Bible says, ‘Yes’. How is a non-Christian sinning when they are being kind to the poor or helping the sick? It is their motive that is the problem. They are doing it not to serve the God who made them, but to serve another god. That god may be themselves or it may be a particular charity organisation for which they do volunteer work. Yes, they might be doing something that is declared by Scripture to be a righteous thing, but their motivation is wrong and a bad motivation makes a righteous act unrighteous. Everything we do should glorify God, not someone or something else.
So if someone genuinely wants to please God, they need to start with faith in him and that means faith in Christ. If they don’t start there they won’t get anywhere. Hebrews tells us this: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6). First, believe in God through Jesus Christ. Only then can you begin to please him by your actions.
Do you please God because you are in Christ, or do you displease God because you are outside of Christ?
Joel Radford
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Is it only part of a person that is affected by sin?
As we continue on in our series on sin, I want to look at whether parts of a person are sinful and other parts are pure. For instance are your emotions sinful but your mind is not?
The Bible tells us that all of every person is totally affected by sin – intellect, emotion, will, even our physical bodies. This is because sin has corrupted the human heart as told to us in that memory verse that most of us learnt as children: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure’ (Jeremiah 17:9). But what does it matter that the heart is corrupted by sin? How does it affect everything else? Well God teaches us that the heart is the centre of the soul: ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life’ (Proverbs 4:23). So if the heart is corrupted everything else that is a part of you is also corrupted. Once the heart goes, everything else goes.
Jesus also confirms that the heart is ultimately responsible for the sin that man commits. One example is Luke 6:45: ‘The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks’. Another example is where Jesus lists actual sins as having their origin in the heart: ‘For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'’ (Matthew 15:19-20). This means you cannot blame your hand for hitting someone else or your mouth for gossiping. It is your heart and therefore every part of you that is responsible.
But if the heart is beyond cure (as Jeremiah 17:9 says) then what hope do we have for any part of us to be saved from sin and the punishment that we deserve? There is no hope. Unless we get a new heart that replaces our old sinful heart. Is it possible to get a new heart? Yes. God gives away sin-free hearts that then affect every part of you and you are actually able to do good rather than evil. God promises this in Ezekiel 36:26 ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh’. How do you signup for a new heart with the divine heart surgeon? Well he uses the surgical tools of repentance and faith. He promises that anyone who truly repents of their sin and trusts in Jesus’ death for them instantly has a brand new heart. Have you had heart surgery?
Joel Radford
The Bible tells us that all of every person is totally affected by sin – intellect, emotion, will, even our physical bodies. This is because sin has corrupted the human heart as told to us in that memory verse that most of us learnt as children: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure’ (Jeremiah 17:9). But what does it matter that the heart is corrupted by sin? How does it affect everything else? Well God teaches us that the heart is the centre of the soul: ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life’ (Proverbs 4:23). So if the heart is corrupted everything else that is a part of you is also corrupted. Once the heart goes, everything else goes.
Jesus also confirms that the heart is ultimately responsible for the sin that man commits. One example is Luke 6:45: ‘The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks’. Another example is where Jesus lists actual sins as having their origin in the heart: ‘For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'’ (Matthew 15:19-20). This means you cannot blame your hand for hitting someone else or your mouth for gossiping. It is your heart and therefore every part of you that is responsible.
But if the heart is beyond cure (as Jeremiah 17:9 says) then what hope do we have for any part of us to be saved from sin and the punishment that we deserve? There is no hope. Unless we get a new heart that replaces our old sinful heart. Is it possible to get a new heart? Yes. God gives away sin-free hearts that then affect every part of you and you are actually able to do good rather than evil. God promises this in Ezekiel 36:26 ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh’. How do you signup for a new heart with the divine heart surgeon? Well he uses the surgical tools of repentance and faith. He promises that anyone who truly repents of their sin and trusts in Jesus’ death for them instantly has a brand new heart. Have you had heart surgery?
Joel Radford
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Is sin black, white or grey?
As we continue looking at sin, I want to examine the idea that there is no right or wrong. There is a popular assent to this notion and instead of talking about black and white behaviour, all behaviour is classified as grey.
However despite it’s public approval, the Bible does not allow a grey category in the contrast between good and evil. Either you are with God who is good, or you are with Satan who is bad. Jesus teaches us this when he says: ‘Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven’ (Matthew 10:32-33). For God, there are only people who acknowledge Jesus or disown him. Another way Jesus makes the same point is by saying: ‘He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters’ (Luke 11:23). You are either with the good or you are with the bad. You are either sinning or not sinning. Fence sitting is not permitted.
Now this is not to suggest that there aren’t degrees of evil and good. Some sins are clearly worse than others. Ezekiel tells us this: ‘And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing--the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable”’ (Ezekiel 8:6). What is an example of a worse sin? Jesus says worse punishment will be given to those who do not believe his disciples (and him) than those who committed all kinds of evil in the ancient city of Sodom: ‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town’ (Matthew 10:14-15). But even though some sins are worse, all sin is categorically black and against God.
Now this is scary because when we look at our lives we know we are all automatically in the black category as we have all sinned and rebelled against God. So how do you get into the white category? Thankfully God allows us to be white if we repent of our sins and believe in Christ’s death for the payment of our sins. Jesus takes the punishment for our blackness and his whiteness is given to us when we repent and believe.
So what about you? Are you black or are you white? Or do you pretend that God allows grey?
Joel Radford
However despite it’s public approval, the Bible does not allow a grey category in the contrast between good and evil. Either you are with God who is good, or you are with Satan who is bad. Jesus teaches us this when he says: ‘Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven’ (Matthew 10:32-33). For God, there are only people who acknowledge Jesus or disown him. Another way Jesus makes the same point is by saying: ‘He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters’ (Luke 11:23). You are either with the good or you are with the bad. You are either sinning or not sinning. Fence sitting is not permitted.
Now this is not to suggest that there aren’t degrees of evil and good. Some sins are clearly worse than others. Ezekiel tells us this: ‘And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing--the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable”’ (Ezekiel 8:6). What is an example of a worse sin? Jesus says worse punishment will be given to those who do not believe his disciples (and him) than those who committed all kinds of evil in the ancient city of Sodom: ‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town’ (Matthew 10:14-15). But even though some sins are worse, all sin is categorically black and against God.
Now this is scary because when we look at our lives we know we are all automatically in the black category as we have all sinned and rebelled against God. So how do you get into the white category? Thankfully God allows us to be white if we repent of our sins and believe in Christ’s death for the payment of our sins. Jesus takes the punishment for our blackness and his whiteness is given to us when we repent and believe.
So what about you? Are you black or are you white? Or do you pretend that God allows grey?
Joel Radford
Sunday, February 7, 2010
What is sin?
As we continue our series on sin, I want to answer the question, ‘What exactly is sin?’
The best definition of sin is lawlessness. This definition is given to us in 1 John 3:4: ‘Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.’ This definition matches up with the many words that describe sin in both the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek. One word speaks of sin as an act that misses its mark – it is like you shooting an arrow at a bullseye and missing. The bullseye is the law and you don’t hit it. Another word for sin indicates a crossing of set boundaries – it is like you are on a path, which is the law, and then you walk off it. Other examples are words in the Bible that describe sin as a deviation, injustice, disobedience, violation, apostasy, guilt, falseness, folly, evil, unfaithfulness, betrayal, nothingness, deviant, rebellion, twistedness and wrongness. Basically sin is described in the Bible as something totally appalling, never something that even comes close to being positive.
It must also be remembered that sin can be unintentional as well as intentional. Yes, many sins are deliberately committed when people step away from God’s law and know that they are doing wrong. But the Bible speaks also of unintentional sin: ‘Now if you unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the LORD gave Moses-- any of the LORD's commands to you through him, from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come – and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering’ (Numbers 15:22-24). This means that often you are unaware that you are sinning and breaking God’s laws. Yet God is clear that you are accountable for the sin even if don’t know about it. Have you considered how pervasive sin is in you? You can’t even know how much sin you have actually committed!
But thankfully God forgives our intentional and unintentional sins against him if we offer the right sacrifice. In the Old Testament it was to offer the sacrifices as taught by Moses. But these sacrifices pointed to the only sacrifice that can take away sin from humans, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Do you want to offer a sacrifice for your lawlessness against God. Then offer Jesus Christ. You do that by repenting to God of your sin and trusting that Jesus’ death was for you.
Joel Radford
The best definition of sin is lawlessness. This definition is given to us in 1 John 3:4: ‘Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.’ This definition matches up with the many words that describe sin in both the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek. One word speaks of sin as an act that misses its mark – it is like you shooting an arrow at a bullseye and missing. The bullseye is the law and you don’t hit it. Another word for sin indicates a crossing of set boundaries – it is like you are on a path, which is the law, and then you walk off it. Other examples are words in the Bible that describe sin as a deviation, injustice, disobedience, violation, apostasy, guilt, falseness, folly, evil, unfaithfulness, betrayal, nothingness, deviant, rebellion, twistedness and wrongness. Basically sin is described in the Bible as something totally appalling, never something that even comes close to being positive.
It must also be remembered that sin can be unintentional as well as intentional. Yes, many sins are deliberately committed when people step away from God’s law and know that they are doing wrong. But the Bible speaks also of unintentional sin: ‘Now if you unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the LORD gave Moses-- any of the LORD's commands to you through him, from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come – and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering’ (Numbers 15:22-24). This means that often you are unaware that you are sinning and breaking God’s laws. Yet God is clear that you are accountable for the sin even if don’t know about it. Have you considered how pervasive sin is in you? You can’t even know how much sin you have actually committed!
But thankfully God forgives our intentional and unintentional sins against him if we offer the right sacrifice. In the Old Testament it was to offer the sacrifices as taught by Moses. But these sacrifices pointed to the only sacrifice that can take away sin from humans, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Do you want to offer a sacrifice for your lawlessness against God. Then offer Jesus Christ. You do that by repenting to God of your sin and trusting that Jesus’ death was for you.
Joel Radford
Sunday, January 24, 2010
What is the origin of sin in man?
For the last two weeks we have been looking at the origin of sin. We have seen that sin did not originate with God and that the first sin was in the angelic world. But when did sin begin to occur in man?
The Bible tells us that the origin of sin began with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. If we understand ‘sin is lawlessness’ (1 John 3:4) then we see the first sin was breaking the command that God gave Adam and Eve: ‘And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die"’ (Genesis 2:16-17). By breaking this command Adam and Eve were exhibiting the essence of sin – they were placing themselves in opposition to God. Rather than allowing God to determine what is right and wrong, they chose to ignore him and do what they thought was right.
Once this first sin occurred, not only Adam and Eve fell into sin, the entire human race became sinful. The apostle Paul teaches this: ‘…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned’ (Romans 5:12). On that day in the garden, every single person ever to be born inherited a depraved human nature from Adam and Eve. This means that everyone has a permanent pollution of sin in everything that they do and that everyone has the guilt of sin and will be eternally punished.
But thankfully, although all humans are sinful from birth, they do not need to die with a complete pollution of sin and the guilt of sin. Paul also teaches: ‘…just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous’ (Romans 5:18-19). Just as we inherited sin from one man, Adam, we can inherit freedom from sin through one man, Jesus Christ. We will be counted as righteous and freed from the guilt of sin and its punishment.
Does inheritance from Christ happen as automatically as the inheritance of sin did from Adam? No. You have to ask Christ to make it happen. You do that by repenting of your sin to him and trusting in his death on the cross for yourself. I know you have an inheritance from Adam, but do you have an inheritance from Christ? I pray that you do.
Joel Radford
Does inheritance from Christ happen as automatically as the inheritance of sin did from Adam? No. You have to ask Christ to make it happen. You do that by repenting of your sin to him and trusting in his death on the cross for yourself. I know you have an inheritance from Adam, but do you have an inheritance from Christ? I pray that you do. Joel Radford
The Bible tells us that the origin of sin began with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. If we understand ‘sin is lawlessness’ (1 John 3:4) then we see the first sin was breaking the command that God gave Adam and Eve: ‘And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die"’ (Genesis 2:16-17). By breaking this command Adam and Eve were exhibiting the essence of sin – they were placing themselves in opposition to God. Rather than allowing God to determine what is right and wrong, they chose to ignore him and do what they thought was right.
Once this first sin occurred, not only Adam and Eve fell into sin, the entire human race became sinful. The apostle Paul teaches this: ‘…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned’ (Romans 5:12). On that day in the garden, every single person ever to be born inherited a depraved human nature from Adam and Eve. This means that everyone has a permanent pollution of sin in everything that they do and that everyone has the guilt of sin and will be eternally punished.
But thankfully, although all humans are sinful from birth, they do not need to die with a complete pollution of sin and the guilt of sin. Paul also teaches: ‘…just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous’ (Romans 5:18-19). Just as we inherited sin from one man, Adam, we can inherit freedom from sin through one man, Jesus Christ. We will be counted as righteous and freed from the guilt of sin and its punishment.
Does inheritance from Christ happen as automatically as the inheritance of sin did from Adam? No. You have to ask Christ to make it happen. You do that by repenting of your sin to him and trusting in his death on the cross for yourself. I know you have an inheritance from Adam, but do you have an inheritance from Christ? I pray that you do.
Joel Radford
For the last two weeks we have been looking at the origin of sin. We have seen that sin did not originate with God and that the first sin was in the angelic world. But when did sin begin to occur in man?
The Bible tells us that the origin of sin began with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. If we understand ‘sin is lawlessness’ (1 John 3:4) then we see the first sin was breaking the command that God gave Adam and Eve: ‘And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die"’ (Genesis 2:16-17). By breaking this command Adam and Eve were exhibiting the essence of sin – they were placing themselves in opposition to God. Rather than allowing God to determine what is right and wrong, they chose to ignore him and do what they thought was right.
Once this first sin occurred, not only Adam and Eve fell into sin, the entire human race became sinful. The apostle Paul teaches this: ‘…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned’ (Romans 5:12). On that day in the garden, every single person ever to be born inherited a depraved human nature from Adam and Eve. This means that everyone has a permanent pollution of sin in everything that they do and that everyone has the guilt of sin and will be eternally punished.
But thankfully, although all humans are sinful from birth, they do not need to die with a complete pollution of sin and the guilt of sin. Paul also teaches: ‘…just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous’ (Romans 5:18-19). Just as we inherited sin from one man, Adam, we can inherit freedom from sin through one man, Jesus Christ. We will be counted as righteous and freed from the guilt of sin and its punishment.
Does inheritance from Christ happen as automatically as the inheritance of sin did from Adam? No. You have to ask Christ to make it happen. You do that by repenting of your sin to him and trusting in his death on the cross for yourself. I know you have an inheritance from Adam, but do you have an inheritance from Christ? I pray that you do. Joel Radford
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Is sin’s origin only with man?
In the last bulletin article I began discussing the origin of sin. We saw that the Bible clearly exonerates God from being the author of sin. But does that mean that sin originated only with man? No the Bible teaches us that we must go back before the sin of Adam and Eve to find the origin.
The place where sin first appeared was in the angelic world. God created angels and we know that these angels were all created good because when God surveyed all that he made he declared it very good: ‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day’ (Genesis 1:31). But at some point after this declaration and before Adam and Eve sinned, there was a fall in the angelic world and legions of angels fell away from God.
Very little is said about this fall in the Bible, but there appears to be some evidence that it concerned the sin of pride, desiring to be like God in power and authority. This comes from Paul saying that an overseer ‘must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil’ (1 Timothy 3:6). Jude would also appear to corroborate this when he says: ‘And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home’ (Jude 1:6). There is also the possibility that the prophecy against the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14 speaks of Satan and his fall due to pride: ‘How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’ (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Yet these angels did not go unpunished. Peter tells us: ‘…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment’ (2 Peter 2:4).
Therefore, sin originated in the angelic world meaning humans weren’t the first to sin. However this does not relieve humans of the responsibility for their sin. Just because it didn’t start with us, doesn’t mean that we can blame the angels. We have all sinned and we all deserve to be punished. The only way that the Bible allows for us to escape that punishment is to repent and believe in Jesus’ death for us. If you haven’t done that, let me encourage you to do it now.
Joel Radford
The place where sin first appeared was in the angelic world. God created angels and we know that these angels were all created good because when God surveyed all that he made he declared it very good: ‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day’ (Genesis 1:31). But at some point after this declaration and before Adam and Eve sinned, there was a fall in the angelic world and legions of angels fell away from God.
Very little is said about this fall in the Bible, but there appears to be some evidence that it concerned the sin of pride, desiring to be like God in power and authority. This comes from Paul saying that an overseer ‘must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil’ (1 Timothy 3:6). Jude would also appear to corroborate this when he says: ‘And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home’ (Jude 1:6). There is also the possibility that the prophecy against the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14 speaks of Satan and his fall due to pride: ‘How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’ (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Yet these angels did not go unpunished. Peter tells us: ‘…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment’ (2 Peter 2:4).
Therefore, sin originated in the angelic world meaning humans weren’t the first to sin. However this does not relieve humans of the responsibility for their sin. Just because it didn’t start with us, doesn’t mean that we can blame the angels. We have all sinned and we all deserve to be punished. The only way that the Bible allows for us to escape that punishment is to repent and believe in Jesus’ death for us. If you haven’t done that, let me encourage you to do it now.
Joel Radford
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Is God the origin of sin?
To begin the new year, I want to spend a number of weeks looking at the doctrine of sin. Sin may not be a ‘politically correct’ subject in our culture, but as Christians we are called to be ‘Biblically correct’ and the Bible has quite a lot to say about sin. This week we’ll start looking at the origin of sin by answering the following question: ‘Is God the origin of sin?’
Now some of you may immediately ask, ‘How could you claim God is the origin of sin? Surely no-one believes that!’ But some claim that God logically must be the origin of sin because he is in control of all things.
However, thinking that God is the origin of sin is clearly refuted by the Bible. Revelation teaches us that there has never been a time when God has been and never will be unholy: ‘Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."’ (Revelation 4:8). The Psalms also repeatedly teach that God has no sin in him: ‘The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’ (Psalm 92:16). Furthermore, God hates sin even when it is being done by others: ‘You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil’ (Psalm 5:4).
But does this then mean that there is an evil god that is similar or equal to God who created sin in the world? No, there is no other god. God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to show them this truth: ‘You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.’ (Deuteronomy 4:35). God confirms it again through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ (Isaiah 44:8).
Therefore despite what human logic may wish to say, the Bible affirms God’s sovereignty while condemning the notion that God is the origin of sin. Somehow God is able to be in sovereign control and allow sin to be present without being responsible for it. How? Scripture doesn’t really tell us. This sounds hard but it makes sense that a created human would not know how a great God can do everything he does. Somehow God can make the two truths fit and all we can do is trust his word. Either you trust human reason or you trust the Bible which is shown to be divinely reliable in so many areas. Which do you choose?
Joel Radford
Now some of you may immediately ask, ‘How could you claim God is the origin of sin? Surely no-one believes that!’ But some claim that God logically must be the origin of sin because he is in control of all things.
However, thinking that God is the origin of sin is clearly refuted by the Bible. Revelation teaches us that there has never been a time when God has been and never will be unholy: ‘Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."’ (Revelation 4:8). The Psalms also repeatedly teach that God has no sin in him: ‘The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’ (Psalm 92:16). Furthermore, God hates sin even when it is being done by others: ‘You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil’ (Psalm 5:4).
But does this then mean that there is an evil god that is similar or equal to God who created sin in the world? No, there is no other god. God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to show them this truth: ‘You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.’ (Deuteronomy 4:35). God confirms it again through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ (Isaiah 44:8).
Therefore despite what human logic may wish to say, the Bible affirms God’s sovereignty while condemning the notion that God is the origin of sin. Somehow God is able to be in sovereign control and allow sin to be present without being responsible for it. How? Scripture doesn’t really tell us. This sounds hard but it makes sense that a created human would not know how a great God can do everything he does. Somehow God can make the two truths fit and all we can do is trust his word. Either you trust human reason or you trust the Bible which is shown to be divinely reliable in so many areas. Which do you choose?
Joel Radford
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