Sin & The Gospel - Genesis 3:1-24

This week we spent our time together looking deeply at the issue of sin and what place it has in the Gospel and story of redemption. We saw this week that we are not only sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. Our sin runs deep and wide, but God's grace runs deeper and wider still.

Where Does Sin Come From? Genesis 3:1-24

God is good, and only creates what’s good and does what’s good

God is a good God who gave Adam and Eve good things.

• Satan is is tempting them to believe that God is withholding from them because He’s not entirely good.
• Sin comes from unbelief – specifically unbelief in the character of God; unbelief in the goodness of God; that God is withholding something from you

Two Lies (Genesis 3:12-13; James 1:13-15)

• Someone Else is responsible for our sin
• God Himself is responsible for our sin

Why Do We Sin?

We are not just sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.

We could know what to do or not do, but we choose not to (Ignorance) (Ephesians 4:18)

The same words used for the word “Agnostic.” They could know God, but they choose not to, even though the say they “can’t” know Him.

We know what to do or not do, but we still do it (Willfulness) (1 Corinthians 6:9)

OT - (shagah) (ta’ah)

The same word used of drunken people stumbling around (Isaiah 28:7)

The idea here is that sin makes you look foolish, but you love it anyway

NT – (planomai)

The idea here is the cause behind the sin – being deceived

This idea here is being deceived by the intoxication of sin

We know what to do, or not do, but we don’t pay any attention to it (Inattention) (Hebrews 2:2-4)

(parakoe) – this is like selective hearing in the spiritual realm

How Do We Sin?

Three Broad Categories (1 John 2:15-17)

• Things That Feel Good Compared To God (Lust of the Flesh)
• Things That Look Good Compared to God (Lust of the Eyes)
• Things That Make Us Feel Like God (The Pride of Life)

Two Broad Categories:

• Sins of Commission – Doing what we know we ought not do
• Sins of Omission – Not doing what we know we ought to do

8 Specific Examples:

• Missing The Mark (chata; hamartano) (Judges 20:16)
  This is not just a mistake, but a voluntary mistake. We miss the right mark not because we weren’t not paying attention to it, but because we were too busy paying attention the wrong mark. The family of words that describe this idea of sin is by far the most frequently used in the Bible
• Irreverence (asebeo) – the negative form of “to worship” (Colossians 3:25)
  Not taking your time with God or God’s presence with you seriously
• Transgression (Romas 5:14)
  OT – (abar) – “to cross over the line” ; used 600 times
  NT – (parabaino)
  This is knowling crossing a line of sin, willfully, looking at Jesus as you’re willfully doing it
• Iniquity (‘awal) – to deviate from the right course; lack of integrity (Acts 8:22-23)
  Leviticus (Holiness vs Integrity)
• Rebellion (Ezekiel 2:3; Ephesins 2:1-2)
  OT – (pasha) (Ezekiel 2:3)
  NT – (apeitheo) (Ephesins 2:1-2)
  This is rebelling agaist God like a rebellious teenagers who does whatever they need to to declare their independence most clearly
• Treachery (Untrustworthiness) (Leviticus 26:40-42)
  OT – (ma’al) – unfaithfull; untrustworthy
  This is being a spiritual traitor to God
• Perversion (awah) – “to bend or twist” (Leviticus 20:12)
  There is a distortion or perversion of something good that God has made good. The person who sins this way not only twiste and distorts God’s goodness, but becomes twisted or distorted
• Abomination (to’ebah) (Deuteronomy 7:25-26)
  This term has specific reference to the affect of sin on God. The affect is usually that it makes God sick or nauseous; resulsive to Him

What Can I Do In Light of My Sin?

Nothing (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• The only thing you can do is Repent and Run to Jesus
• Continually Repent and Continually Run to Jesus

Temptation & The Gospel (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus was tempted in every way we were, but without sin

• Jesus was tempted to Miss The Mark
• Jesus was tempted toward Irreverence
• Jesus was tempted to Transgress
• Jesus was tempted toward Iniquity
• Jesus was tempted to Rebel
• Jesus was tempted to be Untrustworthy
• Jesus was tempted toward Perversion
• Jesus was tempted toward Abomination

Jesus never missed the mark, but the Father made Him as though He did on the cross…….and so on

How Should I Respond To The Reality of My Sin?

Two Kinds of Responses:

1. Rejection or Repentance (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2)
2. Resentment or Reassurance (Romans 5:12-21, 8:1-2; Hebrews 4:15-16)Numbering

Want to listen more?

If you want to listen more, take an hour to listen to this message on Sin by Mark Dirscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/doctrine/fall-god-judges

Want to read more?

Plantinga, Jr., Cornelius. Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995.

Blocher, Henri. Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999