connecting

Why is Sin So Devastating?
Tough Questions Series
Phil Schaefer
11/01/09

 

Key Scripture: Romans 7:7-25

Introduction:
            There is something fundamentally wrong with the world, with others, and with myself. Christianity says this wrong is due to sin, and our problem with God, with Christianity, and with religion, is that we do not understand what sin truly is or fully is.
This is true for Christians and for those who are not Christians.
Most people see the concept of sin only in moral terms: lying, stealing, immorality, murder. (If I don’t do these, I’m o.k.) Some see sin in terms of social ills: gambling, drinking, movies, dancing, smoking, etc. Very few of us frame sin as the restriction on things that we want to do, and don’t think they are wrong if we do them: amassing wealth, appearing attractive, getting ahead, seeking pleasure, etc. We think, “That’s not sin.”
            The biblical concept of sin is so much greater, so much more devastating than we can even fathom. And, I believe, the biblical concept for sin is the best explanation for why things are the way they are, and ultimately why a right understanding of the concept of sin is the only means by which we can have hope. Sin is a wrecked relationship with God, with one another, and with the whole created order.

I.  Sin brought devastating cosmic consequences.

  • Scientific and pagan accounts of creation both essentially adhere to the idea that creation started from violence and chaos; the “Big Bang’ theory, or the gods were angry and in conflict. Based on this idea, creation is moving up to a state of order and improvement,
  • The contrast of the Christian view could not be greater; God created in goodness and order, and said, “It was all good.” (Genesis 1:31) The Christian account starts in good and speaks of a fall away from God.
  • What went wrong?
    • Rebellion, or disobedience, or the decision for self identity. (“You will be gods.” (Genesis 3:1-8)
    • Sin is the decision to serve ourselves instead of God. (I want my own identity!)
  • The Bible says that human beings, rather than evolving to something better, actually started in goodness, in innocence, with no sense of conflict, no sense of pain, no disorder. When mankind fell, the entire cosmos was set out of alignment. The existence of man is so significant that his rebellion and fall had cosmic consequences; it affected all of creation. Man and woman’s choice to be independent of God set the whole of creation under the consequences of that choice. Sin caused creation to be cursed.

      1. “Human beings are so integral to the fabric of things that when human beings turned from God, the entire warp and woof of the world unraveled. Disease, genetic disorders, famine, natural disasters, aging, death, oppression, wars, crime, violence, heat, cold, drought, poison ivy, chiggers, bad breath, dogs that stink; are all the consequences of sin.”   Keller- Reason for God, pg. 177 
    2. Romans 8:19-23 Paul says, “The entire of creation is now ‘in bondage to decay’ and ‘subject to futility’ and will not be put right until we are put right.”

II. Sin brought devastating social consequences.

  • Sin has set man against creation and creation against man. But also:
  • Sin has set man against man.
  • Sin has set family member against family member.
  • Sin has set nation against nation.
  • Sin has set race against race.
  • Sin has set ethnicity against ethnicity.
  • Sin has set tolerant people against intolerant people.
  • Sin makes moral people to feel superior to an immoral person,
  • When we get our identity, our sense of self-worth, from our family, or our nationality, or our race, or our class, or socio-economic status, or our religion, or our political party, or our education, or our career, or our gender, then we will inevitably put ourselves in opposition to those who are not of that group. Then we will feel morally superior, or intellectually, or culturally, or racially, or nationally superior.
  • The Bible reveals the devastating social consequences of sin in our relationships to one another. From Adam and Eve, to Cain and Abel, and to this present day; sin causes us to curse one another

III. Sin has brought devastating personal consequences.

  • Romans 7:7-25 (all)  Paul gives the most brilliant analysis of this, and if we are honest with ourselves, we will see ourselves in what he says.
  • When God gave the Ten Commandments, He wasn’t doing it to oppress us. When He said, “Don’t steal.” it’s not like He was commanding a bad thing. It is good not to steal, not to lie, not to murder. We have a hang-up with the Commandments of God, because “sin is living in me”
  • The first and second commandments say this, “Have no other Gods before me, and put no idol before me.”
    • We all have idols. Anything that we set our affection on, other than God, is an idol.
    • Tim Keller brilliantly diagnoses our problem by saying, “ All of us have the need for identity and for meaning. And an idol is anything we give 1st place to in our hearts, in order to find identity and fulfillment and happiness.”
    • Anything can become an idol, including good things: achievement, career choice, raising your children, a political cause, material possessions, power and influence, physical attractiveness. Romance, human approval, the love of our children, the love of another person- be it our spouse or someone else, financial security, even our moral correctness.
    • Sin is not simply doing bad things, it is putting even good things in the place of God.
  • God created us so that we might live in relationship, in fellowship, with Him.
    • He created us so that we might live with His good desires for us at the center of our lives. Sin is putting anything other than God in the center of our lives.
      • If you live for your career and you don’t go as far as you had dreamed, you will feel like a failure.
      • If you live for your children and they don’t grow up to become what you had dreamed, you can become bitter and resentful.
      • If you had always dreamed that you would find a husband, and find fulfillment, and he is far from fulfilling you, you will become wounded and hardhearted.
  • Every sin is rooted in inordinate desire for something, because we are trusting in     it for our satisfaction, our or joy, or our peace, or our salvation. Our idols will control us. Kierkegaard calls them the “god-substitutes.”
  • Philippians 3:4-7   Paul’s list of those things he put his confidence in: national pride, ethnic pride, moral pride, or zealous pride (I’m more diligent than you.)
  • There is a hole in our hearts that we try to fill with these other things. “God has made us for Himself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him.” St. Augustine

IV. God know our hearts.

  1. Everything that Jesus said and did was to show us that God knows the condition of our hearts.
    • He knows our inclination is for self-preservation.
    • He knows that we are hopelessly stuck in doing the thing we don’t want to do.
    • He knows that we are hopelessly inclined to centering our hearts on good things instead of on Him.
    • He knows that we are into comparisons- we think we are better than, or less than others.
  2. Romans 7:24-25  Paul cried out,” Who shall save me from this body of death?” And his resounding hope was, I thank God that Jesus Christ has made a way for me.”
  3. Jesus’ message, which is the gospel, is a completely different spirituality!
    • It is not religion vs. irreligion, or morality vs. immorality, or moralism vs. relativism, or conservatism vs. liberalism.
    • It is not something between two polar opposites. It is something else altogether.
    • It is:  everyone is wrong (in sin), everyone is loved (in Christ), and everyone is called to receive a new way of living through Him.
  4. When you center your life on Jesus:
    • When you fail Him, He will pick you up, and you will learn the grace of God. (You will learn to let Him pick you up.)
    • He will give you your true identity. (You belong to Him.)
    • He takes away the restlessness of your heart. (You find rest in Him.)
    • Your soul has cosmic significance. God works on our soul the whole of our life, through the Holy Spirit.  He wants to be the Lord, the center, of our lives.

“Jesus is the only Lord, who, if you receive Him, will fulfill you completely; and if you fail Him, will forgive you eternally.”

 

Discussion Questions:

How does the biblical concept of sin differ from what most people think of as sin? (see Gen. 3:1-6,  Rom. 7:8-11, 17-18) Why is it so critical to have a biblical concept of sin?

What are some of the devastating social consequences of sin that we see in our world today?

According to Romans 8:19-23, how will this cosmic corruption be healed?

Can you identify any good areas in your life (past or present) that could be considered idols because they take first place over Christ?

What is the main difference between Jesus (Christianity) and other religions (idols-gods), and their perspective on sin?