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Man’s Sinfulness • 12.14.25
Man’s Sinfulness
Genesis 3; Romans 1:18-23
How does man’s sinfulness fit into the gospel?
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! (Welcome guests + introduce self)
Give thanks for the hope and peace that we have through the Son of God coming down and dwelling amongst us.
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Genesis 3; page 3)
Today we are continuing our series The Beautiful Gospel as we prepare to celebrate the incarnation of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Last week we studied God’s holiness and answered the question “How does God’s holiness fit into the gospel?” I hope you were able to have some sweet discussions in your homes and small groups around this matter. I know our family and small group appreciated the reminder that God’s holiness is the standard we’ve been called to and the driver of God’s plan of redemption. If you missed out on that sermon, I would encourage you to go back and listen to it this week. Each of these messages is interconnected.
4 Essential Components of the Gospel:
Today we are moving on to another essential component of the Gospel message - Man’s Sinfulness. This topic might seem like one that I need not prepare for… after all I have 40 years of lived experience in this area. You could call me a subject matter expert… 😊
In reality, mere lived experience as sinners in a broken world is not enough for understanding and answering the question “How does man’s sinfulness fit into the gospel?” We are not gathered today to hear man’s opinion about this very important matter! We want to know what the God of truth says. Which is why we study his word week after week.
Let’s begin by defining our terms. What is sin and what is the gospel?
As we heard last week, the word gospel means the good news, specifically the good news of Jesus Christ for salvation from our sins and peace with God.
The word translated sin means missing the mark. It communicates that God has a standard of perfect holiness and we do not meet that standard. However, sin goes much deeper than this, as we will hear in our study today. So, we’ll continue to flesh out our definition and understanding of sin as we go.
If I may say a word about this particular topic… Some of you may groan or grumble when you hear what we are talking about. “I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m a sinner. I already know that.” Or “Wow, I can’t believe he’s calling ME a sinner! Who does he think he is?” Or “Seriously, you’re going to talk about sin in a Christmas sermon series!?” Many people think of talking about sin as purely a negative topic or perhaps only want to think of it as something the gospel resolves. But the Scriptures reveal that understanding sin is essential to understanding the beauty and power of the gospel. If you want to understand why the arrival of the Son of God as a baby boy was “good news of great joy for all the people” as the angels declared, then you must understand the significance of our sin problem.
Or to put it another way – you won’t understand the glorious beauty of the good news unless you first grasp the utter darkness of the bad news. So, let’s seek to understand the bad news, that we may rejoice in the good news that follows!
We must begin at Genesis 3. This takes place after God had made Adam and Eve in his image and placed them in the garden to care for and cultivate it. Genesis 2 had just closed with the uniting of Adam and Eve as husband and wife. Up to this point in history, the man and the woman were living together in perfect unity, enjoying walking in the presence of their Creator, and exploring the wonderful creation God had made.
Unfortunately, Genesis 3 introduces a new party to the Garden of Eden and things quickly take a turn for the worse. Here is what God’s Word says.
Genesis 3:1–24 (ESV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
What we’ve just read is a fateful recounting of the fall of humanity into sin. It is likely a recounting many of us are familiar with and yet we should never become so comfortable with it that we lose our sense of amazement at what has happened here. This pivotal set of interactions has had a profound and lasting impact on the entire creation since it happened. Understanding Genesis 3 is crucial to understanding the world we live in and the brokenness all around and within us. It is also essential for understanding God’s grand redemption plan in the gospel.
So, as we seek to answer the question “How does sin fit into the gospel?” we begin with this observation.
In the beginning, God created humanity good. This is what he declared in Genesis 1 at the very end of the chapter:
Genesis 1:31 (ESV)
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
God was pleased with his good creation. Humans were made in his image to bear his likeness and glory to the earth. Yet, they had an untested character. And, as we’ve just heard, when they were tested by Satan, they willfully rebelled against their Creator!
Satan’s question – “Did God really say?” followed by his declaration “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” were effective at tempting them. Adam and Eve began to doubt God’s goodness and wonder if God might even be lying to them! This is driven home by what happens next in verse 6.
Eve begins to look at the tree of forbidden fruit differently. Rather than staying far away from it out of obedience and honor of her Creator, she starts to evaluate it through a different lens. Rather than beginning from “what does God say and what would please him?” she sees that it is good for food and notices that it is a delight to her eyes. She is looking at it from a self-focused lens! She observes that this tree was to be desired to make one wise! With this fixed in her heart and mind, she made her rebellious choice to turn against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – she took of its fruit and ate. And so did her husband, WHO WAS WITH HER, and he ate. Both were in this together!
Now as you consider what they have done, I want to remind you of what God had said when he put man in the garden:
Genesis 2:16–17 (ESV)
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Do you hear it? The Lord God commanded the man. This was not optional. It was the expectation. They had EVERY other tree to enjoy and eat from, but there was ONE tree of which they were not to eat… for it would lead to their death. This is the command that Adam and Eve disobeyed in Genesis 3. This is what is known as the fall of man or man’s original sin.
Let’s consider what this passage reveals about the nature and essence of sin. Earlier we spoke of sin as missing the mark, and while that is accurate, we now see that it is much deeper than that! Sin is rebellion. Sin is treason against the Supreme Authority. Sin is not only doing wrong but being wrong to the core of our personhood. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they were acting upon desires deep within their heart that wanted to be like God, knowing good and evil. Satan’s temptation awakened within them a war of desires and they chose to worship self over God. Sin began with disbelief, they doubted God’s character, but then it progressed into disordered desires, they wanted to be like God, and it ended in a proclamation of death, just as God had promised.
This pattern of sin has remained the same ever since. The Apostle James even writes about it in a very similar way in the New Testament era. Listen to how he describes the process of sin within our heart.
James 1:14–15 (ESV)
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
This war of desires within that are contrary to God’s will and ways is the common human struggle. This is not solely Adam and Eve’s struggle; it is everyone’s struggle. Ever since the garden, humanity has been under the curse of sin.
And when we talk about sin, we are not just speaking about doing wrong actions or having wrong thoughts. We must understand that sin has corrupted us to the core of our personhood. When Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit of the tree, they were choosing to reject God’s authority over them. They were effectively saying, “God your plan for us to simply bear your image is not good enough. We want to be like you.” They wanted to move from being under God’s authority to equal to it. Or perhaps even above God. And this is the same struggle that we have to this day.
Rather than accepting our role as stewards of God’s creation and embracing our calling to bear God’s image throughout the earth for his glory and renown… we make life all about us. We come into this world worshiping self and seeking to build our own kingdoms. This is evident even in the youngest of children, as they seek to make everyone and everything conform to their desires. And, if not taught otherwise through the Word and rescued by the gospel, they will grow up in that same vein of self-worship.
I hope this is beginning to help you understand the scope of our sin problem. It is an incredibly deep problem – we have sinned against the MOST HOLY God. Humanity’s treason is not against some mere temporary king here on earth, but against the eternal, SUPREME AUTHORITY of the Universe! It is treason of the highest nature. And a righteous Authority must respond to our treason as it deserves with judgment and condemnation. Sin is an incredibly deep problem... It is also an incredibly broad problem – all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
The prophet Isaiah reveals this:
Isaiah 64:6 (ESV)
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
In our uncleanness, everything we do is stained by our sin. There are no good deeds done by those who are rebels through and through.
The psalmist is quoted by the Apostle Paul to make this point:
Romans 3:10–12 (ESV)
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
And Paul himself concludes:
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Every single one of us is guilty of sin. We have all rebelled against God. We are guilty of treason against the highest authority. Is this your understanding of humanity? Do you recognize that you are a sinner?
This understanding is essential to grasping the good news of the gospel! What God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the undoing of the ruin introduced by Genesis 3. If you are unwilling to confess the horrific truth of the bad news, then you’re not going to be able to understand and recognize the beautiful truth of the good news.
As we’ve seen in Genesis 3, the problem of sin has led to many severe consequences.
Adam and Eve used to walk with God in the cool of the garden, now they hide from him in fear. Where there used to be incredible joy and peace, there is now anxiety and division. God’s righteousness requires him to judge sin with wrath. If not addressed, this consequence of sin is the most severe for it ends in an eternity under God’s just judgment.
When God asked Adam to explain himself, rather than taking responsibility for his sin by confessing and asking forgiveness, Adam pointed his finger at his wife, and not subtly at God too! “The woman whom YOU gave to be with me, SHE gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Adam is just a helpless victim in all of this, isn’t he? Not at all. We cannot shift the blame for our own rebellious desires and decisions. Adam failed to protect his wife from Satan. He failed to uphold God’s command. He stood idly by and watched while she was deceived and then he devoured the fruit with her.
This was just the beginning of the brokenness of human relationships. The curse of sin that led to conflicting desires in Adam and Eve has not disappeared in our day and age. We all know from firsthand experience that this consequence of sin still exists. You don’t even have to turn on the news, although you’d see plenty of it there. It’s within our own homes. In our own marriages and within our families. Our relationships are far from perfect, and we hurt one another with our words and actions far too often… This is another sobering reality that comes from sin. But we’re not done yet.
As we heard in verses 16-19, both men and women have redefined relationships with the created order. Childbearing is painful and does not always produce life. Work is laborious and does not always produce the outcome we’d expect. Creation groans under the weight of sin in many ways.
And then you have the consequence of…
This is what God had promised would come if Adam and Eve broke his command. Satan lied. He deceived them. They will surely die. It may not have been quick for the first humans. In fact, we read the following in Genesis 5:
Genesis 5:5 (ESV)
5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
Adam lived a long-life comparative to us today, but he still died. And while physical death is a major consequence of sin, the matter of spiritual death is far more significant. When I say spiritual death, I mean that your soul passes from this life into eternal judgment under the righteous wrath of God.
Jesus speaks of this multiple times in his life and ministry. First, I’ll share a portion of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
Luke 16:22–25 (ESV)
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
Jesus told this parable as a rebuke to the religious hypocrites who thought they were good with God yet were actually far from him. He was calling them to recognize the danger they were in and confess their sin and repent!
Here is another excerpt of Jesus’ teaching about the end times where this topic is brought up:
Matthew 25:41–43 (ESV)
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Jesus was warning his disciples that it was necessary to be ready for the end! Because God exists and is perfectly HOLY/RIGHTEOUS, he will judge all men/women. Those who remain dead in their sin will not receive eternal life, but eternal wrath.
This wrath is not only for the age to come, either. It is also poured out by God in this age. Listen to the dangers of sin as shared by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 1:18–23 (ESV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
God’s Word once again warns us about the problem of sin! It is a consistent message from Old to New Testament from Genesis to Revelation. From the very first pages of the Bible to the very last pages. I once heard a very helpful point on this: other than 4 chapters of the Bible, Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22, every other chapter speaks to a world broken by sin and suffering. God has given us a book full of truth about the problem of sin AND its solution. Heed what he says and live in light of it!
As we’ve heard in Romans 1, sin leads humanity to suppress the truth. We exchange the truth for a lie. Even though it’s quite obvious that there is an Intelligent Designer to our wonderful world, we deny it. We do everything else but acknowledge what is so clearly perceivable. We would rather worship the creation than the Creator.
And even though there are many here today who likely believe in the One, True God, who confess that he is the Creator and worthy of worship, even we struggle not to worship the creation. We are not free from sin’s enticements and corruption. Before Christ, I lived for the pleasures and treasures of this world. I was addicted to video games and the comfort they provided. I was enslaved to the lusts of my flesh. And so were you. Living for the approval of man. Finding your purpose in your career. Searching for someone or something to give you want you wanted. We were (and perhaps still are) glory thieves, exchanging God’s glory for counterfeits. Seeking to glorify self rather than glorify him. In our sin, we are guilty of the worst treason.
Why would anyone fault God for directing his wrath at sinners like us? We have rejected him, the One, True God and sought to exalt ourselves to his place. He is right to judge us. In fact, we just heard that God’s judgment in this age upon unrepentant sinners is that they continue to spiral downward into increasingly perverse sin.
If you’re paying attention, there are two additional severe consequences of our sin:
These are serious matters. As we heard earlier in Isaiah 64:6, even our best deeds are like filthy rags to God. Sin corrupts our best efforts. We cannot cleanse ourselves. Left to ourselves, we have no hope. We will not change. The Scriptures are clear about this assessment. Left to ourselves, we have no desire for God. We are spiritually dead. Humanity’s situation is dire indeed due to our sinfulness!
If anything is going to change in our situation, God must act. We need rescue/redemption from outside of us. And this reality is why the gospel is such good news! So, in answer to our question “How does man’s sinfulness fit into the gospel?” we must also realize:
The gospel is the good news of a divine rescue plan! God the Father sent God the Son to make a way of salvation for His people. This is why the angels proclaimed that Jesus’ birth was good news of great joy for all the people.
We first got a glimpse of this good news all the way back in Genesis 3 when God cursed Satan.
Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
This is what is known as the proto-evangelium or “first gospel”. It is the glimpse of hope that is to come. God’s promise that Satan would one day be defeated by the seed of the woman. This is a beautiful reminder from the very first pages of the Bible that God has always had a plan to defeat his enemies and rescue and redeem sinners like us! And it is this plan that is progressively revealed in the Bible as history marched on and God gave us his word in both Old and New Testaments.
This promise captured in Genesis 3 tells us that sin did not “mess up” God’s plan but instead serves to reveal the beauty of it. As we have said before, sin is the dark backdrop against which the gospel shines.
In fact, in the verses prior to Romans 1:18-23, we hear another beautiful declaration of the hope we have in the gospel. Paul says:
Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ for salvation from our sins and peace with God. That is what Paul is declaring here. And it is available to all, irrespective of your ethnic background. It is a call to righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.
This is incredible news for sinners like us. We are told that we no longer have to be defined by our rebellion/sin. Instead, we can be defined by Christ’s righteousness. We heard these wonderful truths last week:
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is what Jesus accomplished at the cross and in the resurrection for all who believe in him. Faith is the key component here. Jesus came down and took on human form, not only to make a way of salvation for us, but so that we might BELIEVE IN HIM and BE FORGIVEN.
When you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, he takes on the stain of your sin in exchange for his righteousness! That is an awesome exchange with an incredible outcome.
And again, this was always the plan! Listen to how Paul connects the first Adam to Jesus, who is often called the second Adam:
Romans 5:18–19 (ESV)
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Adam’s sin plunged humanity into the curse of sin. Jesus’ perfect righteousness and sacrificial death in our place provides the solution to our sin. This is GOOD NEWS today!
So, how should you respond to man’s sinfulness?
You must confess and turn from your sin to believe in and follow Christ. This is the response the gospel requires if you are to receive Christ’s righteousness and peace with God. I am pleading with you not to remain dead in your sin and under God’s wrath!
Hear this wonderful explanation of Jesus’ character and finished work from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:
Colossians 1:19–23 (ESV)
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
The gospel is our hope. We must understand God’s holiness and our own sinfulness. These are two essential components to this message. If we do not understand how great our sin problem is, then we will never appreciate the solution that God provides in his Son, Jesus Christ. That is what we will focus on next week – God’s Solution: Jesus Christ.
But, for today, I am calling you to make a break with sin, whether for the very first time or for the millionth time, and to pursue holiness through faith in Christ. This is our ongoing calling as men and women. No longer are we to be alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then you are reconciled (at peace with God and fellow humans) and your calling is to live out your new identity – holy, blameless, above reproach. This is only possible as you continue in the faith, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.
Which brings us to our third response - keep preaching the gospel to yourself daily. If you’re not sure how to do that, consider picking up a copy of Milton Vincent’s A Gospel Primer. It is one of my favorite books of all time. It will help you learn to apply gospel truths to your daily life. Because the gospel is not only for salvation, but for living out our faith each and every day.
If you want to be challenged to go deeper into the truths of the gospel, then I want to recommend Paul Washer’s trilogy Rescuing the Gospel. Micaela and I purchased copies of this set and gave them out to every member of our church several years ago. Many of you have them. Please tell me you’ve read them by now! They were so impactful to us that we felt convicted to give them to you. Don’t squander their impact on your own life by leaving them on the shelf. There is also a copy of each book in the church’s resource library, so you can always borrow them if you don’t have them. These books will challenge you to appreciate the beauty of what we’ve been studying in these sermons at a greater depth.
But you don’t need to purchase books to live in light of the gospel. A simple way to do this is to commit to studying God’s Word each day and asking yourself a couple of questions:
These questions will help you interact with God’s Word and allow it to produce holiness in your life.
Finally, give thanks for the gospel.
Thank you, Father, for not letting us die in our sin, but instead sending your Son to rescue and redeem. Thank you, Jesus, for counting the cost and coming down to take on flesh and dwell amongst us. Thank you for enduring scorn and shame from those you came to save. Thank you for bearing the wrath of God for my sins, so that I might have the hope of eternal life. Thank you for the gospel!
I hope that each one of us can say this with confidence today.
If you are struggling with sin or feel stuck in it, then please don’t leave here without talking to someone. If you’re not sure how to have the hope we’ve talked about in Jesus Christ, then please stop in the back and talk to one of our prayer or pastor team members. We would love the opportunity to work through this with you. These matters are too important not to figure out today!
For those who remain unconvinced that sin is a big deal and think that this past hour was a waste of your time… I pray that the Lord will help you to see the folly of your ways. As you heard earlier from the lips of Jesus, there is no hope for those who reject him and remain dead in their sin. To stack up pleasures and treasures in this life without addressing your greatest problem will result in the eternal wrath of God poured out on you. And that is not something I would wish upon anyone. Please continue to come back through this series and hear the truth of the gospel message again and again.
Let’s pray.
Pray
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By Harvest Bible Chapel Des Moines
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Man’s Sinfulness
Genesis 3; Romans 1:18-23
How does man’s sinfulness fit into the gospel?
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! (Welcome guests + introduce self)
Give thanks for the hope and peace that we have through the Son of God coming down and dwelling amongst us.
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Genesis 3; page 3)
Today we are continuing our series The Beautiful Gospel as we prepare to celebrate the incarnation of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Last week we studied God’s holiness and answered the question “How does God’s holiness fit into the gospel?” I hope you were able to have some sweet discussions in your homes and small groups around this matter. I know our family and small group appreciated the reminder that God’s holiness is the standard we’ve been called to and the driver of God’s plan of redemption. If you missed out on that sermon, I would encourage you to go back and listen to it this week. Each of these messages is interconnected.
4 Essential Components of the Gospel:
Today we are moving on to another essential component of the Gospel message - Man’s Sinfulness. This topic might seem like one that I need not prepare for… after all I have 40 years of lived experience in this area. You could call me a subject matter expert… 😊
In reality, mere lived experience as sinners in a broken world is not enough for understanding and answering the question “How does man’s sinfulness fit into the gospel?” We are not gathered today to hear man’s opinion about this very important matter! We want to know what the God of truth says. Which is why we study his word week after week.
Let’s begin by defining our terms. What is sin and what is the gospel?
As we heard last week, the word gospel means the good news, specifically the good news of Jesus Christ for salvation from our sins and peace with God.
The word translated sin means missing the mark. It communicates that God has a standard of perfect holiness and we do not meet that standard. However, sin goes much deeper than this, as we will hear in our study today. So, we’ll continue to flesh out our definition and understanding of sin as we go.
If I may say a word about this particular topic… Some of you may groan or grumble when you hear what we are talking about. “I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m a sinner. I already know that.” Or “Wow, I can’t believe he’s calling ME a sinner! Who does he think he is?” Or “Seriously, you’re going to talk about sin in a Christmas sermon series!?” Many people think of talking about sin as purely a negative topic or perhaps only want to think of it as something the gospel resolves. But the Scriptures reveal that understanding sin is essential to understanding the beauty and power of the gospel. If you want to understand why the arrival of the Son of God as a baby boy was “good news of great joy for all the people” as the angels declared, then you must understand the significance of our sin problem.
Or to put it another way – you won’t understand the glorious beauty of the good news unless you first grasp the utter darkness of the bad news. So, let’s seek to understand the bad news, that we may rejoice in the good news that follows!
We must begin at Genesis 3. This takes place after God had made Adam and Eve in his image and placed them in the garden to care for and cultivate it. Genesis 2 had just closed with the uniting of Adam and Eve as husband and wife. Up to this point in history, the man and the woman were living together in perfect unity, enjoying walking in the presence of their Creator, and exploring the wonderful creation God had made.
Unfortunately, Genesis 3 introduces a new party to the Garden of Eden and things quickly take a turn for the worse. Here is what God’s Word says.
Genesis 3:1–24 (ESV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
What we’ve just read is a fateful recounting of the fall of humanity into sin. It is likely a recounting many of us are familiar with and yet we should never become so comfortable with it that we lose our sense of amazement at what has happened here. This pivotal set of interactions has had a profound and lasting impact on the entire creation since it happened. Understanding Genesis 3 is crucial to understanding the world we live in and the brokenness all around and within us. It is also essential for understanding God’s grand redemption plan in the gospel.
So, as we seek to answer the question “How does sin fit into the gospel?” we begin with this observation.
In the beginning, God created humanity good. This is what he declared in Genesis 1 at the very end of the chapter:
Genesis 1:31 (ESV)
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
God was pleased with his good creation. Humans were made in his image to bear his likeness and glory to the earth. Yet, they had an untested character. And, as we’ve just heard, when they were tested by Satan, they willfully rebelled against their Creator!
Satan’s question – “Did God really say?” followed by his declaration “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” were effective at tempting them. Adam and Eve began to doubt God’s goodness and wonder if God might even be lying to them! This is driven home by what happens next in verse 6.
Eve begins to look at the tree of forbidden fruit differently. Rather than staying far away from it out of obedience and honor of her Creator, she starts to evaluate it through a different lens. Rather than beginning from “what does God say and what would please him?” she sees that it is good for food and notices that it is a delight to her eyes. She is looking at it from a self-focused lens! She observes that this tree was to be desired to make one wise! With this fixed in her heart and mind, she made her rebellious choice to turn against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – she took of its fruit and ate. And so did her husband, WHO WAS WITH HER, and he ate. Both were in this together!
Now as you consider what they have done, I want to remind you of what God had said when he put man in the garden:
Genesis 2:16–17 (ESV)
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Do you hear it? The Lord God commanded the man. This was not optional. It was the expectation. They had EVERY other tree to enjoy and eat from, but there was ONE tree of which they were not to eat… for it would lead to their death. This is the command that Adam and Eve disobeyed in Genesis 3. This is what is known as the fall of man or man’s original sin.
Let’s consider what this passage reveals about the nature and essence of sin. Earlier we spoke of sin as missing the mark, and while that is accurate, we now see that it is much deeper than that! Sin is rebellion. Sin is treason against the Supreme Authority. Sin is not only doing wrong but being wrong to the core of our personhood. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they were acting upon desires deep within their heart that wanted to be like God, knowing good and evil. Satan’s temptation awakened within them a war of desires and they chose to worship self over God. Sin began with disbelief, they doubted God’s character, but then it progressed into disordered desires, they wanted to be like God, and it ended in a proclamation of death, just as God had promised.
This pattern of sin has remained the same ever since. The Apostle James even writes about it in a very similar way in the New Testament era. Listen to how he describes the process of sin within our heart.
James 1:14–15 (ESV)
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
This war of desires within that are contrary to God’s will and ways is the common human struggle. This is not solely Adam and Eve’s struggle; it is everyone’s struggle. Ever since the garden, humanity has been under the curse of sin.
And when we talk about sin, we are not just speaking about doing wrong actions or having wrong thoughts. We must understand that sin has corrupted us to the core of our personhood. When Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit of the tree, they were choosing to reject God’s authority over them. They were effectively saying, “God your plan for us to simply bear your image is not good enough. We want to be like you.” They wanted to move from being under God’s authority to equal to it. Or perhaps even above God. And this is the same struggle that we have to this day.
Rather than accepting our role as stewards of God’s creation and embracing our calling to bear God’s image throughout the earth for his glory and renown… we make life all about us. We come into this world worshiping self and seeking to build our own kingdoms. This is evident even in the youngest of children, as they seek to make everyone and everything conform to their desires. And, if not taught otherwise through the Word and rescued by the gospel, they will grow up in that same vein of self-worship.
I hope this is beginning to help you understand the scope of our sin problem. It is an incredibly deep problem – we have sinned against the MOST HOLY God. Humanity’s treason is not against some mere temporary king here on earth, but against the eternal, SUPREME AUTHORITY of the Universe! It is treason of the highest nature. And a righteous Authority must respond to our treason as it deserves with judgment and condemnation. Sin is an incredibly deep problem... It is also an incredibly broad problem – all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
The prophet Isaiah reveals this:
Isaiah 64:6 (ESV)
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
In our uncleanness, everything we do is stained by our sin. There are no good deeds done by those who are rebels through and through.
The psalmist is quoted by the Apostle Paul to make this point:
Romans 3:10–12 (ESV)
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
And Paul himself concludes:
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Every single one of us is guilty of sin. We have all rebelled against God. We are guilty of treason against the highest authority. Is this your understanding of humanity? Do you recognize that you are a sinner?
This understanding is essential to grasping the good news of the gospel! What God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the undoing of the ruin introduced by Genesis 3. If you are unwilling to confess the horrific truth of the bad news, then you’re not going to be able to understand and recognize the beautiful truth of the good news.
As we’ve seen in Genesis 3, the problem of sin has led to many severe consequences.
Adam and Eve used to walk with God in the cool of the garden, now they hide from him in fear. Where there used to be incredible joy and peace, there is now anxiety and division. God’s righteousness requires him to judge sin with wrath. If not addressed, this consequence of sin is the most severe for it ends in an eternity under God’s just judgment.
When God asked Adam to explain himself, rather than taking responsibility for his sin by confessing and asking forgiveness, Adam pointed his finger at his wife, and not subtly at God too! “The woman whom YOU gave to be with me, SHE gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Adam is just a helpless victim in all of this, isn’t he? Not at all. We cannot shift the blame for our own rebellious desires and decisions. Adam failed to protect his wife from Satan. He failed to uphold God’s command. He stood idly by and watched while she was deceived and then he devoured the fruit with her.
This was just the beginning of the brokenness of human relationships. The curse of sin that led to conflicting desires in Adam and Eve has not disappeared in our day and age. We all know from firsthand experience that this consequence of sin still exists. You don’t even have to turn on the news, although you’d see plenty of it there. It’s within our own homes. In our own marriages and within our families. Our relationships are far from perfect, and we hurt one another with our words and actions far too often… This is another sobering reality that comes from sin. But we’re not done yet.
As we heard in verses 16-19, both men and women have redefined relationships with the created order. Childbearing is painful and does not always produce life. Work is laborious and does not always produce the outcome we’d expect. Creation groans under the weight of sin in many ways.
And then you have the consequence of…
This is what God had promised would come if Adam and Eve broke his command. Satan lied. He deceived them. They will surely die. It may not have been quick for the first humans. In fact, we read the following in Genesis 5:
Genesis 5:5 (ESV)
5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
Adam lived a long-life comparative to us today, but he still died. And while physical death is a major consequence of sin, the matter of spiritual death is far more significant. When I say spiritual death, I mean that your soul passes from this life into eternal judgment under the righteous wrath of God.
Jesus speaks of this multiple times in his life and ministry. First, I’ll share a portion of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
Luke 16:22–25 (ESV)
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
Jesus told this parable as a rebuke to the religious hypocrites who thought they were good with God yet were actually far from him. He was calling them to recognize the danger they were in and confess their sin and repent!
Here is another excerpt of Jesus’ teaching about the end times where this topic is brought up:
Matthew 25:41–43 (ESV)
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Jesus was warning his disciples that it was necessary to be ready for the end! Because God exists and is perfectly HOLY/RIGHTEOUS, he will judge all men/women. Those who remain dead in their sin will not receive eternal life, but eternal wrath.
This wrath is not only for the age to come, either. It is also poured out by God in this age. Listen to the dangers of sin as shared by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 1:18–23 (ESV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
God’s Word once again warns us about the problem of sin! It is a consistent message from Old to New Testament from Genesis to Revelation. From the very first pages of the Bible to the very last pages. I once heard a very helpful point on this: other than 4 chapters of the Bible, Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22, every other chapter speaks to a world broken by sin and suffering. God has given us a book full of truth about the problem of sin AND its solution. Heed what he says and live in light of it!
As we’ve heard in Romans 1, sin leads humanity to suppress the truth. We exchange the truth for a lie. Even though it’s quite obvious that there is an Intelligent Designer to our wonderful world, we deny it. We do everything else but acknowledge what is so clearly perceivable. We would rather worship the creation than the Creator.
And even though there are many here today who likely believe in the One, True God, who confess that he is the Creator and worthy of worship, even we struggle not to worship the creation. We are not free from sin’s enticements and corruption. Before Christ, I lived for the pleasures and treasures of this world. I was addicted to video games and the comfort they provided. I was enslaved to the lusts of my flesh. And so were you. Living for the approval of man. Finding your purpose in your career. Searching for someone or something to give you want you wanted. We were (and perhaps still are) glory thieves, exchanging God’s glory for counterfeits. Seeking to glorify self rather than glorify him. In our sin, we are guilty of the worst treason.
Why would anyone fault God for directing his wrath at sinners like us? We have rejected him, the One, True God and sought to exalt ourselves to his place. He is right to judge us. In fact, we just heard that God’s judgment in this age upon unrepentant sinners is that they continue to spiral downward into increasingly perverse sin.
If you’re paying attention, there are two additional severe consequences of our sin:
These are serious matters. As we heard earlier in Isaiah 64:6, even our best deeds are like filthy rags to God. Sin corrupts our best efforts. We cannot cleanse ourselves. Left to ourselves, we have no hope. We will not change. The Scriptures are clear about this assessment. Left to ourselves, we have no desire for God. We are spiritually dead. Humanity’s situation is dire indeed due to our sinfulness!
If anything is going to change in our situation, God must act. We need rescue/redemption from outside of us. And this reality is why the gospel is such good news! So, in answer to our question “How does man’s sinfulness fit into the gospel?” we must also realize:
The gospel is the good news of a divine rescue plan! God the Father sent God the Son to make a way of salvation for His people. This is why the angels proclaimed that Jesus’ birth was good news of great joy for all the people.
We first got a glimpse of this good news all the way back in Genesis 3 when God cursed Satan.
Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
This is what is known as the proto-evangelium or “first gospel”. It is the glimpse of hope that is to come. God’s promise that Satan would one day be defeated by the seed of the woman. This is a beautiful reminder from the very first pages of the Bible that God has always had a plan to defeat his enemies and rescue and redeem sinners like us! And it is this plan that is progressively revealed in the Bible as history marched on and God gave us his word in both Old and New Testaments.
This promise captured in Genesis 3 tells us that sin did not “mess up” God’s plan but instead serves to reveal the beauty of it. As we have said before, sin is the dark backdrop against which the gospel shines.
In fact, in the verses prior to Romans 1:18-23, we hear another beautiful declaration of the hope we have in the gospel. Paul says:
Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ for salvation from our sins and peace with God. That is what Paul is declaring here. And it is available to all, irrespective of your ethnic background. It is a call to righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.
This is incredible news for sinners like us. We are told that we no longer have to be defined by our rebellion/sin. Instead, we can be defined by Christ’s righteousness. We heard these wonderful truths last week:
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is what Jesus accomplished at the cross and in the resurrection for all who believe in him. Faith is the key component here. Jesus came down and took on human form, not only to make a way of salvation for us, but so that we might BELIEVE IN HIM and BE FORGIVEN.
When you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, he takes on the stain of your sin in exchange for his righteousness! That is an awesome exchange with an incredible outcome.
And again, this was always the plan! Listen to how Paul connects the first Adam to Jesus, who is often called the second Adam:
Romans 5:18–19 (ESV)
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Adam’s sin plunged humanity into the curse of sin. Jesus’ perfect righteousness and sacrificial death in our place provides the solution to our sin. This is GOOD NEWS today!
So, how should you respond to man’s sinfulness?
You must confess and turn from your sin to believe in and follow Christ. This is the response the gospel requires if you are to receive Christ’s righteousness and peace with God. I am pleading with you not to remain dead in your sin and under God’s wrath!
Hear this wonderful explanation of Jesus’ character and finished work from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:
Colossians 1:19–23 (ESV)
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
The gospel is our hope. We must understand God’s holiness and our own sinfulness. These are two essential components to this message. If we do not understand how great our sin problem is, then we will never appreciate the solution that God provides in his Son, Jesus Christ. That is what we will focus on next week – God’s Solution: Jesus Christ.
But, for today, I am calling you to make a break with sin, whether for the very first time or for the millionth time, and to pursue holiness through faith in Christ. This is our ongoing calling as men and women. No longer are we to be alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then you are reconciled (at peace with God and fellow humans) and your calling is to live out your new identity – holy, blameless, above reproach. This is only possible as you continue in the faith, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.
Which brings us to our third response - keep preaching the gospel to yourself daily. If you’re not sure how to do that, consider picking up a copy of Milton Vincent’s A Gospel Primer. It is one of my favorite books of all time. It will help you learn to apply gospel truths to your daily life. Because the gospel is not only for salvation, but for living out our faith each and every day.
If you want to be challenged to go deeper into the truths of the gospel, then I want to recommend Paul Washer’s trilogy Rescuing the Gospel. Micaela and I purchased copies of this set and gave them out to every member of our church several years ago. Many of you have them. Please tell me you’ve read them by now! They were so impactful to us that we felt convicted to give them to you. Don’t squander their impact on your own life by leaving them on the shelf. There is also a copy of each book in the church’s resource library, so you can always borrow them if you don’t have them. These books will challenge you to appreciate the beauty of what we’ve been studying in these sermons at a greater depth.
But you don’t need to purchase books to live in light of the gospel. A simple way to do this is to commit to studying God’s Word each day and asking yourself a couple of questions:
These questions will help you interact with God’s Word and allow it to produce holiness in your life.
Finally, give thanks for the gospel.
Thank you, Father, for not letting us die in our sin, but instead sending your Son to rescue and redeem. Thank you, Jesus, for counting the cost and coming down to take on flesh and dwell amongst us. Thank you for enduring scorn and shame from those you came to save. Thank you for bearing the wrath of God for my sins, so that I might have the hope of eternal life. Thank you for the gospel!
I hope that each one of us can say this with confidence today.
If you are struggling with sin or feel stuck in it, then please don’t leave here without talking to someone. If you’re not sure how to have the hope we’ve talked about in Jesus Christ, then please stop in the back and talk to one of our prayer or pastor team members. We would love the opportunity to work through this with you. These matters are too important not to figure out today!
For those who remain unconvinced that sin is a big deal and think that this past hour was a waste of your time… I pray that the Lord will help you to see the folly of your ways. As you heard earlier from the lips of Jesus, there is no hope for those who reject him and remain dead in their sin. To stack up pleasures and treasures in this life without addressing your greatest problem will result in the eternal wrath of God poured out on you. And that is not something I would wish upon anyone. Please continue to come back through this series and hear the truth of the gospel message again and again.
Let’s pray.
Pray