Sin According to the Apostle Paul

What do you think about when you have an unsaved neighbor who is one of the nicest people you ever met? Or when someone on your team, at your job, or in your class seems to do more "good" towards others than a number of "believers" you know? Are these unregenerate acquaintances really "totally depraved"? Are they indeed totally incapable of righteousness before God?

We must not get caught up when understanding one of the most essential components of the Gospel message, taught nearly on ever page of the Scriptures--the sinfulness of man.

To understand what sin really is we must understand sin first and foremost as withholding worship from the Worthy One. Even the most "moral" people in this world are NOT doing good unto the glory of God. Yes, relative good can be done by non-believers because of God's common grace (Matt 5:45), but NO ONE can do anything to receive a right standing before God.

I recently came across this pointed quote in Thomas Schreiner's New Testament Theology that summarized the Apostle Paul's definition of sin. I confess it caught me off guard, but upon second thought made more sense than ever.

The fundamental sin, according to Paul, is not the failure to keep God's law--as serious as such infractions are. The root sin is the failure to praise and worship and thank God, to glorify him as God (Rom 1:21)...Refusing to honor God as God and to give him glory, to worship and adore him, constitutes sin according to Paul. 

Preaching with Courage

"When faithfulness to God becomes the primary aim of our preaching (and the grace of his love our greatest security), we are freed from inordinate ("disproportionately large") concern about personal acceptance, reputation, and offense (Acts 4:29)." -Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching, 343

As I have been preparing this week to preach Ephesians 1:7, 8 on the redemption of Christ, I was refreshed with this encouragement from one of my favorite preaching books. My prayer is to be faithful to God and to fear Him alone. If in my mind I begin to entertain thoughts characterized by the fear of man (see Prov 29:25), then all I will care about is personal acceptance, my reputation, and whom I might offend/displease.

Acts 4:29 says, "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness...31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

Pray that we all have a deep conviction that when we say what the Bible says, we speak what God desires. So preach with courage for God.

An Overview of End Times

What has been your introduction to the "end times"? Who has taught you or told you about what is going to happen in the future? What have you read about eschatology (the study of future things)? What major passages in Scripture have set your understanding for the Second Coming of the Lord? What do you know about the great Day of the Lord's coming judgment, destruction, and restoration of all things?

I admit that these questions have haunted me all my life. I have largely avoided them, even in seminary to some degree. I attribute this to nothing other than my pride. I tend to warm up to that which I know best because I have more control and comfort there. On the other hand, I tend to keep at bay that which can expose my ignorance or make me feel insignificant. Sheer pride.

In God's abundant grace and great sovereignty, He has engaged me with the blessed truths of eschatology in the past two months of my life. I am currently enrolled in a Theology IV class at Master's Seminary this Spring dealing with eschatology. And the ROCK group has just come upon Mark 13, the Olivet Discourse (dealing with end times theology). Like a breached dam, God has penetrated my pride and has been pouring His Word into a place where water wants to go but has been held back for so long. And I invite the deluge. My soul has been shut off to so much of God's glorious truth about future things. 

Of course, when the topic of the end times arises for the first time in Christ's ministry, the disciples are driven with curiosity as to when these last days and future events will take place. They ask him, “Tell us, when will these things be” (Mk 13:4).

Below is a brief timeline of what I have come to believe the Bible represents as sound eschatology. The points and brief summaries are taken from chapter 11 of Paul A Benware's book Understanding End Times Prophecy:

1. The Rapture of the Church

The Lord will return from heaven and suddenly remove the church from the earth (1 Thess 4:13–18). He will meet believers in the air as we receive our glorified bodies.

Christians who have died before the Rapture and have been with Christ since, will also be involved, having their physical bodies raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:51–53).

All Christians who make up the church, the bride of Christ, will be with Him in heaven (John 14:1–3).

2. The Judgement Seat of Christ

All those who have been raptured will immediately be evaluated by the Lord concerning our works done in, through, by and for Him. This does not concern the salvation of the individual, since that has already been settled at the cross by the effective work of Christ.

If the works done in their life are good, then they will receive reward. If there are worthless deeds done by the believers then they will suffer loss for them (once again, not a loss of salvation).

3. The Seven-Year Tribulation ("70th Week" of Daniel)

After the church is removed from the earth, the world will experience unprecedented tribulation. According to Daniel 9:24–27, the tribulation begins when a man known as the Antichrist signs a treaty with the nation of Israel. At first, he seems to be Israel's protector, but he will turn out to be the great persecutor of Israel.

The first and great purpose of God in the tribulation is to save the nation of Israel (and many Gentiles too) and bring them under the new covenant of salvation. God will employ many miracles but He will also allow intense persecution on Israel. More will be saved in this seven year period than any other (Rev 7:9–17).

The second purpose of the tribulation is judgment on unrepentant sinful people. This will be an unprecedented time of trouble and judgment on the earth, as laid out in Revelation 6–18 and Matthew 24:4–28). Nearly 80% of the population of the earth will be destroyed in three series of different judgments.

Satan will be busy during the tribulation, attempting to destroy God's people with the Antichrist. Many will be deceived and follow him, but it will be to no avail because Jesus will return to take control of the planet for good.

4. The Second Coming of Christ to the Earth

Jesus will come in power and glory, ending the great tribulation and inaugurating the Millennial Kingdom. Many will rejoice upon His coming and many will be filled with great sorrow for their judgment is at hand.

Five important events occur at this time:
(1) The judgment of the living Gentiles (sheep and the goats judgment, Matt 25:31–46);
(2) The judgment of Israel (parable of ten virgins, Matt 25:1–11);
(3) The resurrection and rewarding of Old Testament saints who perished in the tribulation (Rev 6:9; 20:4–6; Dan 12:2);
(4) The binding of Satan (Rev 20:1–3); and
(5) The actual establishing of the messianic kingdom.

5. The Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ

The Millennial Kingdom is established once all the enemies of Christ are judged in the Second Coming. This is the time when all the unconditional covenants in the OT are fulfilled and accomplished allowing Israel and Gentiles to partake of the blessings of Christ's rule.

Because the curse for sin has been lifted, all people everywhere will worship Christ as Lord and Savior and all creation will bloom and become fertile. There will be prosperity and peace on the earth. There will be no disease and man will live very long in the Kingdom. The animal kingdom will be universally reset to where lions will not eat lambs and all animals will be vegetarians.

Although everyone in the Kingdom is a believer from the start worshiping Christ as King, there will be two different body types: mortal bodies (for those who believed and lived in the tribulation and were ushered straight into the Millennial Kingdom) and resurrected bodies (believers who died in church age, OT, and tribulation).

Those with mortal bodies who marry and have children in the Millennium may or may not have believing children (like in every age). Most will come to believe but some will not accept Christ as their King (Ps 2:9; Isa 11:4). When Satan is released one last time at the end of the 1,000 years, these unbelievers will rise in rebellion against the rule of Jesus as King (Rev 20:7–10).

6. The Judgments of the End Times

Three judgments will take place after the 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth (Rev 20:7–15; 1 Cor 6:3):
(1) final judgment of Satan and the fallen angels to the lake of fire for eternity;
(2) all unbelievers from every age will be judged at the great white throne judgment and also throne into the lake of fire because of their sin and unbelief; and
(3) the heavens and the earth will be judged/renewed/purged of all sin, decay, curse, and corruption. The fire from 2 Peter 3:7–10 will cleanse the earth of all contamination of sin and wickedness and prepare the way for the new heavens and the new earth.

Also those who die in the Millennial Kingdom will be raised at this time to be judged in preparation for the eternal state.

7. The Eternal State

Benware concludes, "It was God's purpose from the very beginning to rule over and fellowship with people and with angels. His rulership was challenged, and His fellowship was marred by the entrance of sin and rebellion. But with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross to pay for sin and satisfy the wrath of God, fellowship was once again a reality. And with the defeat of the usurper Satan and the collapse of all the kingdoms of mankind, the Lord Jesus is King of Kings and the kingdom is now delivered over to the Father. In the eternal kingdom of God, there will be a fullness of joy, full and unhindered fellowship, and meaningful living on a new earth (Rev 21:1–22:5). This will forever be the experience of those who are the children of God."

An Introduction or a Proclamation?

If you once were an enemy of the cross of Christ (Phil 3:18), but now have been made a friend of Christ (John 15:14)...
If you once were separated from Christ and far off from God (Eph 2:12, 13), but now have a promise that He will never leave nor forsake you (Josh 1:5; Heb 13:5)...
If you once echoed the fools claim in your heart "there is no God" (Ps 14:1), but now the cross of Christ is the boast of your life (Jer 9:23, 24; Gal 6:14)...

...then what do you do in conversations with the lost?

Picture walking up to someone at church with your dad. You reach out your hand and introduce yourself to the individual and begin conversing with them. When the conversation is over, you kindly say goodbye, it was nice to meet them, and then you walk away. Wouldn't it be kind of rude to not introduce your dad to that individual?

Picture walking up to someone who had just been robbed, had their valuables stolen, left half dead on the side of the street. And with you is your friend who is a medical doctor. You examine the individual, tell them that they will be ok, give them your extra sweatshirt, hand them a few dollars, and tell them you will be praying for them and walk away. Wouldn't it be fiercely unjust to not introduce your friend who is the doctor to them?!

Picture walking up to someone who is just a commoner. There is nothing presentable about them, nothing showy, nothing of real worth in the town's eyes, nothing that would draw others to them. And with you stands the King of glory. You converse with the individual. You find things in common. You laugh at a few pleasantries. You talk about family, life, and interests. You find more things in common with them. You part ways with a smile feeling like you made a friend. But what about the King? What a disgrace! What is a king with no honor? What is a King with no recognition? What is a King with no proclamation?

If Christ has made you His friend, and promised to never leave you, and is your only boast in life, then why does He receive no introduction? Why isn't He of first importance to us when meeting someone new, someone in need, someone like us but who is lost? Obviously we are in the process of building relationships in order to proclaim Him with the message of the gospel and our lives (1 Thess 2:8), but far too often we push back introducing Christ to them rather than pushing it forward in our many interactions with the lost.

The fact of the matter is that Christ needs no introduction. Rather, He is worthy of our proclamation for all He is and all He has done! He is the preeminent One, the Creator of the universe, the Savior to the world, the Lord of lords, the promised Messiah, the fullness of God in flesh. He has conquered sin and death and reversed the curse through His precious blood shed on our behalf.

May we each find that resolve to proclaim Christ to the lost that is in proportion to who He is and what He has done.

Ignite Topic Preview...

Some of you may be wondering what our topic is going to be for Ignite. Well, I came across this section in a Systematic Theology book written by Norman Geisler that will point you in the direction we are heading. Enjoy!

"The Preparation for the Savior

Immediately following the Fall, God announced His eternal plan to provides salvation for all humankind. He said to the serpent, whom He had allowed to tempt Adam and Eve, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15). The Savior would be the Seed of the woman, and He would ultimately–fatally–crush the serpent's head. This Christ did officially on the Cross (Col. 2:14) and will do actually when He returns (Rom 16:20; Rev 20:10).

The rest of the Old Testament is the preparation for the coming Savior. To begin, God called into existence the holy nation through which He would bring the Promised Seed. In the books of the law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), God laid the foundation for Christ. In the historical books (Joshua through Nehemiah), He made the provision for the holy nation to enter and obtain the Holy Land so that they could produce the Holy One (Christ).

We see, then, that in Genesis God chose the nation; in Exodus He redeemed them; in Leviticus He sanctified them; in Numbers He guided them, and in Deuteronomy He instructed them so that in Joshua they could be victorious. In Judges they were unsettled without a king, but in 1 Samuel the nation was established and in 2 Samuel it was expanded. After the reign of Solomon, the nation declined (in 1 Kings) and was departed (in 2 Kings–a prophetic history repeated from a priestly viewpoint in 1 and 2 Chronicles). In Esther the nation was protected, and in Ezra and Nehemiah they were returned and rebuilt.

Meanwhile, the poetic books express an aspiration for Christ. Job aspired for mediation, Psalms for communion with God, Proverbs for wisdom, Ecclesiastes for the greatest good, and Song of Solomon for intimate union–all of which was found ultimately in jesus the Messiah.

Finally, the prophetic books (Isaiah through Malachi) earnestly proclaim an expectation for Christ. Each book in its own way anticipated the coming Savior, concluding the Old Testament preparation for the One who was to bring salvation."

AND THAT IS JUST HALF OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE HEARING ABOUT AT IGNITE! The Presentation of Christ in the NT will be the second half of Abner's content. I hope you are praying about this time together that it will do the most amount of good for Christ and His kingdom.

Nov 7, Prov 7 Highlights

Proverbs 7:1 "My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; 2 keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; 3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, 5 to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words."

The treasure of your heart and the apple of your eye. This is talk of affection and deepest devotion. Is it the Word or the world? Is it wisdom or women? May wisdom be written on your heart to avoid such peril (see v. 23 "cost him his life").

Proverbs 7:7 "and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, 8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness."

I'd hate to point out that this is one of the only times that the Bible actually uses the word "twilight" but we'll let that slide for now. The young man who "lacks sense" is the one who walks into sexual immorality because he is ignorant, stupid, foolish.

Proverbs 7:25 "Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths."

Nov 6, Prov 6 Highlights

Proverbs 6:4 "Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber."

No, this is not a proof-text for playing video games all night. The context is speaking of one who needs to resolve interpersonal matters that have ensnared him/her. Matters must be resolved to find agreement with one's neighbor.

Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise...9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest."

As believers called to walk worthy of our highest calling, we'd do well to consider the ant's ways more often. There is wisdom in her many steps. If you aren't an ant, you are a slug. The sluggard is warned like the ensnared believer in vv. 1-5 to not rest until something is resolved. In the slug's case, it is that he must become wise like the ant. Slugs sleep, ants act.

Proverbs 6:21 "Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you."

When God's Word and godly instruction is bound around your heart, it is living and active. These words will lead you, watch over you, and talk with you. Does the wisdom of God's Word live in you in this manner?

Proverbs 6:25 "Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes."

The heart is what is fought for in the spiritual battle. Either the Word is living, active, and richly dwelling within, or the beauty of the things of this world will be actively destroying you from the inside. Do not be captured by anything but the Word.

Proverbs 6:29 "So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished...32 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself."

The one who commits adultery in deed or in desire can expect one thing--consequences. To not "go unpunished" and to "destroy himself" show that consequences are brought upon you by one who punishes and that consequences are brought upon your life by yourself. Be wise and turn from the error of your ways and seek a vibrant, living relationship with the God of all wisdom.