#2: Sin, Part 2

Despite Scripture's clear teaching about sin and our corrupt nature, sinners respond by denying, ignoring, or hiding their sin. We love darkness rather than light (John 3:19), deceive ourselves (Jer. 17:9; 1 John 1:8), and suppress the truth (Rom. 1:18). Sin distorts our understanding of ourselves, leading us to blame others or believe that we're not that bad. But the heart is the true problem.

This lesson addresses hamartiology, the doctrine of sin—not anthropology. Though man is made in God's image and thus retains some dignity, sin has broken our standing with God. Apart from grace, we always minimize sin. Even though it affects our minds, emotions, speech, choices, and bodies.

The consequences of sin are grave. First is guilt—a legal standing, not merely a feeling. We are guilty lawbreakers before a holy Judge (Rom. 3:19). Because God is just, He must punish sin. He cannot overlook it (Ex. 23:7; Heb. 9:27). Every sin earns death (Rom. 6:23), and sinners face the second, eternal death (Rev. 21:8).

Second, sin causes a broken relationship with God. We are alienated from Him (Isa. 59:2), at war with Him (Gen. 3:15), and counted as His enemies (Col. 1:21). God declares and sustains this enmity because He is holy and just (Nahum 1:2).

Third, sin breaks our relationships with others. Every human relationship is affected by misunderstanding, anger, conflict, and selfishness. Every sorrow and strife ultimately flows from sin, whether ours or others'.

In light of all this, the proper response is despair—until we hear the Gospel. Like the Philippian jailer, we must tremble under conviction and ask, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer is to believe in Jesus.