Why We Need Jesus Series

Why we need Jesus. The problems sin creates 10-16-05 am

Text: II Cor. 5:17-22

Intro:

1. Last week we started looking at our problem, sin.

2. We noticed the two basic premises of sin, the two

core ideas of sin:

a) distrust and dishonor of God, stealing from

God what is rightfully His, and

b) elevation of self, lifting up ourselves as

knowing better than God what is good for us.

3. Our guilt in sin is based upon these two premises.

4. Whatever our transgression is, we do it because

we distrust God and feel like we know better how

to handle the situation.

5. The weight of this knowledge should be a huge and

heavy wet blanket on our souls.

6. Sin is more than just an action we should or

shouldn’t do. It is a heart problem.

7. and what happened in the garden of Eden produced

more catastrophic results than any natural

disaster this world has seen.

8. I want us to look at those consequences.

I. IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE

ACTIONS OF THE FIRST PAIR

A. Shame due to guilt. “their eyes were opened…”

1. Just as Satan had told them, but what

they didn’t expect.

2. Now they understood their dependence upon

God

3. They realized their nakedness, which I

believe represents their condition

before God

4. They attempt to hide that dependence with

fig leaves

B. Fear—“God came walking…”

1. Isn’t it interesting that God appears in

the garden as one that still desires a

relationship knowing all the while what

the couple have done.

2. Adam and Eve hide due to guilt, shame and

fear.

3. When confronted, they blame someone else.

C. The responses we see here are the same we see

today.

1. Guilt, shame and fear and their relatives

of anger, hurt, depression are still

around today and wreak havoc on millions

of lives, just ask any counselor or

therapist

2. However, there are just as many today who

are not sensitive to their standing

before God and will not admit any wrong—

they feel no guilt, no personal

responsibility, still viewing sin as big

acts that need forgiveness.

3. guilt, shame, and fear cause people to

blame, hide and try to maintain their

standing before men rather than repair

their relationship with God.

II. IMMEDIATE AND LONG-LASTING SPIRITUAL

CONSEQUENCES

A. We took away from God what is rightfully His—

honor, authority, rule, trust; we refused to

submit to his will, thus we have a debt to

repay.

B. However, we have rendered ourselves incapable

of paying the debt by separating ourselves

from God due to our sin, (Isa. 59:1,2) thus

we have a debt but can’t repay it because we

can’t approach a Holy God. (Adam and Eve were

cast out of the garden, out of the presence

of God)

C. We would not be subjects in service to God in

His kingdom, but we sold ourselves into

slavery of Satan and now are held under his

control. Rom. 6 Paul uses this language to

explain our plight

D. We have incurred God’s wrath because, having

opposed and disobeyed him, now we must be

punished. Rom. 1:18.

E. We need to understand our situation, how

hopeless and Dismal, and that we cannot do

anything about it by ourselves. Cf. Eph.

2:12

III. GOD’S PROBLEM WITH OUR SIN; WHAT SIN DOES

TO GOD

A. Note God’s moral attributes:

1. immutable—unchangeable, James 1:17, Heb.

13:8

2. Holy—completely separated from anything

impure, the most often mentioned attribute

of God

3. Love—unconditional expression of rational

and voluntary service. Cf. Mt. 5:43-48

4. Goodness—the perfection of his nature

5. Truthfulness—Perfect knowledge of all

truth and never contradicting that truth.

6. Faithfulness—manifested by his

truthfulness, he never acts contrary to

the true nature of his being,

regardless of how we act toward him,

cf. II Tim. 2:11-13

7. Patience—longsuffering, II Pet. 3:9

8. Justice—acting, behaving according to a

standard, a straight line; includes the

idea of acting properly regarding one’s

rights, establishing and maintaining

the rights of others.

9. Wrath—in essence, the natural expression

of the divine nature-which is absolute

holiness and purity-manifesting itself

against the willful, deliberate &

inexcusable sin. Rom. 1:18

10. Knowledge—Perfect knowledge, omniscience

B. thus, looking at God’s moral attributes, sin

puts God in a dilemma:

1. On the one hand, Justice and wrath demand

satisfaction for sin, disobedience must

be punished; this is core to any justice

system.

a) either the guilty party pays

voluntarily or will ultimately pay

involuntarily

b) the debt of submission, honor and

rule will be repaid.

2. On the other hand, Love, grace and mercy

demand compassion.

3. Somehow, God must act true to his nature

and resolve our problem of sin and its

consequences.

IV. GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND NOW PROVIDES