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Adult Class: September-November 2006

The Church

Lesson 5

Entering the Church: Man’s Sin and God’s Grace

            Concerning entrance to the church of the Lord, the key passage is Acts 2:47, which makes it clear that God adds people to His church when they are saved. We don’t “join the church,” we enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That places us in His body, His family, His temple and His vine. Those who are saved are already members of the Lord’s church; those who are not saved have no claim on Christ (1 Peter 4:17-18). They face a terrible future because they are guilty of sin.

Man’s Sin

            Sin is clearly a universal problem (Romans 3:22-24). That observation has led some to declare that it is bound up in our human nature and that everyone is a sinner by virtue of being human. At the moment of birth, the baby is already doomed, in this thinking. However, the Scriptures are clear that we do not inherit the guilt of sin or the benefit of righteousness (Ezekiel 18:20). Sin started in the Garden and the whole of human experience is comprehended in the scene in Genesis 1-3.

• Temptation. There is an appeal to our pride and vanity that we should decide for ourselves what we ought to do (1 John 2:16). This stems from our human nature in that we have freedom of will—we can decide to follow the right or the wrong. We have the ability to choose the will of God and resist the devil (Ephesians 6:16; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9), but we don’t do it. The observation that we do not live sinlessly is not proof that we cannot live sinlessly. It is strong evidence of our weakness and shortsightedness.
• Sin. This is disobedience to God (1 John 3:4). When we disobey and do what we know to be wrong, it produces in us an emotional pang. It is the practice of sin that awakens the conscience. “Conscience is informed by teaching and past experience” (Everett Ferguson). The presence of a conscience is a measure of moral capacity: can you feel shame at wrongdoing?
              When we sin, try to run away from God. We are capable of good and we know better, but we don’t live up to our heritage. Sin disturbs the moral order of the universe; it is the “vandalism of shalom” (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.).
              Sin is not capable of existing independently; it is a parasite on goodness.
• Punishment. There are always consequences for sin, and the most telling result is death (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27). However, it is important that we remember that there are many, many other consequences of sin, and many of them are visited upon the innocent or uninvolved. It is critical to our spiritual health that we realize that sin expands and grows as it is practiced—it is “ever-increasing” (Romans 6:19).
• Redemption. God built into His universe a plan for the redemption of mankind (Acts 2:23). That plan was wrapped up in Jesus (Romans 5:18-19). From the Garden, God pledged that the consequences for sin were not His last word on the subject, and the devil would not enjoy a permanent victory over humanity (Genesis 3:15; consider Romans 16:20 as a deliberate reference).

God’s Grace

            “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).  

            God has chosen to have mercy upon humanity and provide a means of restoration to fellowship and righteousness with Him. Since there is no pressure on Him in any way to provide this opportunity for us, it can only be by His generous, giving nature. In any way we might like to think about it, salvation is always and only by the grace of God and by grace alone. There is no deed we can perform that compels God to save us or that will contribute the slightest amount to our salvation. We can only respond to His grace. And in His grace, there are various perspectives on Jesus’ work in providing salvation.

• He is a Sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2). The power of this action is largely lost on us, who do not have any history of personal slaughter of inoffensive animals as a result of our personal sin. Still, it is Jesus who died by the plan of God. This has nothing to do with appeasing or paying off God—He, Himself, provided the sacrifice that makes us righteous.
• He is the Reconciler (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). The action of a reconciler is to make friends again between parties that have been at enmity. The reconciler serves in the capacity of Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Jesus has reconciled humanity and provided peace between people and peace between people and God (Ephesians 2:14-18).
• He is the Redeemer (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14). This is an economic term that expresses a truth about deliverance, not about bondage. It is fruitless to speculate on the theology of human condition prior to redemption. Jesus has freed us (Galatians 5:1), so we need not dwell on our former situation.
• He is the Justifier (Romans 3:21-26). This is legal terminology declaring us “Not Guilty” before the judgment seat of God.

            All these perspectives are used to describe God’s grace in making salvation possible for us through Jesus Christ. Although we have greatly offended against every aspect of creation and against the Creator by our sin, He chooses to extend grace to us in Jesus Christ and make it possible for us to be restored to His people, His church.

            All that is necessary is that we choose, by the exercise of our free will, to be restored, just as we chose, by the exercise of our free will, to sin against Him and His work. That response will occupy our next lesson.