Basic Christianity - Chapter 5 "The Fact and Nature Of Sin" Part 1

Having examined and established the evidence for the unique deity of Jesus Christ, we will now move on to a new subject: the Fact and Nature of Sin. The reason why it is so essential that we examine this issue is simple: we not only need to know who Jesus was, but what he came to do. John Stott reminds us, "He is presented not simply as the Lord from heaven but also as the Saviour of Sinners. Indeed, the two cannot be separated, for the validity of His work depends on the divinity of His person."

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Yet before we can appreciate the work which Christ accomplished, we have to recognize who we are as well as who He is. After all, the work He did was done for our sakes. "It was the work of a person for persons, a mission undertaken for needy persons by the only person compentent to meet their need." Christ's compentence is found in His deity; our need is found in our sin. We have thoroughly examined His compentence; we must now take a honest, straightforward look at our sin. "Only then, after we have clearly grasped what we are, shall we be in a position to perceive the wonder of what He has done for us..."

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Of course, sin isn't a popular subject to deal with. Many would rather leave it alone. Christians are often critcized for giving the matter too much consideration. "But," Stott responds, "it is only because Christians are realists that they do so. Sin is not a convenient invention of parsons to keep them in their job; it is a fact of human experience." 

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In fact, Stott points out further, a lot of what we take for granted in "civilized" culture is founded upon the assumption of man's sinfulness. "Nearly all legislation has grown up because human beings cannot be trusted to settle their own disputes with justice and without self-interest. A promise is not enough; we need a contract. Doors are not enough; we have to lock and bolt them. The payment of fares is not enough; tickets have to be issued, inspected and collected. Law and order are not enough; we need police to enforce them." All of this owing to man's sin. We can't trust each other. We have to be protected from one another. It is a terrible reflection of human nature.

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We will first touch upon the universality of sin. This fact is one which is clearly and strongly affirmed by the biblical writers. Here are a few examples:

• Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; 130:3; 143:2
• Ecclesiastes 7:20; 9:3
• Isaiah 53:6; 64:6
• Jeremiah 2:29; 16:12
• Micah 7:2
• Romans 3:10-12; 3:22 -23; 5:12;
• 1 John 1:8; 5:19

After reading such passages as these, the universal extent of sin is plain. But what is sin? What is its nature? The answer to this important question can be best summed up this way:

"Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the Law of God."

Thus, sin is both 1. a shortcoming (failure to conform or obey) and 2. a transgression (willful trespassing or disobedience). In other words, when we sin, we are not only falling short of God's requirements, but we are also willfully disobeying God's requirements. If I were to steal, my wrong would be twofold: first, I would be failing to love my neighbor as myself (Matthew 22:39); second, I would be deliberately disobeying the 8th Commandment "You Shall Not Steal" (Exodus 20:15).

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Of course, all this implies the existence of a moral standard, something by which we may measure ourselves and our actions. This standard is the Law of God, summed up in the Ten Commandments. But we fall far, far short of it. We are desperate sinners who have failed the test miserably.

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There are many people who reject this idea. They have their own "standards", their own "ideals", and believe that they attain them more or less. They do not indulge in much inward examination, nor in undue self-criticism. They know they have lapses every now and then; they are aware of certain character deficiencies; but they are not especially alarmed by them, and they consider themselves to be no worse than other men. Stott says, "All this is understandable enough, until we remember two things. First, our sense of failure depends on how high our standards are. It is quite easy to consider oneself good at high-jumping if the bar is never raised more than waist-high. Second, God concerns Himself with the thought behind the deed and the motive behind the action. Jesus clearly taught this in the Sermon on the Mount. With these two principals in mind, it should prove a healthy exercise to take the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 as our standard and see how very far short of it every man falls."

To be continued...

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Persevero,