I. Why We Sin (Gen 3:1-5)
Briefly, Satan does not primarily question the existence of God, or the power of God. Rather he questions the goodness of God. When any man questions the goodness of God, he WILL sin and seek his own goodness. He lives as though he is God and knows better than God, thus living in rebellion against God. Satan always says:
When we listen to Satan, we respond in 1 of 2 ways. We joke about everything so that nothing is serious. Or we are serious about everything because of our own sense of self-importance. In the former, we are too proud to consider serious matters of life and death; so we joke about everything. In the latter, we are too proud to laugh at ourselves, because of our highly inflated view of ourselves.
II. How We Act (Gen 3:6-13)
Sin touches and affects every aspect of our life and reality. It leads to spiritual alienation (cut off from God) (Gen 3:8), psychological alienation (something deeply wrong with ourselves) (Gen 3:7), social alienation (not transparent with others; blaming others) (Gen 3:11-14).David Atkinson) We are no longer at ease with ourselves. We have a loss of identity, a desperate sense of anxiety and insecurity. We feel an urgent need to cover up. We feel the need to prove to others that I’m OK. Why? It’s because no one believes that he is OK.
Plato blamed the body. Freud blamed the mind. Rousseau blamed society. Fascists blamed the "bad people." Only the Bible comprehensively says that everything is good, but fallen.
Shame is "that sense of unease with yourself at the heart of your being." (David Atkinson) Only God gives man his true sense of value, security, worth, fulfillment, satisfaction. So, when man sinned he lost his most precious treasure--God--along with everything that gives him a sense of being a man. Everything we do today is what the man did after they sinned. They "made coverings for themselves" (Gen 3:7). We "cover" ourselves often without even realizing it. We say (or think or do):
Even as Christians, we "cover up" our sins by confessing sins generically and generally, while implicitly communicating to others that "I am a good Christian." Or "I'm blessed and rewarded by God because I am good." John Calvin said that even Christians “bury the disgrace of their vices under flimsy leaves till God, by his voice, strikes inwardly their consciences.”
We are always "reaching" (Gen 3:22) for something that will ultimately never satisfy us, or fulfill us.
III. What God Does (Gen 3:14-24)
Unless we know that we are OK with God, that God accepts us and loves us, we cannot but continually "prove" to others that we are OK, that we are good, that we are loving. Outside of the Cross (even as Christians), this is what we will always do all the days of our lives. Only in the Cross are we truly OK and accepted by God on the basis of what Christ has done (2 Cor 5:21).
Briefly, Satan does not primarily question the existence of God, or the power of God. Rather he questions the goodness of God. When any man questions the goodness of God, he WILL sin and seek his own goodness. He lives as though he is God and knows better than God, thus living in rebellion against God. Satan always says:
- God is not good.
- God is not enough.
- God doesn't want you to be happy/to have fun.
- God will never give you what you really want.
- You can't trust God.
When we listen to Satan, we respond in 1 of 2 ways. We joke about everything so that nothing is serious. Or we are serious about everything because of our own sense of self-importance. In the former, we are too proud to consider serious matters of life and death; so we joke about everything. In the latter, we are too proud to laugh at ourselves, because of our highly inflated view of ourselves.
II. How We Act (Gen 3:6-13)
Sin touches and affects every aspect of our life and reality. It leads to spiritual alienation (cut off from God) (Gen 3:8), psychological alienation (something deeply wrong with ourselves) (Gen 3:7), social alienation (not transparent with others; blaming others) (Gen 3:11-14).David Atkinson) We are no longer at ease with ourselves. We have a loss of identity, a desperate sense of anxiety and insecurity. We feel an urgent need to cover up. We feel the need to prove to others that I’m OK. Why? It’s because no one believes that he is OK.
Plato blamed the body. Freud blamed the mind. Rousseau blamed society. Fascists blamed the "bad people." Only the Bible comprehensively says that everything is good, but fallen.
Shame is "that sense of unease with yourself at the heart of your being." (David Atkinson) Only God gives man his true sense of value, security, worth, fulfillment, satisfaction. So, when man sinned he lost his most precious treasure--God--along with everything that gives him a sense of being a man. Everything we do today is what the man did after they sinned. They "made coverings for themselves" (Gen 3:7). We "cover" ourselves often without even realizing it. We say (or think or do):
- You're wrong.
- I had a bad day.
- I didn't mean it.
- It's too hard.
- No one's perfect.
- I'm not lazy.
- I was tired.
- He provoked me.
- Everybody lies/lusts.
- Nobody's entirely honest.
- Defending ourselves.
- Accusing/blaming others.
- Comparing our strengths with the weaknesses of others.
Even as Christians, we "cover up" our sins by confessing sins generically and generally, while implicitly communicating to others that "I am a good Christian." Or "I'm blessed and rewarded by God because I am good." John Calvin said that even Christians “bury the disgrace of their vices under flimsy leaves till God, by his voice, strikes inwardly their consciences.”
We are always "reaching" (Gen 3:22) for something that will ultimately never satisfy us, or fulfill us.
III. What God Does (Gen 3:14-24)
- God searches for man (Gen 3:9). God knows where this would ultimately lead.
- God gave man chances to come clean (Gen 3:11,13).
- God promised to crush Satan's head at great cost to Himself (Gen 3:15).
- God shed an animal's blood to clothe man (Gen 3:21).
- God put a sword to guard the way to life (Gen 3:24).
O all ye who pass by, behold and see;
man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree;
The tree of life to all, but only me:
Was ever grief like mine?
man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree;
The tree of life to all, but only me:
Was ever grief like mine?
The Sacrifice, George Herbert (1863-1931)
Unless we know that we are OK with God, that God accepts us and loves us, we cannot but continually "prove" to others that we are OK, that we are good, that we are loving. Outside of the Cross (even as Christians), this is what we will always do all the days of our lives. Only in the Cross are we truly OK and accepted by God on the basis of what Christ has done (2 Cor 5:21).
No comments:
Post a Comment