UNIT III - Sin, Death, and the Devil
The Doctrine of Sin
Original Sin and Actual Sin
The Fall Into Sin
The Tactics of Temptation
The Tactics of Counter-Temptation
The Aftermath of the Fall Into Sin
God's Response to Man's Fall Into Sin
Death the Final Result of Sin
The Devil - Mankind's Ancient Foe
The Problem of Evil
Sin is the natural condition of every human being. The Bible teaches that human sinfulness is not merely a series of errors, wrong actions, or bad habits. Sin is primarily what we are; not just what we do. The sinful thoughts, desires, words, and actions that we commit are the symptoms of the disease, not the disease itself. Our sinfulness begins at the instant we become human, before we have ever done anything.
Psalm 51:5 "Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."
Ephesians 2:1-3 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath."
Romans 8:7 "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."
I John 3:4 "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness."
Original sin is the total corruption of our whole human nature which we have inherited from Adam through our parents. Original sin has brought guilt and condemnation on all people, left everyone without true fear and love of God (spiritually blind, dead, and enemies of God, cf. p.11), and causes everyone to commit all kinds of specific transgressions of the law of God.
Romans 5:12,14,18 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...Nevertheless death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come...Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men."
Genesis 8:21 "Every inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood."
Galatians 5:19 "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality; impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."
Actual sin is every act against a commandment of God in thought, desire, word, or deed. It is God's will, expressed in his Word, summarized in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), that determines right and wrong. That standard of morality is objective and absolute. It does not and cannot change in contrast to human standards of right and wrong which are subjective and functional (Does it work? Will I get caught? Does anyone get hurt?)! The corruption of Original Sin is universal. Therefore the prevalence of Actual Sin is also universal.
Matthew 15:19 "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."
James 1:15 "After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin." (Sins of Commission)
James 4:17 "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (Sins of Omission)
I John 3:4 "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness."
Psalm 51:4 "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge."
Psalm 14:3 "All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Ecclesiastes 7:20 "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins."
In the eyes of the holy God all sins are equally deserving of damnation. No sin is insignificant or tolerable. Sin is always a matter of life and death. While the eternal consequences of all sins are the same, some sins are more damaging than others here in time. (i.e. hate - murder: lust - adultery)
Galatians 3:10 "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law at yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
Matthew 5:19-20, 27 "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven...For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law; you will certainly not enter into the kingdom of heaven...You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart."
Sin was introduced into the perfection of God's good creation when Eve and Adam yielded to the temptation of the devil and deliberately chose to disobey the will and command of the Creator. The Biblical account of the Fall into Sin provides a graphic description of the tactics which Satan successfully used against our first parents in the Garden of Eden. (cf. Genesis 3:1-7) He continues to use the same approach today with equally devastating results. The parallel account of the temptation of Christ (cf. Matthew 4:1-11) demonstrates that the victory of Satan is not inevitable if we will learn to pattern our lives after the "Second Adam" rather than the first.
THE TACTICS OF TEMPTATION (Genesis 3:1-7)
STEP 1-Attack at the point of greatest vulnerability. (vs. 1)
STEP 2-Conceal your real objective by raising false questions. (vs. 1)
STEP 3-Suggest that God's commands are unrealistic and unattainable. (vs. 1)
STEP 4-Create confusion! Cast doubt on God's Word. (vs.1,2)
STEP 5-Deny the consequences of disobedience. (vs. 4)
STEP 6-Present sin as the path to happiness and self-fulfillment. (vs. 5)
STEP 7-Blend truth and falsehood together to make the lie more convincing. (vs. 5)
STEP 8-Appeal to human pride! (vs. 5)
John 8:44 "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is not truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
II Corinthians 2:10-11; 11:3 "If there is anything to forgive, I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes...But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
COUNTER-TEMPTATION TACTICS (Matthew 4:1-11)
STEP 1-Focus on God's Will Instead of Personal Needs and Desires. (vs.1-4)
STEP 2-Recognize the real issue - avoid Satanic diversion. (vs.4,7,10)
STEP 3-Trust the Word of God and Wield it as your Spiritual Weapon (vs.4,7,10)
STEP 4-Do Not Be Deterred by Satan's Scripture Twisting. (vs.6)
STEP 5-Be Prepared for an Ongoing Assault - The Devil Does Not Give Up Easily
(vs.3,5,8,11)
STEP 6-Give All Glory to God and Use His Power to Defeat and Dismiss the Enemy (vs.10)
THE AFTERMATH OF THE FALL INTO SIN
1. SHAME AND GUILT - "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."
(Note: Adam and Eve failed to recognize the real problem. They were not ashamed of being naked. They were ashamed of themselves. They expressed their guilt by concealing the portion of their bodies used to express love, our most intimate and personal emotion. Their pathetic fig leaves are an apt symbol of all of man's futile attempts to deal with his guilt.)
2. FEAR - "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
(NOTE: Man's fear drives him to ridiculous lengths. Adam and Eve huddle in the bushes, hiding from the all powerful and all knowing God who made both them and the bushes.)
3. FALSEHOOD - "He answered, 'I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'"
(NOTE: Fear produces falsehood. Adam is afraid to tell the truth because he knows what God's judgement upon disobedience must be.)
4. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY - "The man said, 'The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.'"...The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me and I ate.'"
(NOTE: Adam blames God or the woman. The woman blames the serpent. And so it begins - the endless passing of the buck which has gone on ever since.)
GOD'S RESPONSE TO MAN'S FALL INTO SIN
1. The righteous decree of the law must stand - "when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). God who is just and holy cannot ignore, overlook, or tolerate sin. The tragic consequences of man's disobedience are clearly defined. (Genesis 3:14-19)
2. God, who is love and mercy, continues to pursue fallen mankind - "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day...But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?'" (Genesis 3:8-9). God is unwilling to abandon us to the death and damnation we fully deserve.
3. Standing amid the ruin of His perfect creation, God makes the first promise of the Savior ("protoevangelium" - "first gospel"). The Lord announces that He will act to undo the damage that has been done. He will pay the price that mankind could never have paid for itself. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
DEATH - THE FINAL RESULT OF SIN
"The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23
1. Spiritual Death - the disruption of the relationship between God and man as a consequence of unbelief and sin. There can be no real life apart from God in Christ. Those who are physically alive but trapped in unbelief and cut off from God are already dead spiritually.
John 6:53 "Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will have no life in you.'"
Ephesians 2:1 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins."
Colossians 2:13 "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature; God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins."
I Timothy 5:6 "But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives."
Revelation 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds. You have a reputation of being alive but you are dead."
2. Temporal Death - the separation of the body and the soul. Man was created to enjoy physical immortality. But under the curse of sin, body and soul are torn apart from one another. This event, so terrifying in itself, loses its terror for Christians only because through faith in Christ temporal death becomes the gateway to paradise.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 "The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
Luke 23:43 "I tell you the truth, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.'"
Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me."
3. Eternal Death - the ultimate result of spiritual death, an eternity of torment in the undying fires of Hell. Physical death for the unbeliever is not merely the end of existence. It is, instead, the beginning of everlasting punishment.
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
THE DEVIL - MANKIND'S ANCIENT FOE
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." I Peter 5:8
The Bible teaches that the devil and his demons are fallen angels who committed the sin of pride, rebelled against God, and were expelled from heaven.
Isaiah 14:12-15 "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations. You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned upon the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit."
Ezekial 12-15 "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and emerald, chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until wickedness was found in you."
I Timothy 3:6 "He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil."
II Peter 2:4 "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to Hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgement..."
Jude 6 "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains on the great day."
Revelation 12:7-9 "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."
Satan is known by many names and titles in Scripture which are descriptive of his nature and his work. They include: Satan - the Accuser (Hebrew) (Zechariah 3:1-2); Devil - the Accuser (Greek)(I Peter 5:8); Belial - Lawless One (II Corinthians 6:15); Beelzebul - Lord of the Flies (Matthew 10:25); Adversary (I Peter 5:8); Deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:9); Murderer (John 8:44); Father of Lies (John 8:44); Lucifer - Morning Star (Isaiah 14:12); Great Dragon, Ancient Serpent (Revelation 12:8); Prince of Demons (Matthew 12:24); Tempter (Matthew 4:3); God of this World (II Corinthians 4:4); Unclean Spirit (Matthew 12:43); and, Wicked One (Matthew 13:19).
The Bible warns that the Devil is a powerful foe whom we dare not underestimate (Matthew 10:28; I Peter 5:8). The demons who serve him in his implacable war against God and his people are many. "Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' "My name is Legion,' he replied, 'for we are many.' (Mark 5:9). But even Satan himself operates within the constraints of God's power. To use Luther's phrase, he is "Gottes Teufel" (God's Devil) cf. Job 1:6-12 His most diabolical schemes serve the purposes and plans of God. cf. Genesis 50:20. The Word of God assures Christians that this fearsome enemy has been defeated. Standing firm in the faith, we have a share in Christ's victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
The Origin of Evil
God did not create evil. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) The potential for evil came into being when God created angels and men with free will. From that point on the possibility existed that free will would be exercised in disobedience, and thus evil would become a reality. Satan seems to suggest as much when he tempts Eve with the half-truth, "When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5).
Why, then, did God endow angels and men with free will? The solution to this dilemma takes us back to the most basic question of all: Why did God create? The answer is suggested in Genesis 2 and its description of the creation of man as male and female. Having placed Adam in the midst of a perfect world, surrounded by the beauty of Eden's garden, the text inexplicably announces; "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone.'" (Genesis 2:18) Why not? Because man was created in the image and likeness of God, with the capability to love and to be loved. Unlike man, God is perfectly self-sufficient. He has no needs and depends on no one. His action in creation was caused by nothing outside of Himself, determined solely by His own good pleasure (cf. Ephesians 1:11). And yet, God is love (cf. 2 John 4:8), and His action in creation is an expression of that love. He created man to live in loving relationship with Him. But love requires free will, for without the ability to choose there can be no love. So God, the Lover, gave man free will and in so doing created the possibility of evil. Of course, He knew that man would choose sin. But He also knew that in love He Himself would pay the price to buy man back from his sin with the blood of His own Son. Thus the reason for it all was love.
Evil and Suffering in Our World
Like many people today, the Psalmist of old was troubled by the grim reality of evil in the world. He attempted to reconcile its consequences of pain, suffering, and sorrow with the love and mercy of almighty God. He failed in that attempt and was compelled to admit: "When I tried to understand all this it was oppressive to me." (Psalm 73:16) But instead of rejecting God, as do so many of our contemporaries, he found peace in a faith which trusted God's Word and accepted that which reason cannot comprehend. "Till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny...As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Psalm 73:16,28) We would do well do follow his example; affirming what the Bible says and recognizing the limitations of our reason.
1. God is sovereign and omnipotent. All things occur according to the determinate counsel of God. cf. Isaiah 45:7; Amos 3:6; Matthew 10:29-39.
2. Man is given the ability and the responsibility to make his own choices and remains accountable for those choices. cf. Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Romans 1:18-20; James 1:13-14.
3. While God does not desire evil, and limits its power, He does use and control it in the service of good. cf. Genesis 50:20; Job 1-2; Psalm 5:4; 33:10; Romans 8:28.
4. Suffering in the life of the believer can help to test, strengthen, and purify us in our faith, increasing our dependence on God. cf. Isaiah 48:10; Romans 8:18-39; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Hebrews 12:4-13; I Peter 1:6-9.
5. Scripture urges the believer to trust in the love of God and cling to His promises no matter how difficult or painful the circumstances of life may become.
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised...Though He slay me yet will I hope in Him." Job 1:21, 13:15
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:17-19
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:18,28,35,37-39