First, Examine Your Sin

 

SEEING OUR OWN SINFULNESS

"The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7-8, NIV).
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9, NIV).
"... But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it" (Gen. 4:7, HCSB)
"It is no use giving us rules of conduct; we cannot keep them." --John Stott
"In Adam's fall/ We sinned all" (The New England Primer, 1727).

We all are born "in Adam" (as opposed to becoming "in Christ" upon salvation) or with "original sin" (the result of the first sin) inherited from Adam, by virtue of his being the representative head of our race and acting on our behalf when he disobeyed God. When Adam ate of the so-called "proverbial apple" it was the prototype or model sin: "He spurned God's grace; contradicted His truth; rejected His authority; disputed His wisdom; repudiated His justice, and resisted His grace" (Author unknown).

Sin is our birthright and a virus we all have inherited. It has been defined by the Westminster divines as "any want of conformity to or transgression of the law of God." By the way, it's "any thought, word, action, omission, or desire contrary to the Law of God" (Charlie Riggs of the BGEA) i.e., anything contrary to the nature of God--our Declaration of Independence from God--it's such a killjoy word for preachers but cannot be ignored without peril. It's our birthright and a virus we inherit. We must be against it!

We must see our sinfulness to be saved and come to repentance. The law was given to make us see our sin ("for by the law is the knowledge of sin," cf. Rom. 3:20). It was never given to save us but to show us we need salvation. We don't know how bad we are, till we attempt to become good, and we cannot become good without knowing how bad we are--the solution to this catch-22 is knowing Jesus as our Savior. This so-called doctrine of total depravity or more realistically, radical corruption. means our whole being--heart or emotions, mind or intellect, and will or volition--are corrupt and unable to please God--we're not utterly depraved or as bad as we can be, but as bad off as we can be!

Even our reasoning powers and conscience are corrupt--spoiled by sin (cf. Titus 1:15). We are stubborn, rebellious people whom God has to conform to do His will like a Potter working on clay. G. K. Chesterton said tongue-in-cheek that this is the only doctrine "that can be proved." "... [B]ut men loved darkness rather than light" (cf. John 3:19).

Our sinfulness becomes even more apparent to us as we get closer to God--the closer our walk, the more consciousness of sin. Peter exclaimed, "Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man" (cf. Luke 5:8). Samuel Rutherford said to pray for a hearty sense of sin, because "the greater sense of sin, the less sin." The point of being bad is not that we are too bad to be saved, but never good enough to be saved--Isaiah 64:6 says "our righteousness is as filthy rags."

In fact, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (cf. Rom. 5:20). Let's not play the "let's compare game!" It doesn't matter that we may be better than our neighbor--we all look like saints compared to Saddam Hussein, because God doesn't grade on a curve--we're all in the same boat of falling short of God's glorious ideal per Rom. 3:23.

This solidarity in Adam means we have a legacy of sin as our inheritance and we cannot escape our birthright. We were born in sin, not born free! Our wills were in bondage too, not free till we were freed in Christ upon salvation (cf. John 8:36)! We cannot even save ourselves and don't even meet our own standards of good, as Ovid said, "I see better things and I approve them, but I follow the worst." But the whole point is that the greater we are forgiven, the greater our love, as William Jay of Bath said, "I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior."

In Adam's fall, we all ceased to be good, though not ceasing to be human. We all have a dark side or are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--we all have feet of clay or a vulnerable side no one sees. The world thinks a man is basically good, but he is inherently evil and cannot please God--all he can do is sin. People think this means we are as bad as we can be, but we are as bad off as we can be. We are not as corrupt as possible, for God restrains sin, but our whole nature is corrupt.--total depravity, not utter depravity. Why? God can turn the wrath of man to praise Him (cf. Psalm 76:10). We see goodness in light of evil and evil brings opportunity for good. The good news is that no one is too bad to be saved, but grace abounds to the chief of sinners, as John Bunyan wrote (cf. Rom. 5:20).

Sin has been our downfall and we must be reminded of our old sin nature or it will dominate. "Sin wants to destroy you, but we must not let it" (cf. Gen. 4:7, CEV). We need to renounce sin in ourselves and turn from it first to have discernment. "The absurd," according to Albert Camus, "is sin without God"--we must become aware of sin to repent of it; that's why knowledge and admission of sin is the missing ingredient (Whatever Became of Sin? by Karl Menninger, MD).

We are all guilty of rebellion, independent attitudes, lawlessness, godlessness, injustice, unbelief, iniquity, and all manner of transgression and unrighteousness--these are all evil violations of God's person and nature. D. James Kennedy says the law was given to show us we don't keep it, the "law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul" (cf. Psalm 19:7). The Law doesn't convert us or save us, it measures and convicts us!

In the final analysis, we all must exclaim to God as Paul did, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Cf. Rom. 7:24). He answers his own question: "Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Cf. Rom. 7:25). The higher law Christians adhere to is the law of love, which is done willingly and gratefully. Soli Deo Gloria!

Why Believe The Bible?

Did you know that there are twenty-six books in the world that claim to be Holy Scripture (the Brahman Vedas, the Buddhist Canon of Sacred Scripture, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Zoroastrian Zend-Avesta, et al)? However, the Bible is the only one with predictive prophecy! Remember, Deut. 18:18 says that the test of a true prophet is 100 percent accuracy or the death penalty! "If they speak not according to this Word, they have no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). Only God knows and prophesies the future (cf. Isaiah 41:22; 45:21;46:9; Jer. 28:9). Note that there is something very peculiar and unique about Jesus: He doesn't quote the authorities but relies on His own authority and spoke like no man has ever done.  

The Qur'an, on the other hand, has one instance of self-fulfilling prophecy when Mohammad predicts he'll return to Mecca!  Only God can predict the future and God (in Isaiah) challenges any other "god" to tell the future.   But there are over 2,000 fulfilled prophecies in the Bible, not just a few lucky .guesses.  Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled over 300!

Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed the OT tradition and many have set out to disprove the Bible and with over 25,000 sites recovered there still is no contradiction.  Like Jesus said, "The rocks cry out!"   Historically, the Bible has been verified, and even though secular historians are usually given more credibility than the Bible, they have yet to disprove anything in the Scriptures!  For example, Luke has been discovered to be one of the best historians of antiquity.

Also, science has failed to contradict the Bible, even though the French Academy of Science declared 51 scientific facts that controverted the Bible in 1861, now not one of the so-called facts is believed--the Bible was right!.  There is not a contradiction between science and Scripture and where the Bible does make a scientific statement of fact, it is correct, even if ahead of its time.  The Bible is not a scientific textbook, said Galileo, but a book of salvation--however, where it does state a scientific statement it is correct and never proven wrong.

The Bible is self-attesting, (over 3,000 times it says, "Thus says the LORD" or its equivalent) [no other sacred writing does this--they don't dare!]  Scripture is its own Supreme Court, its own interpreter, and commentator.   It is believed because it is believable unless you have the presupposition that miracles just don't happen! Ancient peoples didn't doubt the reality of miracles, just what they meant.  The writers are not inveterate or consummate liars, but credible witnesses--the credibility of a demon is not to be established and this only stands to reason!  The test of their veracity was they the Apostles went to their death without recanting--death was their test!  "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths or fables when we made known to you the Word of Truth but were eyewitnesses of His majesty"  (2 Pet. 1:21). "Thus saith the LORD" or its equivalent) which means it assumes you believe it and doesn't appeal to some higher power or authority.  It proves and verifies itself.  If you appealed to science, for instance, science would have higher authority than God!

The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is therefore inerrant and infallible in its original manuscripts.  None of these are extant--we rely on copies.   An interesting fact is that there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts available to test the veracity of Scripture, while we only have 10 good copies of Caesar's Gallic Wars or of the History of Herodotus.  There is no comparison, yet no one doubts the authenticity of these documents.  There is more proof for the resurrection of Christ than for any other fact in antiquity.  It is the most attested and variously supported fact if the era!  Doubting Jesus' historicity is unsound and yet scholars don't dare doubt the historicity of Caesar or Alexander the Great.

The Bible is like a caged lion--you don't have to defend it, it can take care of itself.  People who criticize it usually haven't read it!   The Bible can convict a person if he has an open mind and is willing to do God's will he shall know whether it is of God.  Jesus said, "If a man is willing to do His will, he  shall know whether the doctrine is of God or whether I speak on my own authority" (John 

7:17).

I know of a preacher that said, "I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me."  The works of Shakespeare can be entertaining and educating, but only the Bible can transform the soul. The proof of the pudding is in the eating:   "The Word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of joints and marrow, of soul and spirit, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" Hebrews 4:12).! 

Not At Liberty To Our Own Jesus Image

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached ... ye might well bear with him," (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4). 

 Everyone thinks of someone when they think of Jesus, whether some characterization, movie personification,  caricature, or even image we invent, or even the one of conventional or historical reference--the historical Jesus, as if this one is not the one the apostles believed in but somehow they were deceived and got it all wrong and even latter deified Him when Jesus never really claimed to be God.  We don't have the prerogative or right to think of Jesus any way we choose or in some invention of our liking or as whom we personally prefer to think of!  We must receive Christ for who is He is in all reality, or not at all!  He is Lord of all (cf. Romans 10:12; Acts 10:36).

Paul said, "I know in whom I have believed..." and "I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection."  Jesus said that to know Him is eternal life.  We must be anchored in reality for our image of God or our interpretation and what we think of Jesus is the most important thing about us, it may not matter in the long term what you think of the president, but your conception of Jesus is the criterion of your judgment. this is what determines your destiny! It can have consequences, personally speaking, because it may affect our testimony and how we live our lives, and what our goals are. 

To see Jesus as some all-encompassing and accepting all no matter what, or as some sentimental, maudlin, non-judgmental, politically-correct, unoffending, loving Jesus, as some Jesus Christ Superstar or celebrity, or as some impotent but friendy man upstairs we envision or a flexible man that can fit into our stereotypes or boxes of definitions makes Him one-dimensional and not who He meant to be as the Almighty.  Some may sincerely say, "I like to think of Jesus as my friend" or "as my buddy" or as my "Advocate," or brother" but we must realize He is "Lord of all" and must submit all things to Him and make Him the number one priority; He owns us because we are slaves whom He has redeemed! The more submitted we are to His lordship, the freer we are.   But we live in a pluralistic society where people deny absolute truth and think no religion can be right or has the right to claim it, so we must not be dogmatic in order to get along.  In this reality, contradictions are a-okay and there's no absolute truth or values! 

To accept Jesus or to receive Him as Lord and Savior is not an option.  We must recognize Him as the only begotten Son of God, God the Son manifest in the flesh coequal to the Father in every way.  He is not one of many ways, nor even the best way, but the only way according to A. W. Tozer.  Even some evangelicals don't realize the necessity of receiving Him as Lord of our lives or to make a lordship decision in our salvation. 

For instance, Jesus is not the surrogate of God, a form of lesser deity or creation of God as a god, not God Himself, or as a deified man or even humanized God or demigod. Jesus must be received and recognized as the God-man or as fully and truly God as well as fully and truly man: two natures not to be mixed but to remain in their completeness and integrity, and in one person fully united without compromise of either nature and not to be confounded or diminished. The mystery of this union of two natures into one Person is known as the hypostatic union and the process of when God became a man is known as the incarnation; both vital doctrines to true Christian orthodoxy. 

We must believe in Him for who He claimed to be and He did claim and assert His deity as well as show it by divers miracles, signs, and wonders. He was like us in every manner except that He never sinned  He also suffered as a human without any special treatment from the Father.  All this so He could relate to us and intercede faithfully.   Soli Deo Gloria!