TBC Doctrinal Class - Sin & Regeneration (Part 7)

TBC DOCTRINAL STATEMENT #7 Sin & Regeneration Colossians 2:6–7 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6–7 Colossians 2:6–7 (ESV) Therefore, as ! " Christ Jesus the #, so $% in him, 7 & and ' up in him and ( in the ), just as ! were *, ⛲ in ,. Colossians 2:6–7 Colossians 2:6–7 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, [accordance] so walk in him, [exhortation] 7rooted [means] and built up in him [means] and established in the faith, [means] just as you were taught, [accordance] abounding in thanksgiving. [summary/goal] Colossians 2:6–7 Who would like to try to say it from memory? Colossians 2:6–7 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6–7 Do we believe this? In the total depravity of human nature as a result of the fall of man (Gen.3) and the necessity of the new birth for salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:3-7). Do we believe that . . . Adam and Eve’s sin caused the entire human race to fall from a state of innocence. The result of the Fall is that sin infects and affects every aspect of human nature. Human nature is so badly damaged by the Fall that humans cannot save themselves. Sin’s corruption of human nature requires a new birth and a new nature rather than mere renovation/restoration of the original human nature. Adam and Eve’s sin caused the entire human race to fall from a state of innocence. Genesis 3:17–19 (ESV)And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.19By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Note: The virgin birth of Jesus, i.e., Jesus’ having God as His biological Father instead a descendant of Adam as his father, preserved Jesus from inheriting a sinful human nature from Adam. Romans 5:12 (ESV) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— The result of the Fall is that sin infects and affects every aspect of human nature. Total depravity = the reality that sin affects and infects every part of Adam’s descendants Romans 5:12 (ESV) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— What is depravity? 1: moral corruption; wickedness. 2: the innate corruption of human nature, due to original sin Definitions from Oxford Languages via Google accessed 30 May 2023 What parts of our being does sin affect and infect? Total depravity and the human mind Ephesians 4:17–18 (ESV) Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. Romans 1:21 (ESV) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Total depravity and the conscience Titus 1:15 (ESV) To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. What does our conscience do? Romans 2:15 (ESV) They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. Conscience is our internal judge that condemns or justifies to our minds what we say and do. What is this? Why do instrument panels malfunction? Because sensors malfunction, wear out, or get disconnected Photos: Supercheap Auto Prior to salvation, our consciences are full of guilt and malformed by sin. Hebrews 10:22 (ESV) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 1 Timothy 4:2 (ESV) through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, After salvation, our consciences are still misinformed and/or weak in certain areas 1 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV) However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Total depravity and the human imagination Genesis 6:5 (KJV 1900)And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 1 Timothy 6:5 (ESV) and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Total depravity and the human will Romans 7:15–17 (ESV) For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Total depravity and human desires Ephesians 4:22 (ESV) to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, Romans 13:14 (ESV) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Galatians 5:24 (ESV) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Total depravity and feelings passions: “an inward experience of an affective nature, feeling, interest” William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 748. Galatians 5:24 (ESV) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Romans 7:5 (ESV) For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. Total depravity and the human body Genesis 2:16–17 (ESV) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” [lit. “dying, you shall die”]. Genesis 3:19 (ESV) By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Total depravity and the human body John 11:38–39 (ESV) Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 1 Corinthians 15:42–44 (ESV) So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Why would Lazarus stink after 4 days? “Decomposition begins several minutes after death, with a process called autolysis, or self-digestion. Soon after the heart stops beating, cells become deprived of oxygen, and their acidity increases as the toxic by-products of chemical reactions begin to accumulate inside them. Enzymes start to digest cell membranes and then leak out as the cells break down.” Mo Costandi, “Life After Death: The Science of Decomposition” 5 May 2015 https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2015/may/05/life-afterdeath. accessed 2 June 2023 #4 T/F Humans are born totally depraved. True Does the Bible teach total depravity? Psalm 14:2–3 (ESV) The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Genesis 6:11–12 (ESV)Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. corrupt: “be (become) ruined, spoiled” Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1470. What parts of a humanity does sin affect? Game: Take 3 minutes and list every profession/ vocation/job that is a direct result of sin. I.e., if sin did not exist, this profession/vocation/job would not be necessary. No points for professions that have a significant number of non-fall reasons for existing. Example 1: forensic accountant (correct—because forensic accountants focus on unraveling financial crimes/sins) Example 2: accountant (incorrect—because general accountants keep track of God’s bounty and not just of ill-gotten gain) Occupations directly rising from the Fall • police officer/law enforcement • mortician • funeral industry • coroner • lawyer/solicitor • judge • legislator • fireman • doctor/paramedic/medical profession/nurse/surgeon • health inspector • aged care industry • ADF/military • repairman • psychologist/mental health provider • veterinarian • dentist • SES • security guard Occupations directly rising from the Fall • private investigator • investigative reporter • security system designer/installer/ monitor • cyber security analyst • foster parent • plastic surgeon • boxer/MMA fighter • ninja/assassin • spy • insurance agent/industry • banker • mafioso/professional criminal • prison guard/incarceration industry • fact checker • chemist/pharmacist • physio • nutritionist/naturo-path • locksmith Occupations directly rising from the Fall • casino operator • debt collector/counsellor • pharmaceutical researcher • makeup artist • speech therapist • tutor • armorer • animal shelter worker • homeless advocate/social worker • support worker NDIS • evangelist/missionary • TGA Does the Bible teach total depravity? “Perhaps ‘radical corruption’ is a better term to describe our fallen condition than ‘total depravity.’ I am using the word ‘radical’ not so much to mean ‘extreme,’ but to lean more heavily on its original meaning. ‘Radical’ comes from the Latin word for ‘root’ or ‘core.’ Our problem with sin is that it is rooted in the core of our being. It permeates our hearts. It is because sin is at our core and not merely at the exterior of our lives that the Bible says: ‘There is none righteous, no not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’ Romans 3:10-12.” bolding mine;“Human Depravity” by R.C. Sproul https://www.monergism.com/ thethreshold/articles/onsite/sproul/depravity.html What is utter depravity? utter depravity = the teaching that we are as bad as we possibly can be #5 T/F Humans are born utterly depraved. FALSE! The Bible never teaches that we are as bad as we could be. #2 T/F Humans are inherently good beings who sometimes do bad things. FALSE! Romans 3:9–11 (ESV) What then? Are we Jews any better off ? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11no one understands; no one seeks for God. #2 T/F Humans are inherently good beings who sometimes do bad things. This is Plagiarism. Pelagianism The teachings associated with Pelagius, a British monk who taught in Rome in the late 4th and early 5th centuries ad. Pelagianism taught that people are capable of avoiding sin and choosing to live righteous lives even apart from God’s grace. Pelagius rejected the ideas of original sin and predestination. He believed that people were not inherently sinful and that they were able to live holy lives in accordance with God’s will and merit salvation by good works. His views were vehemently opposed by Augustine of Hippo. John D. Barry et al., eds., “Pelagianism,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). #6 T/F Bad people cannot do good things. False if “good things” = beneficial to others True if “good things” = perfect in the sight of God #6 T/F Bad people cannot do good things. False if “good things” = beneficial to others Because of common grace, even unrepentant sinners do beneficial things for other humans. Matthew 7:11 (ESV) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! #6 T/F Bad people cannot do good things. True if “good things” = perfect in the sight of God Although unrepentant sinners may perform beneficial acts, they never do them for the glory of God. Consequently, God is not pleased with even the best actions of a wicked person. Proverbs 21:4 (KJV 1900) An high look, and a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked, is sin. Can bad people do good things? “Although works done by unregenerate people might be things that God commands and are profitable to both themselves and others, 19 —since they do not come from a heart purified by faith, 20 are not done in a right manner according to the Bible, 21 and are not done for the right purpose, namely, the glory of God 22 —they are therefore sinful and cannot please God. These works cannot make a person qualified to receive grace from God. 23 At the same time, it is even more sinful and displeasing to God if they neglect those kinds of works. 24 bolding mine; The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith in Modern English, Chapter 16. “Of Good Works,” paragraph 7 https://1689londonbaptistconfession.com/16 What is sin? 1 John 3:4 (ESV) Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 1 John 5:17 (ESV) All wrongdoing [lit. unrighteousness]is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. Romans 5:19 (ESV)For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 14:23 (ESV) But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. What is sin? James 4:17 (ESV) So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. Proverbs 24:9 (ESV) The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Are all sins equal? Luke 12:47–48 (ESV) And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. 1 John 5:16 (ESV) If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. Is there a solution to total depravity? YES! We believe in the total depravity of human nature as a result of the the new birth fall of man (Gen.3) and the necessity of for salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:3-7). What is the new birth? The new birth = regeneration foretold in OT prophecies about the New Covenant proclaimed by Jesus (John 3:1-8) explained in the Epistles (2 Corinthians 5:17) Jesus taught the necessity of the new birth. John 3:1–3 (ESV) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus taught the necessity of new birth from the Spirit. John 3:4–5 (ESV) Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus taught that the Spirit’s giving of new birth is not humanly manipulated. John 3:6–8 (ESV) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus rebuked Nicodemus for not understanding the new birth. Why? John 3:9–10 (ESV) Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Jesus chided Nicodemus because the new birth is the personal spiritual change (as opposed to national changes) announced in the new covenant. The OT clearly foretold a new covenant featuring 1) cleansing from sin, 2) a new heart and spirit, 3) the indwelling Holy Spirit, and 4) a new attitude toward God’s directives. Ezekiel 36:24–27 (ESV) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Note: the New Covenant of Ezekiel 36 builds on the promises of Ezekiel 11. Ezekiel 11:19–20 (ESV) And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Note: the New Covenant of Ezekiel 36 builds on the promises of Ezekiel 11. Ezekiel 11:19–20 (ESV) And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. What is the clean water of Ezekiel 36:25? Ezekiel 36:25 (ESV) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. “Cleansing and forgiveness were symbolized by sprinkling with clean water to wash away their impurities (cf. Ps 51:7). While the reference was to ceremonial cleansing that was necessary to reestablish worship (Num 19:13, 20), it is important to remember that ceremonial cleansing was an external rite, but it was a ritual that also called for internal repentance.” Lamar Eugene Cooper, Ezekiel, vol. 17, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 316. Regeneration in the Epistles echoes the language of washing and renewal from Ezekiel. Titus 3:5 (ESV) he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Does total depravity change after I become a Christian / experience the new birth? Yes and No. No. Sin still affects every part of my being. Romans 7:22–24 (ESV) For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Does total depravity change after I become a Christian / experience the new birth? Yes and No. Yes. I now have a choice about remaining a slave to sin. Romans 6:6–7 (ESV) We know that our old self was crucified with him [Christ] in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. What is the point of learning doctrine if we are totally depraved? Romans 6:17-18 (ESV) But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:17–18 (KJV 1900) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. After giving us new birth, God uses healthy doctrine to define what He as our new master wants of us. Doctrine defines the righteousness we now serve as slaves. The new birth in the Epistles 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. What is “the old” that has passed away? 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. What is “the old” that has passed away? The heart of stone that is replaced by a new heart and a new spirit in the New Covenant. Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. What is the effect of receiving the Holy Spirit according to the New Covenant? Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Our attitude toward God’s word dramatically changes. We are now internally caused to walked in God’s statutes by the Holy Spirit. We now genuinely care about our obedience to God’s Word because our relationship to God has changed. Application: Our heart’s attitude toward God’s Word is the clue to whether we’ve been regenerated and received the Holy Spirit. 1 John 5:2–3 (ESV) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ① pertaining to being relatively weighty, heavy ② pertaining to being a source of difficulty or trouble because of demands made William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 167. Jesus contrasted the pharisaical approach to God and the Bible with His own approach. Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God’s commands are burdensome when we think . . . the commands are boring the commands are irrelevant to my life the commands stifle my joy/ruin my fun the commands can only produce guilt but never positive good the commands are produced by a punishment-focused God the commands are too strict/excessive the commands crush my creativity For someone who has the new birth and the resulting new heart and indwelling Holy Spirit, God’s commands are . . . light for the path Proverbs 6:23 (ESV) For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, the path itself Psalm 119:35 (ESV) Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. a source of comfort Psalm 119:52 (ESV) When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD. truth Psalm 119:151 But you are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are true. For someone who has the new birth and the resulting new heart and indwelling Holy Spirit, God’s commands are . . . valuable Psalm 119:127 (ESV) Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. wise Psalm 19:7 (ESV) The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; a source of delight Psalm 119:47 (ESV) for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. part of what it means to love Jesus John 14:15 (ESV) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.