BBD — Sin as Pride/Selfishness, Idolatry, and Death

Discussion Questions

What are subtle ways that pride is manifested in our lives?

How can we diagnose the idols of our hearts?

How should the doctrine of sin influence our evangelism?

What are some ways the Gospel contradicts pride, selfishness, and idolatry?

Introduction

We’re continuing in our Basic Bible Doctrines study with the goal of applying theology to life. We are studying theology (specifically systematic theology) so our hearts might respond to God and that our lives might be conformed to his will. The doctrines discussed throughout our study are meant to transform us.

Our study tonight is a continuation of what Pastor Bobby began teaching last week.

Does anyone remember the theological term for the doctrine introduced last week? Hamartiology (Hamartia: it means to err or wander or to miss the mark)

We learned… - Sin is universal (Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”) - Sin as transgression (1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”) - Sin as missing the mark (Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”)

We all should have come away with some key points of application: - Our primary problem in the world is not outside of us, but inside of us. - Sin begins in the heart, but never stays there. - God’s grace is big enough to cover and cleanse every aspect of sin and the fall.

Last week the lesson focused more on providing a proper definition and understanding of what sin is. This week our lesson will seek to show from Scripture how sin is manifested in our lives and where sin leads.

We’re going to see Sin as Pride/Selfishness, Sin as idolatry, and Sin and death.

The aim of our lesson tonight is for believers to recognize their wickedness in comparison to a holy God. That we would leave tonight recognizing our sin for what it is, and thanking God for the beautiful news of the gospel.

As we begin, turn to Genesis 2:15-17

Genesis 2:15–17 (KJV 1900)

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:1–10 (KJV 1900)

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

1 John 2:16 KJV 1900

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Sin as Pride

Key Truth

There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty of themselves… The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit. — C.S.Lewis in Mere Christianity

Definition of pride: an excessive love of one’s own excellence, or self-respect that is improper and excessive.

Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Key Concepts

God opposes pride.

Proverbs 6:16–19 “16 These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.”

James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Pride brings destruction.

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.”

Proverbs 18:12 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, And before honour is humility.”

Pride renders God’s people useless.

Jeremiah 13:8–10 “8 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 9 Thus saith the Lord, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.”

Jeremiah 13:15 “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.”

Pride is difficult to discern.

*illustration of kids

Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.”

What are subtle ways pride is manifested in our lives? moral superiority, self-righteousness, contempt, boasting, inordinate desire for recognition, independent spirit, unteachable spirit, judgmental, impatience, fault-finding, harsh spirit, superficiality, defensiveness, presumption before God, neglecting others, not listening

Confession of pride signals the beginning of the end for pride.

What are some ways that we can discern pride in our life? Whose sin are you focused upon? What is the focus of your joy, security, and contentment? Who is the focus of your service?

Pride is ignorance of God.

Psalm 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that — and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison — you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. — C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

Pride blinds us of our need for the Gospel. (Matthew 23)

Ephesians 2:8–9 “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Pride is antithetical to the Gospel.

Philippians 2:1–11 KJV 1900

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Sin as Idolatry

Key Truth

Definition of idolatry: loving anything more than God.

Colossians 3:5–6 “5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:”

Paul says, “Covetousness, which is idolatry.” So what idolatry looks like today is the activity of the human heart. This is not a deed of the body. That follows — a fruit on a branch. It starts in the heart: craving, wanting, enjoying, being satisfied by anything that you treasure more than God. That is an idol. Paul calls this covetousness — a disordered love or desire, loving more than God what ought to be loved less than God and only for the sake of God. But covetousness is the condition that this disordered heart is in, an act of loving too much what ought to be loved less. And that is why the wrath of God is coming. That is what idolatry looks like today. And it is everywhere in our culture. — John Piper

Key Concepts

Idolatry is natural.

Romans 1:23 “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

Man’s nature is a perpetual factory of idols.

Idolatry is prohibited.

Exodus 20:3–6 KJV 1900

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Idolatry is replacement. (Genesis 3)

Idolatry is foolishness.

Isaiah 44:9–20 KJV 1900

9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; And their delectable things shall not profit; And they are their own witnesses; They see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image That is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: And the workmen, they are of men: Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. 12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, And fashioneth it with hammers, And worketh it with the strength of his arms: Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: He drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; He fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, And maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; That it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, Which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: For he will take thereof, and warm himself; Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; Yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; He maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; With part thereof he eateth flesh; He roasteth roast, and is satisfied: Yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, And saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor understood: For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; And their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes: A deceived heart hath turned him aside, That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Habakkuk 2:18 “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; The molten image, and a teacher of lies, That the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?”

Psalm 96:5 “For all the gods of the nations are idols: But the Lord made the heavens.”

Idolatry is a false promise.

Jeremiah 10:15 “15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: In the time of their visitation they shall perish.” (Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! — NLT)

Idols are birthed from lies. Thus, in turn, idols can only preach sermons of deceit to their worshipers.

Idols/Idolatry seeks to offer the worshipper a false promise: false sense of security, worth, gain, etc. Our hearts take what can only be found in God and seek to create an idol that “intends” to deliver on that same promise.

We become like what we worship.

Psalm 115:4–8 KJV 1900

4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: Eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: Noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: Feet have they, but they walk not: Neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them are like unto them; So is every one that trusteth in them.

How can we diagnose the idols of the heart? *How often do you think about it? What’s your emotional response? What are your motivations?

We are always worshipping someone or something (money, kids, spouse, time, work, security, etc.). Once we’re aware of this fact it becomes paramount that we counteract the wayward nature of our hearts with a sincere worship of our Creator God.

Every believer has to resist the idol factory of their heart by filling their hearts with Christ and nourishing themselves with robust knowledge of who God has revealed himself to be in Scripture.

Christ calls believers to worship him alone in spirit and truth.

John 4:21–24 KJV 1900

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Sin and Death

*Illustration about clear expectations and consequences.

*address kids with the Big Picture Question.

What is the fair payment for sin? The fair payment for sin is death.

Key Concepts

The consequence for sin is clear.

Genesis 2:17 “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

James 1:13–15 KJV 1900

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

The scope of death is universal.

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Death is separation from God.

Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

The type of death that would result from the fall in the garden of Eden wasn’t only physical death but spiritual death as well, the separation of a person from God. Spiritual death continues in a permanent state when someone dies apart from the reconciling work of Christ, who defeated death through His own death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. — The Gospel Project

So when you stand before a holy God and the subtlties of your heart come forth, you may be tempted to think that you are close, you almost measure up. But Colossians invites us to remember who we were before Christ.

Colossians 1:21–23 “21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

Friends, we are wicked, idolatrous, and prideful at heart. We must see ourselves for what we truly are when compared to a holy God. We are sinners deserving of death and hell. But the truth of Romans 5 is encouraging. We are sinners by one man, but we are made righteous by another.

Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ frees us to worship God above all else, to thank him for his sacrifice for sinners such as us, and to serve others in humility as exemplified by our Savior.

Application

Does your pride keep you from cherishing the Gospel?

Are you worshipping God above all else?

Are there sins of pride that you excuse in your life?

Do you recognize how the humility of our Savior rescued us?

Can you communicate the doctrine of sin to an unbeliever in a loving way?

Do you need to repent from your pride and idolatry?

Prayer Prompts

Pray that we would be honest about our sin.

Pray that we would cherish the humility of Jesus found in the Gospel.

Pray that we would be broken-hearted about the sin around us and seek to proclaim the good news of the Gospel.

Pray that we, as a church body, would seek to root out the idolatry and pride in our hearts in order to serve and worship God with an attitude of love and humility.