Week 6: The Man to Whom You Speak: Understanding Sin and the Sinner

The Gospel Target: Understanding the Sinner

Primary Text: Romans 1-3

Key Points

Introduction: the more an oncologist understands the nature of cancer and it’s various manifestations, the more equipped he will be to minister to an individual patient; the more you understand the nature of sin, the more you will equipped to share the Gospel with real individuals. If you are looking for a Biblical text on the anatomy of sin it is Romans 1:18-3:20.

All humanity (Ro 3:9-10) has a heart problem (Ro 3:11, 18) a past problem (Ro 3:12), and a life problem (Ro 3:13-17) and so deserving of death (Ro 3.19).

The testimony of Scripture is that all men know God but suppress the truth about Him (Ro 1:18). At the root of sin is rebellion-- a refusal to honor God as God and to give Him thanks (Ro 1:21).

The fundamental sameness of all sinners at a fundamental level does not exclude vast differences among them at another level (e.g. Mt 11:20-24). An awareness of the stages of self-deception and levels of hardening in people make a difference in the presentation and reception of the Gospel.

In Rom 1-2, Paul describes “immoral sinners” (1:21-32), “moral sinners” (2:1-16) and “religious sinners” (2:17-29). [Look at each and discuss the implications for evangelism and approaches to sharing.] 

Questions: what groups of people seem easiest to reach with the Gospel? Why do some seem more difficult to reach than others?  The more time, energy, and accomplishment the unregenerate has in his apostate condition, the more he is bound to suppress the truth, devising more clever strategies of self-deception and increasingly hardening himself. This helps explain why certain groups are easier to reach than others.

This human element, however, does not take away the Biblical truths that 1) all sinners are totally depraved and 2) God saves sinners in a sovereign way! And it dovetails with the testimony of Scripture that God resists the proud, but draws near to the humble. So we must pray that God will give us the power to persist in climbing the barriers of pride to reach unbelievers, and that in His mercy He will humble the proud and save sinners! 

[Call to Prayer Action!]