Sin and the Cross (Part 1)

Discussion Starter

Let’s start with a quick discussion.

Turn to 2–3 people around you and answer this question: What is sin?

(After a minute) Alright—what did you come up with?

Simple Definition

At its core, here’s the simplest way to define sin:

Sin is choosing your way over God’s way.

It’s what we think, say, or do that goes against what is right and good

It’s not just actions—it’s also attitudes and motives

It breaks our relationship with God and others

And it’s something every one of us struggles with

Where We’re Going Tonight

Tonight we’re going to answer Two of Four big questions:

What is Sin?

What Is Sin Really Doing To US?

When we return after our Passover Seder next week, we will look at part 2 and answer:

What did our sin do to Jesus?

How does this show us God’s love?

What Is Sin Really Doing To Us?

As we dive in to this concept, I want us to begin in what I believe is the rawest form of someone dealing with sin in their lives, The Apostle Paul, by looking at Romans 7:7-25

This begins the third of what we will call, Paul’s “what...then”statements.

Romans 6:1 NIV

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

Then, Romans 6:15

Romans 6:15 NIV

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

Then, picking up in Romans 7:7

Romans 7:7–12 NIV

What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Let’s Stop here and answer some questions?

According to this passage, how do we know what sin is? How do we know what is right or wrong?

Answer: The law.

The law shows us what is right and wrong

It draws the line between God’s way and our way

Paul uses coveting as an example:

Before the law, he didn’t recognize it as sin

But once he knew… something changed

Sin actually used the command to tempt him.

The problem isn’t the law—the law is good. The problem is that sin twists what is good and pulls us toward it.

Romans 7:14–20 NIV

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Now Paul gets very real—and honestly, very relatable:

“I do what I don’t want to do… and I don’t do what I want to do.”

Sound familiar?

“I don’t want to lie… but I do.” “I don’t want to lose my temper… but I do.” “I want to do what’s right… but I struggle.”

This is the power of sin.

It’s not just outside of us—it’s something that pulls from within us.

Paul even describes it like this: “I am a slave to sin.”

Romans 7:21–25 NIV

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Paul describes a war inside of us:

I want to do good

But evil is right there with me

There’s a tension:

My mind knows what’s right

But my sinful nature, that part inside of me that is in conflict with God, pulls me the other way

And it leads to this question:

“How will this ever be different?”

Paul answers it:

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

The cycle of sin doesn’t break because we try harder The cycle breaks because Jesus rescues us

Things we want to point out in this passage as we share it with seekers:

Sin pulls us away from God

It creates a battle inside of us

We can’t win the battle on our own

But we can open ourselves up to letting Jesus step in and rescues us

Let’s look at some lists of things the Bible considers sin.

Let’s look at a few passages that give us some specific lists of things that are sins.

Galatians 5:19–21 NIV

The acts of the flesh 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. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Mark 7:20–23 NIV

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Romans 1:28–32 NIV

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Proverbs 6:16–19 NIV

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Questions to consider?

Is there a sin here that you are unsure what it means?

What sins from these lists have you struggled with in your past?

What, if any, of these sins do you still struggle with today?

Which, if any of these surprise you or shock you?

What do you think God was trying to prove by placing orgy next to getting drunk, or placing being a witch in the same sentence as hating someone?

The point here in question 5, is that in God’s eyes, a sin is a sin. All of these sins will keep you from living for God and doing His will.

Why walk your friend through these lists of sin? We are trying to establish that sin is anything that keeps us from doing God’s will. I would really want to help my friend wrestle with the concept that one of these sins can keep you from living in God here and with God in the afterlife.

These are sins of commission, but James writes to help us understand that it is also a sin when we do not do what we know is right to do. This is called a sin of omission.

James 4:17 NIV

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Have you ever know the right thing to do but for whatever reason you did not do it?

What illustrations could you use to help your friend understand what James is trying to communicate here?

1. The Missed Phone Call

Scenario: You see a call from someone you know is struggling—divorce, loss, depression. You think, “I should call them back…” …but you don’t.

Days pass. You never follow up.

Point: You didn’t do anything “wrong”… But you knew what love required—and chose not to act.

2. The Employee Who Sees the Problem

Scenario: At work, you notice:

A mistake that could cost the company A safety issue A struggling coworker You think, “Someone should say something…” …but you stay quiet to avoid inconvenience.

Point: Maturity means recognizing: Responsibility grows with awareness

3. The Marriage Drift

Scenario: A spouse knows:

They should invest more time Communicate better Show appreciation They’re not cheating. Not abusive. Just… neglecting what they know matters.

Point: Many relationships don’t collapse from obvious sin— They fade from ignored good

When we consider God would want us to act in the interest of others and we do not, we call that the sin of omission.

What is Sin Really Doing To Us?

I want to address a theological difference between the authors and myself in Romans 7:11. When Paul talks about death here, I do not believe the Greek to be indicating separation, but spiritual death. I think this hyperlinks back to a verse we will look at in a few minutes, Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Greek word here is ἀποκτείνω.

I think what is important to point out if you use this verse is that sin results in a permanent death with no hope of life with God in the afterlife.

Genesis 2:16–17 NIV

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Questions:

Did Adam and Eve die physically when they ate the fruit? Your books says not physically, but I want to clarify that up to that point scripture seems to indicate that they were eternal beings. So, the actual answer is yes, sin brought about physical death.

In what way did kill Adam and Eve? It did separate them from God, but again it also allowed physical death to enter the world.

Isaiah 59:1–2 NIV

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Again, I have a little different of take that would influence how I ask this question, but I believe it would reflect the text better if the question said...

These people thought that God was too weak or distracted to save the. What is the real reason the author gives for God not helping them?

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I was taught a long time ago by a mentor sitting in a cafe during breakfast this method that is refered to as “The Bridge Method” to share the gospel with people using Romans 6:23 as a starting point. I want to finish tonight by introducing you to this method and showing you by chalk board attempt to draw it out.

Again, you can use this on a napkin, a piece of paper, a white board, anywhere you have a few minutes to try and get the concepts we have spoken about tonight across to someone.