How to Study the Bible Week 5

Debate Night!

We are going to debate tonight this question: Can God be in presence of sinners?

You’re going to build an argument and prove that argument using Scripture.

You must use both Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures.

Now we discussed this in part on week 3, but tonight we are going to dive deep into Scripture to see how God views sin and what we mean when we say “God can’t be in the presence of sin.”

Now before we do this I want to give you some verses and some simple tools tonight as well.

3 Tools we have already discussed over the previous weeks, but made simple.

Observation - This is where we make notes from what we see in the text.

Look for figures of speech.

Look for words that repeat.

Look and note specific questions the Bible asks in the narrative or otherwise.

Interpretation - The Correct reading of Scripture.

The Bible can never mean what it never meant.

This is where we answer the important questions:

What does this teach me about God?

What did this mean to the original audience?

What does this passage say?

A careful paraphrase of what the scripture means based on the observations and answers to questions asked.

Application - A short statement concluding what we can learn from the interpretation.

Answers the question: Now what? What do I do with this?

What does this passage demand of me?

How does it prompt me to pray?

So understanding this tonight. I want us to Observe, Interpret, and Apply scripture to our lives tonight.

Were going to look at several different Scriptures.

Were going to seek an answer to the question: Can God be in the presence of sin?

In my Interpretation include:

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If God could not be in the presence of sin, God could not have come to earth to save us. Period.

At the same time, if God had not come to earth to save us, we could not dwell with Him in heaven. Period.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Sakes Alive…

The most unjust act, the most unfair moment in all of history was Jesus dying in our place. Him taking our sin on the cross.

Him living among us, rejected by us, still … He still went 100% for us.

In Luke 4 16-30, Jesus begins his ministry.

Where does he start?

At home… That’s a good place.

A place where you trust, are loved, are given more grace than is typical in other places.

And yet, Jesus reads, from Isaiah 61:1-2

Isaiah 61:1–2 (ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

Jesus reads One day, someone is coming to preach the good news, proclaim freedom, give sight to the blind, free the oppressed, and proclaim the Lord’s favor…

Then he says a few verses later, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

In other words, Jesus says, “I’m here to do this job.”

Then you know what they try to do?

They try to kill him.

Why didn’t Jesus just end everything there.

Because from Genesis 3, God made Adam and Eve clothes after they sinned… He came to them in the garden…

Sin takes you further than you want to go, promises something it won’t ever give, and takes from you more than you wanted to pay.

And yet through all of that, remember… Jesus came to us.

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Are you kidding me?

We are so undeserving of this.

If you die not having placed your faith in this, then you will go to hell.

In heaven, there will be no sinners. Why?

Because on earth, time and time again… Jesus has come to us as sinners… TO the point of dying for us.

How gracious and good He is.

Yes he can be in the presence of sinners, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that upon our death, if your faith isn’t in Christ, you will e separated from Him forever.

Why?

Because you rejected the most unfair act in all of History, that the perfect God of the universe loved you as a sinner and died for you and you didn’t care.

I hope we all care.

I hope we flip the world upside down like the disciples did in Acts 17:6 “And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,”

I hope we see that we are never too far gone for God to reach us.

Neither are our friends or families

Do you understand the depth of God’s love for you.

When you do, you can’t look away from it! You are always drawn back to Scripture to see it.

May we all be drawn into his love tonight. Let’s pray.