First, I appreciate how he lets the weight of sin sink in.
According to the Bible, sin is a lot more than just the violation of some impersonal, arbitrary, heavenly traffic regulation. It's the breaking of a relationship, and even more, it is a rejection of God himself -- a repudiation of God's rule, God's care, God's authority, and God's right to command those to whom he gave life. In short, it is the rebellion of the creature against his Creator. (p. 48)His description of what is happening in the garden when Adam and Eve sin against God by eating the forbidden fruit is also helpful in unfurling the weight of this heavy garment that humanity is wearing because of sin.
They were rejecting God's authority over them and declaring their independence from him... Adam and Eve traded their favor with God for the pursuit of their own pleasure and their own glory. (p. 49-50)Trading favor with God in for their own pleasure/glory. That's intense! In essence, they are worshipping themselves and the creation rather than the Creator (see Romans 1:18-25 below).
This is something that I have to remind myself about everyday, multiple times a day. We were made for the Creator but our sin nature lies to us by saying that life is really all about us, not Him. Our sinful hearts tell us that we are truly able in and of ourselves to make ourselves happy... if only we can just _____ (fill in the blank for yourself). But therein lies the problem. There is nothing that we can do in and of ourselves to satisfy our lusting, sinful hearts. No matter how much money we accrue, how skinny we become, how self-controlled we appear, how much fun we have, etc. we will NEVER be satisfied apart from Jesus because until we surrender to Him fully, we are living for the creation rather than the Creator.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 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. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Romans 1:18-25, emphasis mine)
That's the bad news of sin: We suppress the truth by rejecting God and his loving authority over us so that we can please our lusting hearts with things that ultimately pass away (creation). And this rebellion against God (sin) causes spiritual death. Listen to Ephesians 2:1-7 --
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience -- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.Only God can bring a dead man back to life. Only the Lord can be rich in mercy toward us when we are dead in our sins and warranting eternal punishment. I'm eternally thankful that the gospel doesn't end with this bad news! I know I'm is cutting to the chase here... Jesus the Savior is supposed to wait until next week's chapter... It's just that the bad news of sin is SO horrible, that it's hard to leave it at that. Gilbert makes a good point in this chapter on sin that if you take sin lightly, you minimize the magnificent grace offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I pray that as you have read this chapter in "What is the Gospel?" (or as you've read this overview of it) that you've been reminded (or awakened) to the depths of our depravity and our desperate need of a savior. One who gives dead men life with Christ.
Below are the links to my reviews of the past few chapters in this series on Greg Gilbert's book "What is the Gospel?" Next week (hopefully on Wednesday) I'll be summarizing chapter 4: Jesus Christ the Savior.
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Feel free to post your feedback and thoughts on this chapter and/or the book below. Specifically, if you read the chapter, did any of Gilbert's explanations of what sin isn't help you understand what sin truly is? What was the most clarifying or eye-opening part of this chapter for you?
Your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
(Isaiah 59:2)
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