Notes from Chafers book. This is part of Theology I being taught at Life Transforming College International in Siliguri.

1. MAN & SIN
PART 2
Tuesday 3 May 2011

2. SIN: ITS
CHARACTER AND
UNIVERSALITY
Tuesday 3 May 2011

3. IS SIN A PROBLEM?
J. Rodman Williams suggests there
are a number of approaches to sin:
1. Basically there is no poblem - a
few defects but essentially all is fine
- we don’t need to believe any dark
view of human nature - if we believe
it is ok it will be
2. Man is on the way up - not yet
as good as he should be because
man is not yet mature - consider his
evolutionary background and this is
not surprising
Tuesday 3 May 2011

4. 3. Man is not sufficiently enlightened -
ignorance is the problem, he does not
yet know enough about what is good for
him and society, how to improve it all,
dangers of war etc.
4. The problem is man’s suppression
of his own individuality and needs - be
unencumbered by authority patterns,
taboos, representative guilt etc.
5. The problem is negative talk or
attitude to life - think, feel, act
positively in all situations and we will
overcome problems - don’t talk of sin,
we are going forward
Tuesday 3 May 2011

5. A. HUMAN SPECULATION ON
SIN
Sin is a major factor in human
experience and in the Bible’s
teaching.
The world is not comfortable
talking about sin and often
suggests it is simply a
misconception.
Gnosticism and some oriental
religions suggest sin is the
opposite of what God is and is
related to the physical (not
spiritual) world.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

6. This can lead to ideas of
asceticism and denial of
the body.
Epicureanism advocates
indulging the body
All this denies sin and what
the Bible teaches about it.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

7. B. THE BIBLICAL
DOCTRINE OF SIN
“Sin is any want of conformity to the
character of God - in act, disposition
or state” Chafer
Sin is sin because it is against what God
is - for example, Ex 20:3-17
Sin is always against God - Ps 51: 4
A person who sins is unlike God and
therefore subject to judgement
4 aspects of the doctrine of sin in the
Bible:
Tuesday 3 May 2011

8. 1. Personal sin, Rom 3:23, includes
every aspect of daily life that fails
to conform to the character of God
It includes the idea of rebellion and
disobedience but essentially
includes acts of omission or
commission (committing an
offence)
Man comes short or misses the
mark of God’s standard
At least 8 OT and 12 NT words for
sin
Tuesday 3 May 2011

9. 2. The sin nature of man is
revealed in the Bible - Rom
5:19
Adams sin caused him to
become a different being,
degenerate and depraved.
This was judged by Christ
on the cross Rom 6:10
For the death he died he
died to sin, once for all, but
the life he lives he lives to
God.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

10. Total depravity - is not that every
man is as bad as he could be but that
the whole nature of man is corrupted
by sin. This includes will (Rom 1:28),
intellect (2 Cor 4:4), conscience (1
Tim 4:2) and heart
Eph 2:3 - carrying out the desires of
the body and the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, like the rest
of mankind.
No child has ever been born sinless -
apart from Christ - we all inherit it
from our parents (Adam) - thus men
sin because they have a sinful nature
- the only remedy is found in Christ.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

11. 3. Sin is presented as
reckoned to our account -
Rom 5:12-18 - 3 imputations
A. Adam’s sin to us - the basis
of original sin
B. Imputing the sin of man to
christ - the basis for salvation
C. Imputation of the
righteousness of God to those
who believe in Christ - the
basis for the doctrine of
justification.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

12. Imputation is:
a. Actual, even though this
happened before God could
rightly declare the sin ours
b. Judicial - a legal position
because of our own personal
sins.
On the basis of Rom 5:12
Chafer states it is actual -
Therefore, just as sin came
into the world through one
man, and death through sin,
and so death spread to all
men because all sinned
Tuesday 3 May 2011

13. 4. Legally we are still in sin, sinners!
Rom 3:9 - What then? Are we Jews
any better off? No, not at all. For we
have already charged that all, both
Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
Under sin means there is nothing of
merit in us that might contribute
towards salvation
Such state can only be remedied by
the merit of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

14. SALVATION FROM
THE PENALTY OF
SIN
Tuesday 3 May 2011

15. A. THE MEANING OF
SALVATION
Knowing about what the
Bible says of salvation is
essential as;
1. Personal salvation
depends on it
2. It is the one message
committed by God to every
believer to tell the world
3. It alone discloses the full
measure of God’s love
Tuesday 3 May 2011

16. Salvation is its widest sense
means the work of God in
rescuing man from the eternal ruin
and doom of sin and bestowing
on him the riches of his grace inc.
eternal life and eternal glory in
heaven
Salvation is a work of God not of
man
The details have differed through
the ages but those who trust God
have been spiritually reborn and
made heirs of heaven’s glory.
Salvation includes all aspects of
God’s work in man - regeneration,
indwelling, sealing and baptism of
HSp.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

17. B. SALVATION AS GOD’S
REMEDY FOR SIN
1. Sin is always equally sinful no
matter who commits it - the
judgment that goes with it is up to
God to decide - Luke 12:47-48
2. Sin can only be cured by the
shed blood of Jesus - the penalty is
only removed because the payment
for sin has been made - this was the
same in the old covenant and is still
in Jesus - Lev 4:20, 26, 31 etc. - Col
1:14, Eph 1:7
Christ’s work on the cross is perfectly
sufficient, giving eternal justification
Rom 3:24 - the penalty is paid 1 Pet
2:24, 3:18
Tuesday 3 May 2011

18. C. SALVATION BEFORE AND
AFTER THE CROSS
1. God’s method before the cross was
atonement, which biblically means “to
cover”
Bull and goats blood did not take away
sin - Heb 10:4 For it is impossible for
the blood of bulls and goats to take
away sins.
The need for forgiveness was
acknowledged - Lev 1:4 -He shall lay his
hand on the head of the burnt offering,
and it shall be accepted for him to make
atonement for him.
God anticipated the sacrifice of Christ -
sins were covered until that time.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

19. Atonement of the OT is explained
in the NT,
a. Rom 3:25 - God had promised
sufficient sacrificial payment and
then fulfilled it in Christ.
whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood, to be
received by faith. This was to
show God’s righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance
he had passed over former sins.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

20. b. Acts 17:30 - God “overlooked”
sin - The times of ignorance God
overlooked, but now he
commands all people everywhere
to repent,
2. Since the cross God’s method
of dealing with sin is that Christ
died - Rom 3:26 - It was to show
his righteousness at the present
time, so that he might be just and
the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus.
The promise is fulfilled, the price
paid - anyone, regardless of the
degree of guilt of their sin can be
forgiven by believing in the work
Christ did for them.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

21. D. THE THREE SENSE OF
SALVATION
1. Past tense - it is seen as totally past
and fulfilled for those who believe - Lk
7:50, 1 Cor 1:18, Eph 2:5, 8
2. Present tense - of the present power
to save us from the reigning power of
sin - Rom 6:14, 8:2, 2 Cor 3:18 etc.
3. Future tense - the believer will yet
be saved into full conformity to Christ -
Rom 8:29, 13:11 - this does not give
reason for doubt as it is built on God’s
faithfulness not man’s - Php 1:6
Tuesday 3 May 2011

22. E. SALVATION AS THE
FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST
2 aspects:
1. Finished work of Christ
for all - which is finished
to infinite perfection
2. The saving work of
Christ for the individual -
the moment they believe.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

23. Jn 19:30 - it is finished - is not his
whole life, service or suffering -
but a special work given by the
Father given at the cross and
completed when he died - this
was for the whole world Jn 3:16 -
providing redemption 1 Tim 2:6 -
reconciliation 2 Cor 5:19 -
propitiation 1 Jn 2:2 - for every
man
Christ's dying does not save men
- but it gives God ground to save
all men who believe - the blood of
Jesus paid the ransom price for
every sinner - Christ became the
propitiation for the whole world.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

24. F. SALVATION AS THE SAVING
WORK OF GOD
The work done the moment one
believe includes:
Redemption, reconciliation,
forgiveness, regeneration,
imputation, justification,
sanctification, glorification,
perfection
Consider the truth of the following
verses: Col 1:12, Eph 1:3, 6, 2:13, 19,
2 Cor 5:21, Jn 1:12, Phil 3:20, 2 Cor
5;17, Col 2:10, Col 1:13
Guilt and penalty of sin are removed,
trespass forgiven justified forever,
saved to the uttermost...
Tuesday 3 May 2011

25. G. SALVATION AS RELATED TO
THE SIN OF THE SAVED
1. Forgiveness is accomplished for the
sinner as part of salvation - through
believing on the work of Christ.
2. Sin is forgiven not on the basis of
believing for salvation but upon
confession of sin - confession of sin
restores relationship with Father, Son
and HSp.
The effect of sin upon God is a very
serious matter - it is only removed
through the blood of Jesus - Rom 8:34,
Heb 9:24 - the blood is effective 1 Jn
2:1-2 - the sinner has a permanent
advocate with the Father in case we sin
Tuesday 3 May 2011

26. H. SALVATION CONDITIONED
ON FAITH ALONE
115 NT passages refer to the sinner
believing and being saved - 35 passages
speak of faith for salvation. In believing a
person chooses to trust Christ - this is the
whole man not just will or emotions.
This is more than an intellectual or
emotional stirring - it is believing as an act
in which the person wills to receive Christ
by faith.
God alone can save a soul - and he does it
through the sacrifice of his son. The only
thing man can do is to believe, turning
from self works, to God’s gracious
provision.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

27. Note that scripture talks
about believe and...
Pray
Confess sin
Confess Christ
Be baptised
Repent
And make restitution
But the basis is always
believing in Christ -
that is what
guarantees salvation.
Tuesday 3 May 2011

28. The word atonement meaning,
passing over, overlooking,
covering of sin occurs properly
only in the OT - Christ did none
of these - Jn 1:29
Takes away the sin of the world...
1 Pet 2:24 - bore our sins in his
body...
There was nothing temporary or
partial at the cross - the infinite
holiness of God was satisfied,
will man be satisfied to accept
the sacrifice and accept Jesus’
payment?
Tuesday 3 May 2011

29. Tuesday 3 May 2011