Question: Why do people sin?
What does James 1:15-17 tell us about sin?
A. It tells us God does not sin and is not tempted, nor does he tempt
B. It tells us that we have evil desires living inside of us
C. It tells us that temptation plays on those desires until sin begins
D. It tells us that when sin is fully grown, it leads to death
So, in order:
1. We have sin living in us
2. We are tempted
3. We think about sinning
4. We follow through on sin
5. Because we sin, it leads to death
The sinful nature in us is like a huge appetite: "FEED ME!"
In answer to your questions:
Why did God make sin? God did not make sin! He doesn't cause it either!
Who created sin? Did it just come to be when Eve ate the fruit? Sin wasn't really created. It happened when people made wrong choices.
Why did God put temptations in this world? God doesn't tempt anyone. Temptations play on the evil desires that are in us (the sinful nature).
Who causes people to sin? Again, they come from the desires of our sin nature. We are responsible for our own sin.
Does God ever sin? No!
Are babies born with sin in their life?
Ex: four figures.
The first is INNOCENT - it has never sinned. The Bible tells us Adam & Eve were this way when created.
The second is FALLEN - no longer innocent, because it has sinned. The Bible tells us the human race is fallen.
The third is FORGIVEN.
The fourth is GLORIFIED. This is a person living in heaven. All sin is gone and God has given them "God life" forever and ever.
Which one...
deserves heaven? The innocent, if any - it has not sinned. But none of the others deserves God.
is sinful? The Fallen, and the Forgiven (yes, forgiven people still sin!) By definition, an Innocent person has never sinned, and a Glorified person cannot have sin and be in the presence of God
is saved? The Innocent (although no one today is innocent), the Forgiven, and the Glorified. But, the Forgiven one isn't perhaps "yet" saved, in the sense that the Glorified one is.
The journey moves in only one direction - from Fallen to Forgiven to Glorified - you cannot travel backwards! (and that's good news!)
Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...
So which figure represents how we are when we're born?
Views vary:
1. Some say we are born innocent and choose to sin; we might, or we might not. It is all a choice.
2. Some say we are born innocent but for sure we will sin; sin is just too strong.
3. Some say we are born already guilty of sin.
In the case of babies, they are either innocent, or sinful but not accountable.
The good news is - sinners can escape punishment! God shows "mercy" to people when he puts "the God life" in them although they are fallen.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
November 22-23: Guest Speaker - Tom Wiest
Tom Wiest, from Pioneers, spoke about his family's work among indigenous people in Peru.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
November 15-16: What's the deal with Satan?
Question: What's the deal with Satan?
Things the Bible tells us about angels and Satan:
Angels are sent to minister to those who believe (Heb. 1:14)
God created angels - they are not gods (Col. 1:16)
When angels sinned, some were sent to hell (demons) (2 Peter 2:4)
We are not to worship angels (Rev. 22:8-9)
Satan is also called "the ruler of the kingdom of the air" (Eph. 2:2)
He is also called "prince of this world" (John 12:31)
And also called "liar and the Father of all lies" (John 8:44)
He entered Judas and tempted him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3)
He fell from heaven after his rebellion (Luke 10:18)
There is an eternal fire prepared for him (Matthew 25:41)
He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)
He has been "sinning from the beginning" (1 John 3:8)
He prowls around us like a lion, waiting to devour (1 Peter 5:8)
If we resist him, he will flee (James 4:7)
1. Satan gets people to fear him
Ex: The Wizard of Oz - got people to fear him by pretending and showing himself to be more powerful than he really was
In the same way, Satan flexes his muscles, but doesn't really have all the power he pretends to have. People who worship Satan over God believe he is all-powerful, when he isn't.
2. Bible depicts him as a lion, a dragon, our enemy, the accuser - so why is he so angry?
Satan was created, an angel, who led a rebellion in heaven (see Rev. 12:1-12). Wanting to be on the level of God, and not achieving it, he was cast down to earth, where he wanders.
He tries to lead people down the wrong path by making the path to death look like the path to life!
3. Satan's goals
Satan looks for our weak points and tempts us there. Once he's "inside", it leads us to other sins.
Ex: Someone who thinks they must be perfect may be led to cheat, and then to lie to cover up the cheating, etc. Or, someone who gets angry easily with others may be led to hate others, and then to gossip about them, and so on.
Knowing that Satan works in this way, the job for us is to strengthen our outer defenses...don't let Satan hit you at your weak spot. Where is your weak spot that you need to defend against? James 4:7 says if we resist the devil he will flee from us.
5. Other questions about Satan -
Who created hell? It's a place reserved for Satan and his angels
Does God love the devil? The devil was created by God. For sure, as a created being, he was once loved. But the point is that the devil will never repent. He will not go to heaven. He already had eternal life with God and rejected that. Every human gets another chance; the devil has forever blown his.
Why can't God destroy Satan and sin? He is! When Jesus came out of the grave, that broke Satan's power - people no longer had to die. Life is available to everyone who comes to Jesus. Satan has power - but it's not the kind of power God has. In Genesis 3:15 it says the serpent will strike the heel of "the woman's offspring"...Jesus; but Jesus will crush his head. So, we are living in "the beginning of the end" of evil.
Does Satan have power? Yes, but only in the way the Wizard of Oz did. Much of his "power" rests on suspicions we hold and fears that aren't realistic.
Things the Bible tells us about angels and Satan:
Angels are sent to minister to those who believe (Heb. 1:14)
God created angels - they are not gods (Col. 1:16)
When angels sinned, some were sent to hell (demons) (2 Peter 2:4)
We are not to worship angels (Rev. 22:8-9)
Satan is also called "the ruler of the kingdom of the air" (Eph. 2:2)
He is also called "prince of this world" (John 12:31)
And also called "liar and the Father of all lies" (John 8:44)
He entered Judas and tempted him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3)
He fell from heaven after his rebellion (Luke 10:18)
There is an eternal fire prepared for him (Matthew 25:41)
He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)
He has been "sinning from the beginning" (1 John 3:8)
He prowls around us like a lion, waiting to devour (1 Peter 5:8)
If we resist him, he will flee (James 4:7)
1. Satan gets people to fear him
Ex: The Wizard of Oz - got people to fear him by pretending and showing himself to be more powerful than he really was
In the same way, Satan flexes his muscles, but doesn't really have all the power he pretends to have. People who worship Satan over God believe he is all-powerful, when he isn't.
2. Bible depicts him as a lion, a dragon, our enemy, the accuser - so why is he so angry?
Satan was created, an angel, who led a rebellion in heaven (see Rev. 12:1-12). Wanting to be on the level of God, and not achieving it, he was cast down to earth, where he wanders.
He tries to lead people down the wrong path by making the path to death look like the path to life!
3. Satan's goals
- Keep people from knowing that forgiveness of sins is possible
- To ruin the lives of people who do believe, by making them think "God could never love me" (he accuses us before God - and he's right! But, the death of Jesus covers any sin, and our salvation will not be undone.)
Satan looks for our weak points and tempts us there. Once he's "inside", it leads us to other sins.
Ex: Someone who thinks they must be perfect may be led to cheat, and then to lie to cover up the cheating, etc. Or, someone who gets angry easily with others may be led to hate others, and then to gossip about them, and so on.
Knowing that Satan works in this way, the job for us is to strengthen our outer defenses...don't let Satan hit you at your weak spot. Where is your weak spot that you need to defend against? James 4:7 says if we resist the devil he will flee from us.
5. Other questions about Satan -
Who created hell? It's a place reserved for Satan and his angels
Does God love the devil? The devil was created by God. For sure, as a created being, he was once loved. But the point is that the devil will never repent. He will not go to heaven. He already had eternal life with God and rejected that. Every human gets another chance; the devil has forever blown his.
Why can't God destroy Satan and sin? He is! When Jesus came out of the grave, that broke Satan's power - people no longer had to die. Life is available to everyone who comes to Jesus. Satan has power - but it's not the kind of power God has. In Genesis 3:15 it says the serpent will strike the heel of "the woman's offspring"...Jesus; but Jesus will crush his head. So, we are living in "the beginning of the end" of evil.
Does Satan have power? Yes, but only in the way the Wizard of Oz did. Much of his "power" rests on suspicions we hold and fears that aren't realistic.
Friday, November 7, 2008
November 8-9: Why does God let bad things happen to us?
Question: Why does God let bad things happen to us?
Thanks for all the questions submitted so far...keep them coming...if your question isn't answered right away, know that we are getting to it. Some questions have to be answered first - questions about God creating the world, how sin came in - before we can answer other questions, like do animals go to heaven.
1. "Bad things" entered the world when Adam & Eve "fell" ("The Fall" = the first sin, the first act of disobedience to God)
Q: "What 'bad stuff' came into the world after the Fall?"
As we talked about last week, God could not have created us to have choices unless there was also the choice to disobey. Love for him that is not chosen wouldn't mean anything.
Remember Teacher Mr. X and Teacher Mr. Y? In Teacher Mr. X's world, there was no misbehavior, but there were also no choices. In Teacher Mr. Y's class, wrong things probably would happen.
2. Because there is sin, we have suffering
3. What we call evil isn't always necessarily evil
If I want something good to happen, and it doesn't happen, is that a bad thing?
Ex: It rains on my birthday, so I can't have the party in the park. Evil? No - inconvenient & bad, yes - for me.
Ex: I get grounded for lying to my parents. Evil? No. A bad thing? Yes, for me.
Ex: I (Mark) swam out too far and almost drowned. Very scary. Was it an evil thing? No, but uncomfortable and horrible.
Part of "growing up" is being able to look at things the way someone else sees them - including God. When we can see ALL there is so see of something, we understand it better. Ex: 3-D glasses.
4. Evil is being overcome.
When Jesus came out of the grave, the process of evil being defeated began (like when Aslan rose in Narnia - and started to undo all the evil). More on that next week.
5. Sometimes good can come from evil - God works through things to make us better, stronger, and to change us.
Read Romans 8:28-32. Does verse 28 mean:
A. Only good things will happen to people who love God
B. God causes bad things to happen because they're good for us
C. Everything that happens to us turns out good in the end
D. No matter what happens, God is always working to make us like his son, Jesus
D is the best choice - as verse 31 says, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" Nothing can happen that will derail God's good plan for us.
Ex: I'm not glad that the drowning incident almost happened, but I learned valuable lessons from it.
What have you been through that's been hard, but your own good has come from it?
Into small groups (each group take one passage):
John 9:1 - Jesus heals a man born blind
Philippians 1:7-14 - Paul in chains for the gospel
1 Peter 1:5-7
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Who was suffering in this passage?
What was the suffering?
What reason was given for why the person suffered?
Why is that "good"?
Thanks for all the questions submitted so far...keep them coming...if your question isn't answered right away, know that we are getting to it. Some questions have to be answered first - questions about God creating the world, how sin came in - before we can answer other questions, like do animals go to heaven.
1. "Bad things" entered the world when Adam & Eve "fell" ("The Fall" = the first sin, the first act of disobedience to God)
Q: "What 'bad stuff' came into the world after the Fall?"
- Adam & Eve could no longer live in the Garden of Eden (Q: Do we know where it was? No, not exactly. Clues from the name of the river, probably Iraq, but it wasn't found.)
- Adam would have to work the ground and there would be thorns and thistles
- Eve would have to submit to her husband rather than be his equal
- Eve would experience pain in giving birth
- The serpent (Satan) would be cursed (but, the same verse talks about Jesus coming to win!)
- People would die
As we talked about last week, God could not have created us to have choices unless there was also the choice to disobey. Love for him that is not chosen wouldn't mean anything.
Remember Teacher Mr. X and Teacher Mr. Y? In Teacher Mr. X's world, there was no misbehavior, but there were also no choices. In Teacher Mr. Y's class, wrong things probably would happen.
Bonus: Where is Jesus mentioned in the passage? Verse 15 - her offspring will crush his (Satan's) head
2. Because there is sin, we have suffering
- Caused by ourselves - ex: we get grounded, we fail tests, we get yelled at, we lose friends
- Caused by others - ex: all the evil things kids do to each other
Ex: Logan's white jeans at dusty summer camp! It didn't matter if he was trying to stay clean or get dirty, he was going to get dirty!
If I want something good to happen, and it doesn't happen, is that a bad thing?
Ex: It rains on my birthday, so I can't have the party in the park. Evil? No - inconvenient & bad, yes - for me.
Ex: I get grounded for lying to my parents. Evil? No. A bad thing? Yes, for me.
Ex: I (Mark) swam out too far and almost drowned. Very scary. Was it an evil thing? No, but uncomfortable and horrible.
Part of "growing up" is being able to look at things the way someone else sees them - including God. When we can see ALL there is so see of something, we understand it better. Ex: 3-D glasses.
4. Evil is being overcome.
When Jesus came out of the grave, the process of evil being defeated began (like when Aslan rose in Narnia - and started to undo all the evil). More on that next week.
5. Sometimes good can come from evil - God works through things to make us better, stronger, and to change us.
Read Romans 8:28-32. Does verse 28 mean:
A. Only good things will happen to people who love God
B. God causes bad things to happen because they're good for us
C. Everything that happens to us turns out good in the end
D. No matter what happens, God is always working to make us like his son, Jesus
D is the best choice - as verse 31 says, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" Nothing can happen that will derail God's good plan for us.
Ex: I'm not glad that the drowning incident almost happened, but I learned valuable lessons from it.
What have you been through that's been hard, but your own good has come from it?
Into small groups (each group take one passage):
John 9:1 - Jesus heals a man born blind
Philippians 1:7-14 - Paul in chains for the gospel
1 Peter 1:5-7
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Who was suffering in this passage?
What was the suffering?
What reason was given for why the person suffered?
Why is that "good"?
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