Getting Job-ed
To discuss what the ‘Gospel’ is, we have to talk about some things that make the world a little squirmy- especially in the era of ‘self-help’ gurus and life coaches. The ‘gospel’ means ‘Good News.’ Most folks know that one. But what’s the good news really about? There’s some bad news that goes with it, but definitely don’t stop reading because the bad news makes the good news shine.
What is ‘sin?’
Most people that have grown up in Christianity, or are at least familiar with some form of church culture, have a concept of what ‘sin’ is. Some may have a specific sin in mind: killing someone, committing adultery, telling a lie, stealing, etc. However, when looking at the commands in the Bible, it’s so easy to see these sins as being disconnected from each other and in their own categories that we seldom stop to think about what the root is connecting each of them. We really need to have a firm grasp on what the root of sin is and where it stems from in our lives and throughout mankind’s history. This will help us better understand God’s amazing grace.
Help us, Paul
Paul sheds some amazing light on what the root of sin is. Romans 1:18-25 ESV:
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.
Paul makes a link here between mankind’s exchanging God’s glory and suppressing that truth as to being what sin is in our lives. If you continue to read the rest of Romans 1, he makes this the underlying issue with all sin (he later talks about specific sins of mankind towards the end). Do we see this anywhere else in the Bible? Genesis 3:1-6 ESV:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Was the issue in the garden of Eden that Adam and Eve ate a certain kind of produce and that was bad? No. They wanted to be like God. They “exchanged the glory of God” as Paul stated. We suppress the truth of God and exchange His glory for anything and everything else. We want to be like God. This is the underlying root of all sin. This is insurrection against an infinitely holy and righteous King. We took what is of infinite value and exchanged it for garbage.
The Law of God
This brings us to the issue of the Law of God (Torah). When we approach the Old Testament laws of God, we have to see that the laws were intended to address the underlying issue of our heart. It’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts. What’s the first law in the ten commandments? “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 ESV). Think about this in relation to the passages above.
This is why Jesus makes it clear that all of the Law and the Prophets (representing the Old Testament) is wrapped up in these two commands: Love God and love people (Matthew 22:36-40). If we read the Old Testament and didn’t see those, we missed it. The most important command, as Jesus says, is our love for God. This will then drive our love for people.
The command to love God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths comes from the Shema in Deuteronomy 6. This command, in connection with Genesis 3 and Romans 1, gets at the heart of our sin issue even from the beginning of time: our lack of reverential awe and love for God.
So what do we do?
Do we just try harder? Have another try harder campaign like a New Years’ resolution? Pull yourself up by your bootstraps? No. 1 John 1:9 ESV: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” First off, we have to humble ourselves and see that we have committed treason against a holy King and confess what we’ve done. In that true heartfelt confession, He is faithful to forgive us.
But there is a second issue also: repentance. Jesus states in Mark 1:15 ESV: “…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Repentance is an abrupt halt, turning, and walking in a new direction. So what does Jesus say here? The time of the Old Testament is fulfilled and the long-awaited King has come. Turn from your insurrection against Him and believe the good news of His coming. So much to chew on in one little verse… We’ll unpack this more in the next article!
-Austin
