Good News Series # 3:

The Problem

Men have sinned by not loving and obeying God above all

God is perfect; He is infinitely the greatest and the best Being in the whole universe. Out of His overflowing wisdom, power, love, fellowship, and joy within Himself, God created man with the purpose of loving Him above all. In creating man with that purpose, God meant it that man would love Him in a way similar as to how He loves, enjoys, and values Himself (John 17:24-26).

However, a problem occurred. Man did not comply with this purpose; man did not love God above all. The diagram below summarizes the three basic truths of the Gospel we have covered so far.

I. Man Sins By Not Loving God

A. How did sin enter the world (Romans 5:12)?

Romans 5:12 - '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— '

✔ Through one man

B. How many sinned against God (Romans 3:23)?

Romans 3:23 - 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,'

✔ All

C. Who is God according to Romans 1:25?

Romans 1:25 - '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. '

✔ The Creator

D. How does man sin according to Romans 1:25?

Romans 1:25 - '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. '

✔ By valuing the creation rather than the Creator

E. Who is Jesus Christ according to John 8:12?

John 8:12 - ' Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” '

✔ The light of the world

F. How does man sin according to John 3:19?

John 3:19 - 'And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. '

✔ Man loves darkness rather than the light

Darkness or sin is anything that is morally evil (like lying, cheating, lustful thought, prayerlessness, churchlessness, and idolatry) and anything that is morally good (like money, education, work, sports/games, friends, family, and church) that we value more than Jesus Christ.

G. Discussion: if you are a pure and satisfying spring of water, what would you feel and think if people choose to drink from a dirty “canal” although you are available and accessible for free to anyone?

✔ Belittled & insulted

H. Who is God according to Jeremiah 2:13?

Jeremiah 2:13 - 'for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. '

✔ Fountain of living water

I. What are the two ultimate evils against God according to Jeremiah 2:13?

Jeremiah 2:13 - 'for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. '

✔ Forsaking God who is the fountain of living water

✔ Digging cisterns that can hold no water

What God meant to say in Jeremiah 2:13 is that His people are going to the wrong sources of satisfaction (the broken cisterns) than going to Him, the only true Source of satisfaction (the fountain of living waters).

J. Jeremiah 9:23 points out some of these sources of satisfaction man is trying to be satisfied with. What are these?

Jeremiah 9:23 - 'Thus says the Lord : “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, '

✔ Wisdom, power, wealth

Wisdom, power, wealth and other blessings are not morally evil by themselves. However, valuing the blessings more than the Blesser (God) is evil.

K. Which is more insulting:

A) a wife who rejects her husband’s “teddy bear” gift or

B) A wife who rejects her husband by spending more time with the “teddy bear” because she likes it more than him?

✔ B

L. What is the greatest commandment of all (Mark 12:30)?

Mark 12:30 - 'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

✔ Loving God

M. What is the greatest sin of all (Mark 12:30)?

Mark 12:30 - 'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

✔ Not loving God

One does not have to be a rapist or a bank robber or a serial killer in order to say he has committed the worst of sin because the worst of sin is not to love God above all. All men is guilty of committing this worst sin.

II. Man Sins By Not Obeying God

A clear evidence that man does not love God is his disobedience to the laws of God. The Bible teaches that sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 4:3).

A. Man disobeys God by not doing things for His glory

1. What does God require from man according to 1 Corinthians 10:31?

1 Corinthians 10:31 - 'So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. '

✔ Do everything for His glory

2. How does man sin according to Romans 1:21?

Romans 1:21 - '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.

✔ Man sinned by not glorifying God

A question to ponder: What motivates me to do good, that people may see that I’m good and admire me, or that people may see God’s goodness in what I do and admire God?

B. Man disobeys God by not perfectly obeying His commandments

1. What does God require from man based on Matthew 5:48?

Matthew 5:48 - 'You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

✔ Perfection

2. Why does God require perfect obedience (Matthew 5:48)?

Matthew 5:48 - 'You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

✔ Because God is perfect

3. What does James 2:10 say for those who are almost perfect?

James 2:10 - 'For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. '

✔ They are guilty of all other sins

4. From zero to 100, what is the score of somebody who committed only one sin (James 2:10)?

James 2:10 - 'For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. '

✔ Zero (0)

5. After how many sins did God punish Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-24)?

'Genesis 3:6 - 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. '

✔ After first sin

6. If you sin only once in a day, how many sins do you have in a year?

✔ 365

7. How does a Holy and perfect God view the good works of man (Isaiah 64:6)?

Isaiah 64:6 - ' We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. '

✔ Filthy rags (polluted garment)

8. What is the cause of man’s disobedience to God’s commandments (John 14:15)?

John 14:15 - ' “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. '

✔ Not loving God

III. Mans Sins Because Of His Sinful Nature

Discussion: What is the main reason why dogs bark?

Man does not only do what is wicked, man himself is wicked. This is the heart of the problem – the sinful nature of man. By nature all men do not love God above all. It is so because everyone is sinful from the very beginning as all men were conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). The Bible says, apart from the saving grace of God:

A. Every man’s spiritual father is the ________ (John 8:44).

John 8:44 - 'You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. '

✔ Devil

B. Every man’s mind is _______ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

2 Corinthians 4:4 - 'In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. '

✔ blinded

C. Every man’s heart is desperately ________(Jeremiah 17:9).

Jeremiah 17:9 - 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? '

✔ wicked

D. Every man’s will is __________ (Isaiah 53:6).

Isaiah 53:6 - ' All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. '

✔ rebellious

E. Every man ____ darkness rather than the light (John 3:19).

John 3:19 - 'And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. '

✔ loves

F. No one is righteous (Romans 3:10) and does ____ (Romans 3:12).

Romans 3:10 'as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; '

Romans 3:12 'All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” '

✔ good

G. No one _____ after God (Romans 3:11).

Romans 3:11 - 'no one understands; no one seeks for God. '

✔ seeks

H. No one can ______ God (Romans 8:8).

Romans 8:8 - 'Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. '

✔ please

I. All men are sinners (Romans 5:8) and ________ of God (Romans 5:10).

Romans 5:8 - 'but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. '

Romans 5:10 - 'For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. '

✔ enemies

J. All men are spiritually ____ (Ephesians 2:1).

Ephesians 2:1 - ' And you were dead in the trespasses and sins '

✔ dead

Gospel Reflection

It is important to accept what God says regarding man’s spiritual condition before Him. Without proper acceptance of the problem, one cannot obtain the right solution. Without realizing one’s sinfulness, one cannot experience true repentance and genuine faith in Christ.

Failure to understand the sinfulness of man has led many to wrong views on how to obtain the gift of salvation such as, by religion, baptism, good works, or by faith in Christ plus good works. Man thinks he can do something good that can contribute for his own salvation which is biblically wrong.

Big part of the failure to understand man’s sinfulness is the failure to understand the absolute perfection of God and His perfect standard. Often times man measures his attitude and works by human standard, comparing himself to others. However, if man truly knows how perfect God is, it is easy to accept that in God’s standard man is too sinful that even his good works are like filthy rags in the eyes of God.

Man’s sinfulness is bad news. Because of sin man has been separated from God (Isaiah 59:2) and thus man deserves eternal punishment in Hell (Romans 6:23; 2Thess 1:8-9). The good news is, God sent His perfect Son to live a perfect life and to pay the penalty for man’s sin by dying a substitutionary death on the cross. Then everyone who believes in Christ alone for salvation is granted forgiveness of sins and counted perfect by God on the basis of Christ’s perfection. Having Christ’s perfection is the only means man can be accepted by a holy God now and in eternity in heaven.

Personal Response

Have you come to the point of realizing that there is nothing good in you apart from the saving grace of God? Have you ever admitted that you are sinful and cannot be acceptable to God apart from the righteousness of Christ? Have you ever humbled yourself before God and asked for His mercy to forgive all your sins—past, present and future? Have you ever asked God to give you a new and clean heart? Have you ever asked God to forgive you for believing that your good works can contribute to Christ to save you? Have you ever surrendered your whole life to God by making Christ as your Lord and Savior

Read the following story told by Jesus Christ, then make your own prayer afterwards.

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:10-14).

What did you pray?

Suggested Readings: The Gospel of John, at least 1 chapter a day

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