Since man violated God’s good design in the Garden, God’s creation has been corrupted by the presence and power of sin ever since. In this week’s message, Patrick Blocker examines the origin of sin, the pervasiveness and timelessness of sin, the deadliness of our depravity, and our ultimate hope for deliverance in Jesus Christ.

Patrick’s Main Points

1. Temptation is timeless.

2. Depravity is deadly.

3. The answer is (the new) Adam.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the nature of our sin leads to a Savior.
  
  
• Sin is portrayed in the Bible as an arrow missing the mark. Sin is an unlikeness to God, the wrong that one does to God, and results in distance from God.
  
  
• There are three things that Satan used to tempt Eve in the Garden: independence (3:4), idolatry 3:5), and indulgence (3:6).
  
  
• As Patrick personally testified, “My best logic has led to my worst decisions. Leaning on God’s Word, His Spirit, and His people has led to my best.”
  
  
• Idolatry is elevating creation above the Creator– worshiping something in the place of God.
  
  
• If you want to find your idols, follow your anxiety or comfort to your idols.
  
  
• Christ is the only One who can deliver salvation and satisfy our appetite for purpose, fulfillment, and joy. All He offers is set before us each day, but too often we forsake the feast to dig in the dumpster.
  
  
• The problem is not just that we sin, but that we are enslaved to sin.
   
• As Paul demonstrated in Romans 3:9-18, human conscience is depraved, human character is depraved, human conversation is depraved, and human conduct is depraved.
   
• “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for the most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” Theodore Roosevelt
  
  
• To truly do what is right, the why has to be right.
  
  
• We are not just basically good, missing something, or in need of reeducation. We need to be made new. We need to be born again.
  
  
• Our hope for the problem of sin is found in Jesus Christ the New/Last Adam, who was tempted in every way we have been but did not sin, died as our perfect substitute, resurrected in glory, and has granted all believers a new heart to forsake sin and follow Him through the Holy Spirit.
  
  

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal reflection:

• Reflect on the recurring sin struggles in your life. What are the central lies that permeate your patterns of sin? What biblical truths can you turn to in your battle against sin?
  
  

Discuss with your community group:

• How does a right understanding of the doctrine of sin lead us to our Savior?

• In what areas are you tempted to live independent from God? To what idols do your  anxieties or comforts lead? Where are you prone to turn to for satisfaction, rather than trusting Christ?

Passages Referenced
Genesis 3:1-8; Proverbs 26:12; Judges 21:25; Matthew 5:3; Numbers 21:1-9; 2 Kings 18:1-4; Romans 1:22-23; Luke 15:11-32; John 4:10; Proverbs 15:15; Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15, Romans 3:9-18; Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 51:5; Romans 6:23; John 3:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 40-45; Romans 5:18-21; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 10:9-13; Deuteronomy 30:6.