Theology / Man and Sin

  • Holy War

    Esther 9–10

    All sorts of wild theories about spiritual warfare abound in the church today. Nevertheless, there is a real war going on every time the Gospel is preached. All people are inclined from birth to reject Jesus and will only trust ...Read More

  • The Lord Knows How

    2 Peter 2:9–10a

    That God keeps the unrighteous under punishment by turning them over to their sin should be a sober warning to us. While those of us with true faith will never lose our salvation, if we persist in disobedience, we may ...Read More

  • Redemption’s Drama

    Psalm 85:10

    Other people may treat us unjustly, but the Lord never does. His justice is perfect and will never condemn the righteous, nor will He let the sinner go unpunished. In Christ, the Father has judged His sinful people so that ...Read More

  • God’s Just Judgment

    Psalm 51:4–5

    We cannot forget the consequences our sins have on the world around us. However, if we do not understand that our sin is primarily and ultimately against God, we have not truly repented. Perhaps you have sinned against another person ...Read More

  • The Sin of David

    2 Samuel 11:1–12:23

    God mercifully forgave David when he acknowledged his sin, but this does not mean his transgression had no consequences. David also worshiped the Lord even after these consequences were brought to pass (2 Sam. 12:15b–23), showing that He ...Read More

  • The Need for Repentance

    Matthew 7:21–23

    Repentance does not eliminate the struggle with sin and make us perfect immediately. But it does result in a marked change of thoughts, words, and deeds whereby we do not love our former lusts as we once did. If we ...Read More

  • On That Day

    Luke 10:1–12

    The first of Martin Luther’s 95 theses reads: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said, ‘Repent,’ He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Christ’s application of the destruction of Sodom reminds ...Read More

  • No Human Being

    Romans 3:9–20

    Remember that though you are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), no longer bound by the power of sin, you will still struggle with it. Perhaps you can avoid speaking an unkind word, but how long can ...Read More

  • God’s Wrath Revealed

    Romans 1:18–32

    Sexual immorality and idolatry are often linked in Scripture. For example, Hosea’s adulterous wife is likened to Israel who has followed after other gods (see chap. 1). If you are struggling with sexual sin, seek where you have been ...Read More

  • Cursed be Canaan

    Genesis 9:24–29

    Matthew Henry comments, “God often visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children, when the children inherit the fathers’ wicked disposition and imitate the fathers’ wicked practices, and do nothing to cut off the inheritance of the curse.” If ...Read More

  • The Father of Canaan

    Genesis 9:18–23

    Noah shows how even the upright can fall into sin, especially after enduring a trial. Matthew Henry writes, “Sometimes those who, with watchfulness and resolution have, by the grace of God, kept their integrity in the midst of temptation, have ...Read More

  • The Extent of Our Sin

    John 6:44

    Understanding the extent of our sin should affect the way we conduct our evangelism. We should pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of those with whom we share the Gospel. We should not be surprised when ...Read More

  • The Depth of Our Sin

    Psalm 14:2-3

    We must remember that we “sin because we are sinners” and not that “we are sinners because we sin.” All of us are born with a nature at enmity with God, and every wicked act we perform flows from our ...Read More

  • The Reality of Our Sin

    Habakkuk 1:12-13

    All of us understand that there is something fundamentally wrong with us. Even the best of our deeds often result from the worst of intentions. Wickedness is indeed presently all-pervasive. Yet it will not always be this way. Those who ...Read More

  • The Duality of Man

    Daniel 12:1–2

    The Bible teaches duality — man is composed of body and soul that exist together harmoniously. This is different from dualism — body and soul are opposed to one another. We must be careful to take care of our bodies by eating ...Read More