The Problem of Sin and its Solution

Appendix

Appendix 1 - Suggested Additional Reading

Reliability of the Bible

A General Introduction to the Bible (Revised and expanded); Norman L Geisler & William E. Nix, Copyright 1986, Moody Press.

Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels; J. Warner Wallace, Copyright 2013, David C. Cook

God-Breathed: The Undeniable Power and Reliability of Scripture; Josh McDowell, Copyright 2015, Barbour Publishing.

When Skeptics Ask; Norman L. Geisler & Ronald M. Brooks, Copyright 1990, Victor Books.

Nature of Sin

Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation; Norman L. Geisler, Copyright 2004, Bethany House Publishers.

Evangelism

Billy Graham Association - The name probably says enough since Billy Graham may be one of the best known evangelists of our time. His ministry continues strong and provides many resources to aid those interested in presenting the gospel to others, go to billygraham.org

Harvest Christian Fellowship - The outreach ministry of this church provides powerful and effective tools for every Christian. Greg Laurie provides clear and relevant messages for all ages, go to harvest.org

Christian Growth

Got Questions? - Just as the name implies, this ministry has answered thousands of questions regarding Christianity. Their online materials and apps are easy to navigate and provide sound Biblical reasoning. Go explore gotquestions.org

Blue Letter Bible - There are a number of great online Bibles and Christian resources available today, this is one of my favorites as they provide nearly instantaneous access to various commentaries, maps, concordances, original language resources (including audio pronunciation of the Hebrew and Greek), etc. Check it out at blueletterbible.org

Apologetics (The defending and contending the Word of God)

Answers in Genesis - Too many books and other resources to list, their website is both thorough and informative, go to answersingenesis.org 

Institute for Creation Research - This institute is dedicated to solid scientific research who provides a tremendous number of invaluable apologetics materials, go to icr.org

Stand to Reason - This ministry provides not only current and relevant apologetic materials, they also provide powerful and effective tactics for sharing one’s faith, go to str.org

Appendix 2 - Prophecies Regarding Jesus

The entire Bible is about Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, His story can be found literally on every page. Jesus explained to some Jews seeking to discredit Him, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39, ESV). One of the distinctive attributes of the Bible is prophecy. No other religion, faith or entity can offer precise and accurate prophecy since God and only God is outside of time (not influenced by time, see chapters 43 and 44), He alone knows the future. Why is that important? When a prophecy is fulfilled it provides us with the equivalent of His signature, solid evidence that the Word of God is indeed from Him. 

Jesus is the Messiah referenced in the Old Testament

There are two primary forms of Messianic prophecies in the Bible. The first being through ‘models’ (types) where we see people of the Old Testament as models of the Christ such as Melchizedek,^[1] Noah,^[2] Joseph,^[3] Moses,^[4] David^[5], etc. By understanding their roles in God’s plan we can see more clearly some of the attributes or characteristics of the Messiah. 

The second form is direct prophecy with straightforward language. When prophets were given words to say to their intended audience God provided near-term fulfillment prophecies to authenticate they were indeed speaking for God. We can separate these Messianic prophecies into three primary groups: 1) Prophecies yet to be fulfilled (well over 50); 2) Prophecies that were uniquely fulfilled by Jesus (those that include personal descriptions, situations, subjects discussed, etc.) and 3) Prophecies fulfilled that were general in nature (over 200).

The list below pertains to the second type (uniquely fulfilled by Jesus). This is not an exhaustive list however it does provide strong evidence that Jesus is indeed the Messiah (Christ). When we provide composite probability statistical analysis to this list we see that the probability of one man (and certainly not two, considering that some are still looking for the Messiah) in history to meet just a few of these prophecies is essentially statistically impossible.^[6]

Appendix 3 - Essential Christian Doctrine

Earlier we explored the question what is a believer? So, now we ask what does a believer, believe? Does it really matter? That in turn raises a number of other questions including: Do all Christians believe the same thing? No. Are believers automatically disciples? Well that depends on your defintion of disciples. Using the Biblical definition, no they are not (see 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Are they all saved? A Christian is an individual who believes in Jesus and that He, and He alone, will save them from eternal damnation. Being part of a Christian family does not automatically make one a Christian, all individual Christians must believe and accept Jesus for themselves. Plus, just because someone might belong to a church or is affiliated with a denomination, does not mean they are saved. To be saved they need to be part of the Body of Christ, but sadly, not all churches or church members believe solely in Jesus and thus are not part of the Body of Christ. A Christian believer is defined as one who believes that Jesus has done everything required for their salvation and that there is nothing else that needs to be done. In the simplest of terms, Jesus said He would save and all a Christian needs to do is to believe that Jesus will do as He promised. 

That trust (or faith, if you prefer) is based on what the Bible tells us, but some believe differently. What we believe is important, it does matter. If we believed that we needed to add our good works or if we believed in the wrong Jesus, salvation would not work. Even if we prayed to God all our lives, unless we accept Jesus and His plan of salvation, we will not be saved. There is only one mediator and that is Jesus. This is why we need to know the truth, God’s truth. There are some faith-based groups that call themselves Christian, but are not since either they have got the facts wrong or they misinterpreted those facts. While the Bible focuses primarily on the message of salvation, the Word of God devotes a significant amount of time warning us that there is an enemy and that he would do just about anything to keep people from Jesus. One of the more damaging tools in the devil’s arsenal is misinformation. Jesus and every epistle writer in the New Testament warns about false prophets and false teaching. However, it is not until we get to the epistle that Jude wrote that we realize just how serious the problem is. Jude wrote, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 3-4, ESV) Jude is warning that false teachers, and thus false teaching, have already crept in our churches, our thinking, our doctrine, etc. all unnoticed. This was a warning from nearly 2,000 years ago and it points out that some beliefs, doctrines, dogmas and even worship liturgies have been compromised through the years. It is interesting to note that, as we discussed in chapter five, that it didn’t take long for corruption to enter the church, but what is particularly disturbing is that most, if not all, of the serious problems have come from within Christianity!

Have you ever heard the old financial report phrase, “Here is the bottom line”? Well, there is a “bottom line,” in Christianity as well, in this case it is not a number but an understanding that cannot, in any way, vary or be corrupted. What does that mean? Faith or belief in the wrong concept can unintentionally be damning. That’s serious! Any aircraft pilot can tell you, if you are off your heading by even as little as one degree, you will not make it to your destination. So what is the bottom line in Christianity? Faith in Jesus, that when we die He will redirect us to heaven to be in His presence instead of being condemned. 

Through the years scholars have attempted to identify and “the essential beliefs of Christianity.” During the Protestant Reformation movement, the reformers were able to identify five basic truths regarding the interpretation of the Bible and salvation. They are often referred to as the “Five Solas,” a reference to the Latin word for “alone” (some prefer ‘only’). Here are the five essential truths that guided the Reformation:

1. We begin with “Sola Fide,” or “faith alone,” a simple, but yet highly contended idea, that salvation is obtainable through the belief in Jesus alone. Christians are made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ alone, nothing else is required. I mentioned that this is highly contended, as there are well-intended people and groups, that will tell you that you need to add good works to be saved, including the sacraments, this is not true. The price Jesus paid was completely sufficient to fulfill the otherwise condemning law.

2. “Scripture Alone,” the concept of “Sola Scriptura” states that the Word of God is the only source of truth. The Bible is the sole authority of all matters of faith. I like to say it this way, “the Bible is the only book that counts, when we die.” Many organized religions and some church groups like to promote their founder’s books or some other document that “aids in interpretation” of the Bible. Scripture is, and always will be, the only source of the truth. 

3. “Sola Gratia” reminds us that salvation is provided through the unmerited favor of God. Grace alone is a simple way of saying that we cannot do anything to add to our own salvation. Many religions will demand of their people to do some form of ritual or follow some other rigid ‘protocol’, especially during worship that are both not needed, nor desired by God, as He wants your love, not some heartless following of tradition.

4. In alignment with “Sola Fide” and “Sola Gratia,” the idea of “Solus Christus” again reminds us that Jesus did all the work. There are some religions that will tell you that His death on the cross was not sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to God the Father. Jesus’ substitutionary death was indeed sufficient, faith in what Jesus Christ did is enough to enter heaven.

5. The fifth sola reminds us of what life is all about. “Soli Deo Gloria” essentially translates out to mean: “for the glory of God alone.” Salvation and everything God has done is for His glory alone. Everything we do should also be done for God’s glory! Not our own.

These five solas were contended during the time of the Reformation and they are still hotly debated today. Since the time of the Reformation there have been additional types and forms of corruption that have entered the church (that should not surprise anyone). Let’s look at a few of these issues.  I am limiting these to those that relate directly to salvation. There are many other lies and corruption, especially those promoted by the scientific community (such as evolution vs. creation, etc.), that can, if allowed, potentially erode the belief in other parts of the Bible. For example if you start to doubt the account of creation or perhaps the world-wide flood, you might begin to wonder about other parts of the Bible. If you feel you need help in this area, please take the time to explore the resources available to you on our website.

The first is salvation is free. Let’s start by pointing out that salvation is a free gift, as there is nothing we can do to earn heaven (See Ephesians 2:8-9). Combine the fact that we deserve death (See Romans 5:12 and 6:23) and that God and His Word demands justice, we might ask how can we possibly receive salvation? Since it is not possible for us to obtain salvation for ourselves, God sent His Son to die on our behalf. God’s mercy (not receiving what we deserve) is demonstrated through His justice (obtained through Jesus dying on the cross) which then allows us to receive salvation (and a lot more) through His grace (receiving what we do not deserve), all free, all we need to do is accept Him, the free gift.

The second issue is the understanding that Jesus is God. Christ is indeed divine, there are a lot of nay-sayers and even some so-called Christians that think differently, but this is what the Bible clearly teaches. Simply put, Jesus is God, if that was not true then much of what Jesus said would be a lie. Some say He never said He was God, that is not true, He did on several occasions. If He didn’t claim to be God, then why was He executed? Plus, if Jesus was not God, He would need to die again every year in order for God’s Law to be appeased and salvation offered. The author of the Book of Hebrews provides a good analysis and summary of that situation (see Hebrews 10:1-18). Another important point to make is that there seems to be a number of ‘alternate’ christs out there. The word ‘christ’ means, “the anointed one” or just simply ‘anointed’ and is a special title found in the Bible for the Savior and God’s Son, Jesus. But many people and groups like to redefine it, most often taking the title away from Jesus and giving it to a sinful human being.

Third, there is only one God. The Bible teaches that there is only one true God. Paul wrote, “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6, ESV) We are surrounded by religions and beliefs today that claim they know the true God, ultimately these “so-called gods” serve only one purpose and that is to attempt to stop or at least slow down the progress of God’s Word reaching the ears of those that are lost, remember the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 6:15). The Bible teaches that God, the One and only God, is actually three different persons. Many scholars refer to the idea that One God being three distinctive persons as being difficult to understand. It is not difficult; it really is impossible for our brains to wrap around the idea of three things being one! This is one example of something we need to trust in God and have faith that what we are taught is true in the Bible (remember God cannot lie, see Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18). 

The fourth issue is that there is only one gospel (that works). We need to understand that the entire message of the Gospel as presented in the Bible is vital and important. The terms and phrases like ‘gospel’ and the “gospel story” get bantered around a lot these days. The term ‘gospel’ comes from the old English phrase that essentially means “good news” which is taken from the translation of the Greek word ‘euangelion’ meaning “good message.” It is most often used to refer to the great news about Jesus’ offer of salvation for all lost human beings. As we discussed in chapter three, this is exactly how the Bible uses the term, for example Paul wrote, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, ESV) Note how Paul added to the definition of the word ‘gospel’ to include Jesus dying for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised from the dead, this is the gospel message in a nutshell. We are to believe and stand in that belief. What does Paul mean by standing? We are to believe the gospel message and just like anything else we know to be true, we are to defend our beliefs, to make decisions based on our beliefs and to live according to our beliefs. 

Fifth issue is that Jesus died, but is alive again. The resurrection is real, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then we certainly cannot expect to be resurrected ourselves. Paul wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, ESV) The great news is that Jesus did in fact rise. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, ESV)

The sixth issue is that Jesus did it all. It’s all about Jesus! Our faith is based on what Jesus did for us; namely; living a sin-less life, enduring suffering before He died, then dying on the cross followed by rising to life again. There is no other way to get into heaven than to accept His offer! “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV) Peter, when asked how he and John were able to heal, they explained who Jesus is followed by a statement that reiterates this point, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, ESV) The world wants you to believe that there are multiple ways to obtain salvation or routes to heaven. If that were true, which it is not, why would the Father send His Son to die? (See Luke 22:42)

The seventh is that we need to know is the Bible is God’s Word. There are many groups, including some Christian denominations, that do not believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Some have even said that the Bible only ’contains’ the Word of God, thereby refusing to accept the entire Bible as being true. They pick and choose what they want and discard the rest, this may appeal to some, however it is obviously an intentional deception. Due to the wide range of Bible translations and versions out there, one can easily be confused to figure out which one, if any, is correct. The word ‘inerrant’ is often misapplied and should only be connected to early manuscripts. The concept of being inerrant does not refer to being “error free” per se, as there are many manuscripts that contain syntax or minor copy errors. When we read Scripture, we should apply a few rules of interpretation, often referred to as ‘hermeneutics’ and ‘exegesis’ (referring to critical interpretation and explanation. However, much of what we can learn from the Bible can be understood by applying two simple guidelines. The first one being is that God always says what He means and means what He says and secondly, that every word is in the Bible for a reason.

To summarize, by now you’re probably wondering why would we need to “boil down” the Word of God into something we might call, ‘essential’. What about all those Old Testament stories and the lessons from Jesus? The term ‘essential’ refers to the basic minimal beliefs required for our salvation. If any of these are changed or misapplied, salvation could be missed. For example, if someone believed that Jesus was not the Savior, then they would remain lost, or if someone thought they could do something for their salvation, not trusting in Jesus 100% for their salvation, they too would be lost. These are just a few issues that have become barriers in the minds of many unbelievers today. However, in reviewing this list of essential doctrinal issues, remember that these ‘essentials’ are just man’s attempt to distill out what they believe what the minimal requirement for salvation are. Bottom line, its not up to us.

The entire Bible should be read and studied regularly. God chose to reveal Himself to us through His Word, that alone should be enough incentive to learn everything He provided. Plus, just like any other book, start from the beginning. Now while the Bible provides the story for our salvation, it also provides the framework we need to live. We can also learn what pleases God, the epistles (the various letters that follow the book of Acts) not only defines what a Christian is, they also provide guidance on how to live as a Christian.

However, our walk with Him begins with salvation, and it is only obtainable by believing that Jesus, the Son of God, did all the work and paid the entire price for our redemption. We need to trust (have faith) that He will fulfill His promise when we die. Just like when we accept and receive gifts in celebration of a birthday or Christmas, we need to accept the free gift of salvation from our loving Lord Jesus. The choice is yours.

Appendix 4 - What a Church Should Do (and shouldn’t do)

Do I have the authority to tell someone how to run a church or proclaim what a church should or should not do? No, but the Bible does provide some insight. Please understand this was written to aid in building up churches, not tear them down. 

When it comes to planning or figuring out what to do in nearly any discipline, business, project or ministry, there are typically four basic categories to regularly consider: 

1) Must, those things that are absolutely essential and should never be considered not doing, usually dictated from a mission statement or similar document.

2) Should, these are the things that should be done after the ‘musts’ are being handled and if one has the resources to do them. 

3) Could, things that may be considered only after the ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’ are being done. 

4) Don’t, those things that should never be considered. 

Regarding a church or ministry, understand that the Holy Spirit always has “the last word,” the final decider, so to speak, but always remember God would never guide contrary to His Word. Let’s look how each of these apply to churches.

Must

The Bible is clear that the top priority of any church is to teach (Ephesians 4:11-16), admonish, correct and train in the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) and take appropriate measures to remain pure to the truth (Philippians 4:8; James 1:27). We are to be equipped with the whole counsel of God (know the Bible from cover to cover) so that we can be used in God’s kingdom, especially in support of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20, see also Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:24-20; Luke 24:44-49; Romans 1:5). Churches and Christians alike are to proclaim and communicate the gospel locally and abroad. God chose to reveal Himself and His plan of salvation through His Word, it is imperative to learn it as well as teach it. In all cases, be guided by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:12-17; Galatians 5:16-26). 

Should

Churches should guide and encourage believers to grow Spiritually (Romans 8:1-8; 13:11-14; Galatians 5:16-18; 2 Peter 1:3-8). Church leaders should be praying for everyone and encouraging others to pray as well (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18-19; Philippians 4:4-7; Colossians 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Jude 20-21) and provide opportunities for people to pray (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17). In addition churches should also consider the following, note the list is not in any particular order: offer praise to God (Colossians 3:16); fellowship together (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 13:16); assist and serve each other (Galatians 5:13-15; 1 Peter 4:8-11); take care of those who cannot take care of themselves (James 1:27); to be baptized (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38); to share the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34); help and encourage each other (Romans 1:12; 15:4-5; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 2:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:14) and evangelize together (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). A “worship service” can be formed as a collection of several of these, especially a lesson from the Word, praise, prayer and fellowship, however that “worship service” should never be considered the primary or the only function of the church. When providing any of these as an outreach, churches need to humbly serve others, especially the public. 

Jesus used the instance of washing the feet of His disciples as an example of performing acts of humble service and kindness for others (John 13:1-20). Christians don’t go to “humbling school” to learn how to be humble, but a church can lead by example. Unexpected acts of kindness and generosity without expecting anything in return, can go a long way to demonstrate God’s love. 

Could

A church could get involved with a number of additional activities, however, please note, if the Holy Spirit is making it clear that a church should be doing these things, then obviously, the church should, since God will provide where He guides. The first ‘could’ service is about the rising concern for those less fortunate. There are several ways to help the poor, infirmed, homeless and any others that may be in need, church leadership will need to prayerfully consider either a full-fledged shelter, a feeding program or assist other organizations that offer such services. A church could offer additional education by providing the community with a pre-school or with a school from pre-school through high-school. A church could also offer specialized classes aimed to meet a need in the community such as babysitting, first aid, health, cooking, music, software, etc. or perhaps a trade to help people get a job. A church could even offer free child care during Christmas shopping, hand out drinks on hot days to people in cars or those walking by, etc. All to show God’s love to others. Regardless of what ‘could’ service is chosen, it should never overshadow the ‘must’ and ’should’ services.

Don’t

Don’t do anything contrary to the Word of God. Don’t continue offering programs that are no longer needed, unless guided by the Holy Spirit. Don’t be involved with any business or group that is known to oppose God or His Word.

In summary, a church should not be identified by what they do or when they do it. The church should be known for who it represents. This is a difficult task, especially in times like today. Paul made it clear that there would be a time when everything seems to be upside down. “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.” (2 Timothy 3:1-9, ESV) This certainly sounds like today. Pick up any newspaper, go online, or watch any news broadcast and you will find one or more of these items as the root of some news story.

 After making this prophetic statement, Paul turns to Timothy with wise words, reminding him that being in the service of God is never easy, but with God, all is possible, He is able! Here is what he wrote, “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:10-17, ESV)

Worldwide many churches are being persecuted and while the churches in the United States are not always persecuted in the same way (threat of life, etc.), churches in America do face serious issues and powerful spiritual opposition. So much so that many denominations have already succumb to social pressure to modify their views and interpretations of Scripture. Instead of compromise, Christians need to be encouraged and educated unlike any other time in history. Today churches need to stay focused on Jesus and be even more diligent to teach the Word of God, with emphasis on the gospel message.“That the man of God may be complete, equipped foe every work,” this is the goal of every church, the Body of Christ working together, bringing light into a dark world. It is God system, not ours. Jesus is the Head of the the church (Ephesians 5:23), each church and every Christian belongs to Him (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 3:13). Remember, it’s all about Him, He’s the boss.

⇐Previous Chapter (Introduction/Index) Bibliography⇒

[1] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). Jesus Christ Our Lord (p. 68). Galaxie Software.

[2] Johnson, O. L. (2005). Bible Typology. James L. Fleming.

[3] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). Jesus Christ Our Lord (pp. 66–67). Galaxie Software.

[4] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). Jesus Christ Our Lord (pp. 68–69). Galaxie Software.

[5] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). Jesus Christ Our Lord (p. 65). Galaxie Software.

[6] Missler, Dr. Chuck (1999) Cosmic Codes (pp. 225-230). Koinonia House. <http://www.khouse.org/>