Lesson 11
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WE HAVE seen in our study how the whole world fell into sin through Adam's transgression. The corruption of man's whole nature which he derives from Adam is called original sin. It means that each one of us is born with a sinful nature. By this fall, we lost communion with God, we are under His just wrath and curse, and so, as the Catechism says, "we are liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever." That this is the plain teaching of Scripture will now be demonstrated.
a. Men who are born into this world do not have communion with God because of the sinful nature with which they are born. Cf. Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:23; I John 5:19; Psalm 58:3; Psalm 52:3-4; Psalm 53:1-2; Isaiah 6:5; Exodus 3:6; I Kings 19:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Judges 13:20-22; Judges 6:22-23; Exodus 33:20; Deuteronomy 5:26; I Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:12-13; Romans 3:11-18.
b. Men who are born into this world are under the just wrath of a holy God and stand under the curse of His law. Because of our original sin and because of the sins which we daily commit, we are guilty before God. Galatians 3:10, 11, 13, 22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Ephesians 4:17-18; Colossians 1:13, 21; Colossians 2:13-14; Colossians 3:6-7.
c. Men who are born into this world are liable to the miseries of this life. The reason for this is that they are born with a sinful nature. Psalm 39:4-5; Psalm 90:5-10; Psalm 102:4-11; Psalm 103:14-16; Nehemiah 5:5; Isaiah 40:6-7; Romans 6:19; II Corinthians 12:7.
d. Men who are born into this life are subject to death and to hell. Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Jeremiah 31:20; Galatians 3:10. We shall now examine the meaning of the word "death" in Romans 6:12. The word does not refer only to physical death, for not all have died, as e. g., Enoch and Elijah. Paul did doubtless have physical death in mind as he wrote. All men die, for all have sinned. But physical death is the sign or manifestation of a death that separates man from God. The reference here, then, is not only to physical death, but to deadness in trespasses and sins, and, above all, to eternal death; final, unending separation from God: hell. This is substantiated, for example, by Romans 5:18. The statements of the Lord Jesus show that He knew the awful reality of hell and they show how eager He was for men to flee from the wrath to come. Let the student study carefully these statements of Jesus: Matthew 5:22; 11:23, 24; 13:42; 23:15; 25:41-46; Luke 16:23-31.
e. Man, as born into this world with his sinful nature, is utterly unable to do anything for his salvation or to please God in any way. Study carefully the terrible description of the natural man (i.e., man as he is born into the world and before Christ saves him) which Paul gives in Romans 3:9-20.
EXERCISES
- What is meant by original sin?
- Is every man born with original sin?
- Give Scripture references to show that men by nature do not have communion with God. (Note bow some of these verses stress the fear that man has of dying should he see God.)
- Give Scripture references to show that men by nature are under the just wrath of God and the curse of the law.
- Give Scripture references to show that men by nature are subject to the miseries of this life.
- Give Scripture references to show that men by nature are subject to death.
- What is the meaning of the word "death" in Romans 5:12?
- How do you know that this word "death" means more than physical death?
- Is there a hell? Give Scripture references.
- Is man by nature in a position to earn his salvation?
OPTIONAL EXERCISES
- Commit to memory Romans 3:9-20.
- Commit to memory questions seventeen and nineteen of the Shorter Catechism, or questions eight and ten of the Heidelberg Catechism,
HYMNS FOR STUDY
No. 136: "Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound."
No. 77: "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross."