Isaiah 50-52
1 Thessalonians 5
“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:18
The book of Psalms is a collection of lyrical poems by multiple authors. We can find many different emotions expressed in the psalms as the psalmist pours out his heart to God in praise, in turmoil, in rejoice, in fear and in confession. Psalm 51 is an example of a confessional psalm that David wrote after the prophet Nathan exposed his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.
David acknowledged what he did, not calling it a mistake, an error or an accident, but transgression, iniquity and sin. He understood that deep within him, at the central core of his being, at the very fountain of his life, there was something that had gone wrong. He wrote, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). David recognized that sins came out of this sin nature that was with him from conception. In contrast to the popular notion that human beings are basically good people who once in a while do wrong, David said the exact opposite. David noted there was a built-in disposition to rebel against God, especially God’s authority. Theologians call this the “doctrine of original sin.”
How do we know that the “doctrine of original sin” is true? For those of us who are parents and have raised children, how hard was it to teach the child to lie? How difficult was it to teach the child to throw a temper tantrum? How many lessons did it take for the child to learn how to put the blame on somebody else? Many, if not all, parents would say, “The child just does these things naturally.” Why? Because it is something in the nature. On the contrary, how hard do parents have to work to teach the child to tell the truth, to treat others properly, to speak respectfully and not to lie? All parents would answer, “It’s hard!” This is because our sinful nature is what comes naturally to us, and to walk in the ways of God is hard.
The Preacher’s Commentary tells us, “There is another way to deal with guilt, however, and this way gets to its root. This is by admission, confession, and forgiveness. The advantage of this way is that we don’t have to carry the guilt anymore….Before God we can not only be relieved of the guilt of our behavior; we can also be relieved of the guilt of our fallen existence.”
There is hope that we do not have to live in sin because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, taking all of our sins—past, present and future—so that we can be right with God.
Father God, there is absolutely nothing good in me. Thank You for being a loving Father, not only correcting me but also giving me hope of an eternity with You through Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5
“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:18
The book of Psalms is a collection of lyrical poems by multiple authors. We can find many different emotions expressed in the psalms as the psalmist pours out his heart to God in praise, in turmoil, in rejoice, in fear and in confession. Psalm 51 is an example of a confessional psalm that David wrote after the prophet Nathan exposed his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.
David acknowledged what he did, not calling it a mistake, an error or an accident, but transgression, iniquity and sin. He understood that deep within him, at the central core of his being, at the very fountain of his life, there was something that had gone wrong. He wrote, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). David recognized that sins came out of this sin nature that was with him from conception. In contrast to the popular notion that human beings are basically good people who once in a while do wrong, David said the exact opposite. David noted there was a built-in disposition to rebel against God, especially God’s authority. Theologians call this the “doctrine of original sin.”
How do we know that the “doctrine of original sin” is true? For those of us who are parents and have raised children, how hard was it to teach the child to lie? How difficult was it to teach the child to throw a temper tantrum? How many lessons did it take for the child to learn how to put the blame on somebody else? Many, if not all, parents would say, “The child just does these things naturally.” Why? Because it is something in the nature. On the contrary, how hard do parents have to work to teach the child to tell the truth, to treat others properly, to speak respectfully and not to lie? All parents would answer, “It’s hard!” This is because our sinful nature is what comes naturally to us, and to walk in the ways of God is hard.
The Preacher’s Commentary tells us, “There is another way to deal with guilt, however, and this way gets to its root. This is by admission, confession, and forgiveness. The advantage of this way is that we don’t have to carry the guilt anymore….Before God we can not only be relieved of the guilt of our behavior; we can also be relieved of the guilt of our fallen existence.”
There is hope that we do not have to live in sin because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, taking all of our sins—past, present and future—so that we can be right with God.
Father God, there is absolutely nothing good in me. Thank You for being a loving Father, not only correcting me but also giving me hope of an eternity with You through Jesus Christ.
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