Kitchen Table Theology
Where Coffee, Conversation, and Theology Meet. During my 40 years in ministry, I’ve developed an increasing burden for what I sense to be an increase in biblical illiteracy, not only among those in our churches, but also in the young men and women entering the ministry. Conversely, I am hopeful, because I also sense a hunger from people to learn and know biblical truth and the things of God has revealed to us in Scripture. Our Kitchen Table Theology team has developed a list of over 150 doctrinal topics which I, along with one of my cohosts, Jen Denton or Tiffany Coker, examine weekly. Our goal is to educate and share biblical truth on the same level as if we were sitting at your kitchen table with a Bible and a pot of southern pecan coffee in front of us. Welcome to the table!
Kitchen Table Theology
069 The Lostness of Man
“Remember that the Lord Jesus came to take away sin in three ways; He came to remove the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and, at last, the presence of sin.” - Charles H. Spurgeon
Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! Welcome to our new series on the Doctrine of Hamartiology or the doctrine of sin. In this episode, Pastor Jeff starts us off by talking about the lostness of man.
[00:01] The Meaning of Sin
- Why sin is becoming less present in our culture and why that’s not a good thing
- In both Greek and Hebrew sin basically means ‘To miss the mark’
- To miss the mark is to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
- Charles Caldwell Ryrie defines sins as missing the mark, badness, rebellion, iniquity, going astray, wickedness, wandering, ungodliness, crime, lawlessness, transgression, ignorance, and a falling away
- James Strong defines sin as a lack of conformity to the moral law of God, either an act, disposition, or state
[09:06] The Different Areas and Categories of Sin
- When we sin, we sin against God (Psalm 51:4)
- Sin breaks God's moral standard which is the Law (1 John 3:4)
- Sin is disobeying our conscience (Romans 2:14-15)
- Sin is failing to do what is right
- Sin is unbelief (John 3:16-18, Romans 14:23)
- Sins of Commission
- A sin we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed
- Trespasses
- Transgressions
- Iniquities
- Disobedience
- A sin we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed
- Sins of Omission
- Sins in which we knew we should have done something good, but we refused (James 4:17) Examples can be found in Romans 12-13, and James 1:20
- Inherited sin & personal sin
- Inherited sin also called sin nature, the doctrine of total depravity, or original sin (Romans 5)
- Personal sin means sin that we personally commit because of our sinful nature (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23)
[21:01] Here’s the Good News!
- Whatever we discuss regarding sin, Jesus has defeated it! Jesus came to remove the penalty, power, and presence of sin
- Closing words
Key Quotes
“Sin puts us in a position to be recipients of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston
“The doctrine Hamartiology is one of the most fundamental doctrines in the Bible. We see it right out of the gate in Genesis, chapter 3. It affects every person who has ever lived, is alive now, and will ever live in the future. And it's real, because if it's not real, then why would Jesus have come to Earth?” - Pastor Jeff Cranston
Resources Mentioned
- The Doctrine of Total Depravity
- The Doctrine of Hamartiology
- Charles Caldwell Ryrie
- James Strong
- Charles Spurgeon
Join the Conversation
We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at pastorjeff@lowcountrycc.org
Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church.
Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston
Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!