THEO 101 || Chapter 8 || What Is Sin, and What Has It Done? ||

 

CHAPTER 8  ·  WEEK 8 What Is Sin, and What Has It Done? Hamartiology — and midterm week

 

WHAT WE BELIEVE Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. In Adam, humanity fell. We are now guilty and corrupt by nature, unable to save ourselves, and under the just wrath of a holy God. Sin is worse than a mistake. Grace will have to be greater than we think.

 

Learning Aims for This Week

By the end of this chapter you should be able to:

· Define sin biblically (rebellion, unbelief, idolatry, lawlessness).

· Explain original sin and personal sin without blaming God.

· Describe the consequences of sin in relation to God, self, neighbor, and creation.

· State why “try harder” is not the gospel.

Key Terms

Term	Meaning in this course
Hamartiology	The doctrine of sin.
Original sin	The guilt and corruption inherited from Adam’s fall.
Total depravity	Every part of us is affected by sin; not that we are as bad as possible.
Inability	Apart from grace we cannot turn to God as we ought.
Transgression	Crossing a line God has drawn.
Iniquity	Twistedness; the inner warp of the heart.
Idolatry	Trusting, loving, or serving a created thing as if it were God.
Wrath	God’s holy, settled opposition to evil — not a temper tantrum.

 

Teaching Notes

1. The fall is history, not a mood

Genesis 3 is the hinge of the biblical story. God is good; the command is good; the man and woman are responsible. The serpent lies. They take. Shame, hiding, blame, exile, and death follow. Romans 5:12–21 treats Adam as covenant head: through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin. You do not need a theory of genetics to confess that the world you were born into — and the heart you were born with — is not Genesis 1:31.

2. What sin is

Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). It is falling short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). It is unbelief (Rom. 14:23). It is idolatry (Rom. 1:25). It is not first a social inconvenience or a psychological wound, though it produces both. It is personal offense against the Holy God. David prayed, “Against you, you only, have I sinned” (Ps. 51:4) after harming Bathsheba and Uriah — because the vertical breach is the deepest one.

3. How far it reaches

Total depravity does not mean every sinner is a monster in every moment. It means there is no untouched floor in the house — mind, will, affections, body, relationships. We can still be kind, civic, and brilliant. We cannot make ourselves right with God. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10–12). This is why the next chapters must be about Christ, not about technique.

4. Wages

The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23): spiritual alienation now, physical death in history, eternal judgment if we remain outside Christ. Creation groans. Relationships fracture. Work becomes toil. The doctrine of sin is not meant to produce despair in those who will look to Christ. It is meant to end all boasting and all pretend innocence.

Midterm this week. The midterm covers Weeks 1–7: terms, key texts, and short essays. Use the Key Terms tables in Chapters 1–7 as your first study sheet. Be able to explain, not merely recognize.

 

Key Scriptures

Read these passages slowly before class. Mark what they teach about this week’s doctrine.

· Genesis 3 — The fall.

· Psalm 51 — Confession from the inside.

· Isaiah 59:1–2 — Sin separates.

· Jeremiah 17:9 — The heart is deceitful.

· Romans 3:9–26 — All under sin; righteousness from God.

· Romans 5:12–21 — Adam and Christ.

· Romans 3:23–24 — Memory verse: all have sinned; all may be justified by grace.

· Ephesians 2:1–3 — Dead in trespasses.

For Discussion

· Why do modern people prefer words like brokenness or mistake to the word sin?

· How does original sin differ from “I picked up bad habits from my parents”?

· If total depravity is true, what is still good in the world — and how?

· How should this doctrine change the way you confess sin in prayer?

Personal Application

· Pray Psalm 51 slowly without rushing to “but I try hard.”

· Memorize Romans 3:23–24.

· Where you have blamed others for your sin, practice one specific confession.

This Week’s Work

· Read Grudem on sin.

· Study for the midterm (Weeks 1–7).

· Start Doctrine Brief #2 notes if your topic will be Christology or Soteriology.

A Prayer to Carry into the Week

God of mercy, I am a sinner by nature and by choice. I cannot cleanse myself. Do not let me hide, excuse, or despair. Lead me to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.

Prepared by Rev Rolando E Santiago, ThD DPM