Alright, for those who are remaining here, would you open up your copy of God’s Word to Romans chapter 5. Just for context, I’ll begin reading at verse 1. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Though through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings. Knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Therefore, Just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned, for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. The free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Amen. Amen. Would you pray with me? Father, we ask now that you’d help us as we continue to study the confession, but really studying your word. And so we thank you for this passage, which really leads us in our understanding of original sin. Guide our hearts now. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen. OK. So review. First chapter, holy scripture. What do we learn about scripture? God’s word. It is God’s word. Do we have to have it? Yes. Yes. It’s most necessary.
Second chapter of God. How many gods are there? One. One only, living and true, infinite in being, perfection of most pure spirit, invisible without body, parts, or passions. God’s decrees. What are they? The decrees of God are in His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. All these are really stepping stones, aren’t they? You are bringing us along in our understanding of what the scripture teaches.
Creation. And how does God work out His decrees? through creation and providence. And so why did God create? For the manifestation of his glory, right? And then we dug into providence a little bit. We spent four Sundays on providence. Kind of important.
That the great creator of all things doth hold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things by His most wise and holy providence, to the praise of His glory, wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. All right. So questions about chapters 1 through 5? All right. Chapter 6 is on what? The fall. Good. Good answer.
What did we learn last week? Our first parents being seduced by the subtlety and temptations of Satan sinned, and eating the forbidden fruit. Their sin God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed it to order it to His own glory.” How is it that Adam and Eve sinned? We talked about that a little bit last week. How could they, being made very good, actually sin against God?
Oh, they have free will. They were made moral creatures. Made it in his image, right? So they had the ability to make a choice. Yeah, from Beaky and Smalley, Genesis 3, 6 bears witness to the depravity of man’s entire nature and life. It also teaches us faith in God’s word is our best guardian. William Perkins, speaking of this sin. It contained many, unbelief, contempt of God. pride and ambition, ingratitude for God’s good gifts, craving to be wiser than God, the blasphemies of charging God with lying and envy, the breach of the whole law of God. And why did this happen? Why wasn’t it better that God just made men and women like robots, computers? Why wouldn’t that have been better? It doesn’t bring them any glory.
Oh, yeah. This, their sin, God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory. Okay. God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all of the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are His judgments and inscrutable His ways. All right, then we went into 6.2. Second paragraph, by this sin they fell from their original righteousness in communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of body and soul. How do we know that they became dead in sin? What tells us that? The day you eat it. The day you eat it. You shall surely die. And so God said it, right? So it must be true. Is there any evidence? I mean, not that I’m questioning God’s truthfulness. Is there any evidence in Genesis 3 that they actually did become dead in sin that moment?
They hid themselves, right? They’ve formerly been walking with God in the garden. They knew what it sounded like. So they must have been walking with God in the garden. So now they’re running from Him. They don’t want to be in His presence. They covered themselves. They recognize something’s wrong here, right? Something has changed. Nothing physically changed. But now they’re seeing their shame is showing forth.
They’re dead. They can’t even have communion with each other. They run from God. They don’t have communion with God. And they’re hiding from each other, attempting to cover their shame. What else? Maybe that last part of Genesis 3. They’re removed from the presence of God, right?
They’re removed. They can’t get back. Therefore God sent them out from the garden to work the ground from which he was taken. Drove out the man. Just think of that for a moment. God driving the man out. What is it to be dead in sin? We talked about that. Does that mean we can’t give cups of cold water to people? Doesn’t mean that, does it? Doesn’t mean that.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. How are you going to Get back to God, if that’s your mind. If every intent of your thought, of your heart, is only evil, how do you take steps back to God? Well, right. But that’s what it means to be dead in sin, right? You can’t. You don’t want to, because you’re dead.
Paul describes this in Romans 1, for although they knew God, that’s kind of important in our evangelism, isn’t it? For although they knew God, every time we approach someone, we can approach someone with the knowledge that they know God, even though they deny knowing God. They do know Him. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking.
Their foolish hearts were darkened. That’s what it is to be dead in sin. And Paul explains it in Ephesians. You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air. Carrying out the desires of the body and the mind. That’s free will, right? But that’s all we want in Adam. We want to carry out the desires of the body and the mind, living in the passions of our flesh. That’s being dead in sin.
All right, and this, have you ever heard of tulip before? I’m glad that’s the response. Laughing. And what does the T in TULIP stand for? Total depravity. Right. Okay. What does that mean, total depravity? Because this actually fits in with original sin, doesn’t it? It affects every part of us. Okay. Can I take a cup of cold water, somebody? Sure. Okay. Yes. It doesn’t mean that man is as evil as he could possibly be, but sin extends to every part of his being. Oh, all right.
So this is from Boyce and Rykin. The book is called The Doctrines of Grace. And this is what they write. It’s helpful to consider that this truth, they’re talking about total depravity now. They probably wouldn’t call it total depravity. I don’t like that word or that expression. But they do use it.
Total depravity deals with the nature and extent of sin, and the point is that we are all radically sinful. So much so that we cannot take even the smallest of steps toward God, unless He first intervenes. So do you, let me understand, do you come to faith first, and then is your heart changed? Like you come to faith, you believe upon Jesus, and then you’re regenerated, is that how it works?
No? Well, how does it work? You gotta have a new heart first, right? Wasn’t that Nicodemus’ problem? How can I be born again? I don’t understand. How can I go back into the womb of my mother and be born again? He wasn’t understanding, was he, that Jesus Christ was talking about a spiritual birth. And that’s what he needed in order to know who Jesus really was, right? Okay, so, total depravity.
We cannot even take the smallest steps toward God. can I go back to the cold water thing you keep bringing up? Cold water, okay. You know, I mean, in a sense, people, man, an unsaved man in the image of God, can he not do something good, knowing that it is not earning him salvation, but does it necessarily, that good gift of the cup of cold water, maybe he’s doing something in the image of God, which he has, and it’s not tainted. Is it necessarily tainted that he’s giving that cold water out of his own, for his own, well, look at me, I’m giving you a glove.
I don’t know if you can say that. Okay, so here’s the point I’m trying to make, and probably haven’t made it very well, is that total depravity doesn’t speak to that we’re unable to do what the world would consider to be a good work. It doesn’t mean that we’re unable to do that. We certainly can. Is it actually a good work? No, that’s a rabbit trail. But no, it’s not actually a good work in the eyes of God because it’s not done for his glory.
But is it possible? Does total depravity mean that you can’t do any good whatsoever? And what I’m trying to convey is total depravity speaks to doing things for your own spiritual good. That because you’re totally depraved, you can’t do anything to your spiritual good.
That’s the distinction I’m trying to make. You can take the cup of cold water, right? You can do it. And that person that receives it is going to appreciate it. It’s going to be tainted with sin. But you can still do that. Total depravity doesn’t really address that. What it addresses is you can’t do anything with regard to your own spiritual good. You just keep bringing up the cold water scenario. I understand total depravity. I’m trying to make a distinction, and apparently I haven’t done it well. And that’s OK. Sometimes that happens. David.
Many of the, Francis Turrett and a number of the scholastic reformers used a category called civic righteousness, where they said that people could outwardly be righteous, they would do outwardly righteous good works towards their neighbors and people around them.
The problem is they don’t have faith, and without faith it’s impossible to please God and do good works that are pleasing to God. We can’t get back into the garden by our own efforts. We can’t do any good works. That’s your spiritual, to your spiritual good, you can’t take smaller steps toward it.
And the problem that we’re trying to expose, I’m trying to expose, is an Armenian theology, which would say, you start taking some steps toward God first, and then he’ll pour out his grace upon you. But you need to start. And so that’s why we have altar calls, right? Come forward, take the steps, right, to God. and then he’ll bless you. That’s the problem. But in a sense, some Arminians will respond to the gospel in that way, and they’ll do that. I mean, and they think, okay, now I’m doing this. My heart, I have stirred up my heart. But they are in reaction to the gospel.
It’s not like they’re in a vacuum and all of a sudden they wake up one day and find out that they need Jesus for their salvation. I’m not exactly sure what you just said, but if what we’re saying is, can an Armenian actually be saved? Yes, I think so. Yes, absolutely. I think the theology is reversed. It’s almost like you’re saying it’s in a vacuum.
We just kind of reason, an Arminian just reasons himself or herself, and all of a sudden they, on their own good effort and change of heart, they come. I mean, I think some, as you said, some good Arminians, you know, come after hearing the gospel, you know, and they believe that it was their own decision. And they stirred themselves up, but in the end, they’re saved, you know.
And if that’s the case, the Holy Spirit did the work. Right. Yeah. Yes, sir. I think when you come to Christ for all of the meetings, you say, wow, I chose Christ. Then you get into the Scriptures, whoa, he chose me. Yes. Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah. Good. Good.
Well, the tulip comes as a result of their monstrance, right? And so it’s dealing with a theology which is misleading. One of my seminary professors asked us the question, who is it that it’s hardest to minister to, the truth? Who? The self-righteous person. Self-righteous person. He would have said the Armenian.
I’ve walked the aisle 10 times, right? I’ve walked the aisle 10 times It doesn’t work. Forget it. Forget it. That’s hard, right? You’ve been told time and time again, if you just come on, come on, pray the prayer, come on, come on. And it doesn’t work. It’s hard, okay.
Total depravity is meant to convey the idea that sin has affected the whole person, that’s what’s already been said this morning, down to the very core or root of his or her being. That’s why many writers prefer the words radical depravity or radical corruption instead. It’s affected the whole person. This doctrine of total, and again, this is all from Boyce and Rykin, this doctrine of total inability, okay, that’s a good word, total inability, which declares that men are dead in sin does not mean that all men are equally bad, nor that any man is as bad as he could be, nor that anyone is entirely destitute of virtue.
That’s the cup of cold water. That’ll be the last time I probably say it. Not that human nature is evil in itself, nor that man’s spirit is inactive, and much less does it mean that the body’s dead. And so that’s the distinction that they’re trying to make, right?
That total inability is with regard to your spiritual good. It doesn’t mean that you’re physically dead. It doesn’t mean that your spirit is inactive. What it does mean is that since the fall, man rests under the curse of sin, that he’s actuated by wrong principles, and that he’s wholly unable to love God or to do anything meriting salvation. See how these guys can say it so much better than I can? They didn’t even use a cup of cold water. All right, they’re quoting Lorraine Bettner there. Okay. Well, that’s review. Questions? Yes, sir.
Just going back to Section 1, you know, I mean, I think, you know, that man that sin was ordained for God’s glory and the fall was for his glory, I think the most Important thing about that statement is the glory of Christ and the salvation that he brought that’s that’s what the angels said to the shepherds Okay, glory to God in the highest and peace on earth with whom man is pleased That is this, you know We all think of okay.
Wow, it’s bad. We fell into sin and it’s what a bad situation thrown out of the garden How can that be to God’s glory? How could that possibly be? What a mess. We had the flood. We had killings and stuff and genocide. But how can that be to God’s glory?
And the answer is Jesus Christ and what he came to do and what the angels proclaimed of him when he came. And that’s a glorious thing. Yes, it is. And I’m glad there is sin in the world because that happened, because we see the glory of God. And that’s what, as I recall in C.S. Lewis, whatever the first book is, you know, the silent planet. Out of the silent planet, the fact that the malady or the person, the angels or the other people couldn’t believe that this silent planet who did not know God, that Maladil came to them, right? That was it. That’s glory. Very good. Thank you. All right. Any questions on 6.1 or 2? Because we’re moving on. All right. Paragraph 3. They, who are they? The root of all mankind. Who are they? Adam and Eve, thank you. The guilt of this sin was imputed. We don’t use that word often. And the same death and sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation. Okay, so there’s some things we need to talk about here.
The root of mankind. Who is the root of mankind again? Adam and Eve. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. And Moses writes here of Adam and Eve. And we learn that in Genesis chapter 2, the root of mankind.
So who’s your first father? Right. Everybody get that? You’ve all come from Adam. There’s one qualification here. Descending from them, what does posterity mean? Descendants. Descendants. Descending from them by ordinary generation. Why did they add that? Ordinary generation is consummation between a male and a female when Jesus was virgin or born. So there’s only one. who’s not by ordinary generation. And his name is? This is Sunday School. Jesus. And Jesus is always the right answer in Sunday School. Okay, so Adam and Eve, the root of mankind, really important.
Some people would actually deny the historical Adam. Is that a problem, to deny the historical Adam? Yes. What happens if you deny the historical Adam? You deny a head, yes. Now we’re a little bit confused as to where evil and sin originates and comes from. Okay, Adam represented all mankind in the covenant of works. Adam was what theologians call a federal head. How many federal heads do we have? Okay, Adam’s one. Who’s the other? Jesus. two federal heads, in that he acted for all his posterity, all his descendants, and we are part of that group.
What he did, along with the reward or punishment for what he did, was credited to all of his descendants. That’s why it’s important to understand Adam as being the root of all mankind. Okay, so now guilt, because they refer to guilt here. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin. What is the guilt of this sin? He broke the law, he took the forbidden fruit, he ate the forbidden fruit. What’s the guilt of that sin? Disobedience to God.
Okay. I can accept that as one definition of guilt. What’s another? Responsibility, okay, what follows from that transgression? Guilt, from Webster’s, how about that? Guilt renders a person a debtor to the law, as it binds him to pay a penalty. So you can speak of guilt in terms of the penalty that flows from your action. I used to practice criminal law.
And I represented lots of people who were guilty, meaning they had done what the state accused them of doing. They were guilty. They had done it. They had transgressed the law. They broke the law. They were guilty in that sense. But there was also something else that flowed from that guilt. There was a penalty to pay, whether it was imprisonment, whether it was paying a fine. It was a penalty as a result of their commission of that which broke the law. So two ways to understand guilt, they’re connected, right? To pay a penalty in money or suffering, guilt therefore implies both criminality, which means you have broken the law, criminality, and liableness to punishment, meaning now that I’ve broken the law, now I’m bringing something upon myself, which is that punishment, both. We need to understand what they’re saying here in the second way, actually, but also the first way.
The guilt of this sin was imputed. The guilt of the sin was imputed. So the actual transgression It was as if you were with Adam in the garden and you transgressed with him. And, as a result, that you also receive or are credited with the punishment due his transgression. Both.
So to impute, we don’t use that word. to charge, to attribute, to set to the account of. So if you opened up a bank account and you didn’t have any money, could I come and put money in your account? And then whose would it be? Yeah, do that. You’re suggesting, OK. I could do that. Well, after I did that, whose would it be? It’s yours. I just credited your account. It used to be mine, but now it’s yours. That’s imputation. You’ve been credited with Adam’s sin and the punishment for Adam’s sin that have been put in your account. Is that fair? Why? Why is that fair? What?
Yes, I didn’t do it. I think I’ve told you this story before, but in the law firm that I used to practice in, as the Lord changed my heart and brought me to Christ, one of the attorneys would stand at my door and we’d have discussions and I didn’t know anything. He said, you know, it’s not right. I should have been the one in the garden. It should have been me, then I might be able to accept this, but this Jesus, this Adam standing in my place, that’s just no good. I didn’t have anything to say.
But that’s the idea, that Adam stood for you. And it’s God’s glory and perfect will, but he did that plan. Yes. That’s the end of the matter right there. Yes, of course. But we’re not there. We’re not there yet. God chose to create us that way. Yes. There is good news. Please don’t… I’m not just dumping the bad news on us. There is good news. There’s good news, and that’s Christ.
We also all walk after the same sinful Adam was the perfect choice. Adam was the perfect choice to be placed in the garden to represent you. How do I know that? Because God made the choice, right? Yeah. God made the choice. No, no, we can’t. We can’t. And that’s my point.
We impute crime, sins, trespasses, faults, blame to the guilty persons. Okay, that’s the idea of imputation. Questions on imputation. Questions on guilt. It’s a really important concept. And we read this already, didn’t we? What is Paul talking about here? Sin came into the world through one man. Who’s he referring to? Adam. And death through sin. So death spread to all men because all sinned. How is that possible? One man sinned. See what he’s saying? Because all sinned. I think Paul is saying all men sinned in Adam. Now you might disagree with me, that’s okay. For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law, yet death reigned from Adam to Moses.” So what’s Paul doing?
He’s saying, well, there was a law given to Adam, and the Ten Commandments didn’t come until, I don’t know, Exodus sometime, right? How many years were they in Egypt? 400, and then they’re released, and they go across the Red Sea, and they finally get to Sinai. And then finally, after the second try, we get the Ten Commandments. But not until then. So Paul is saying, look, there’s this span of time from Adam to Moses when the law had not yet been given, but what’s happening?
Everybody’s dying. Right? Genesis and and he died and he died and he died but there was no law yet Now the law was written on their hearts But that’s what Paul’s saying, right Sin is not counted yet where there is no law yet death reigned from Adam to Moses even over those who sinning was not like the transgression of Adam And so we see this imputation Imputation of The guilt of Adam’s sin. And Paul continues, he’s driving this point home, isn’t he?
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men. One trespass, condemnation for everybody. So one act of righteousness, this is the good news now. I said there was good news coming, right? So one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. What’s that one act of righteousness? Thank you. That’s the good news. Life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Praise God. The second federal head, Jesus Christ. So what happens to Seth? Whose image is he made in? Yes. Anyone else? Adam. Seth was still made in the image of God, but he’s also made after the image of his father, Adam. Is that just Seth? Is that just Seth?
No. It’s everybody. Everybody has inherited this corruption, this corrupted nature. Remember, that’s what they speak of in this paragraph. Who wrote Psalm 51? Yeah. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. And in sin did my mother conceive me. What does he mean by that? In sin did my mother conceive me. Was it sinful for his mother to conceive? Yes. This is the passing down of that corrupted nature coming from Adam all the way to David and beyond, right? Questions? This is crystal clear.
I think when it comes to where we’re at now, where it’s this radical economy that we’re desiring for, this is probably one of the harder concepts to get, just because it’s quite literally the complete opposite from from what we want to be true. This is like total autonomy. I’m not responsible to anybody else, and nothing’s imputed on me. How do you bridge that gap between saying you are connected, even to the first person, to where everybody wants to be? I can do whatever I want. I’m my own little god. How do we bridge that gap? Good question. Through the Bible? That’s what, good question, that’s what Herbert M. Bobbink does.
To sin is common to all people. Again, that’s a point of connection that we have with everyone. We’re sinners, they’re a sinner. No one is born without defects. There will be faults as long as there are human beings. Moral failure is common to all. This universality of sin is even more articulately voiced in Holy Scripture. All the devout members of the Old Covenant agree with this divine witness. No one laments Job can bring a clean thing out of an unclean. There is not a human being, Solomon confesses in his prayer at the dedication of the temple, who does not sin.
The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind, as we read in Psalm 14, to see if anyone who are wise who seek God, he sees nothing but decline and iniquity. They’ve all gone astray. They’re all alike perverse. There’s no one who does good, no, not one. The new covenant also leaves us in no doubt whatsoever about the sinful condition of the human race. The whole gospel is based upon this assumption.
When John the Baptist announces the proximity of the kingdom of heaven, demands from the Jews that they repent and be baptized. And as much as circumcision, sacrifices, and observance of the law have not given the people of Israel the righteousness needed to enter the kingdom.”
So… We have a biblical understanding of what man is. Well, man is obviously not autonomous. The only answer I have to your question is just biblical examples where we understand this is our nature. We see it in Eve, the desire to be autonomous, to self-govern, and that’s where it comes from. We would recognize that. We would agree with the person that you’re talking to that, yes, this is our condition.
Yeah, I mean, I think one of the more common truths in philosophy right now is that there is no such thing as human nature. There is nothing kind of common among humans. Everything is kind of ex nihilo. It just kind of pops up. that there’s no such thing that we obtain from anybody else but what is we own courage or what we’re kind of, our environment has kind of done. I think it is really, you know, hard to kind of bridge that gap. I mean, I think you speak the truth and you say, all right, hey, this is what you can, you know, attest, but you really know. It is, it’s pretty tough.
Just a quick look down through, history should be able to convince most people that man is not good, you know? Yeah, isn’t that what happened in the 19- whatever, 13, 14, as the First World War happens? The thought prior to- my understanding, I wasn’t around- prior to the First World War, the thought was we’re just getting better and better and better and better and better. We’re on this And then First World War happens, and that thought, that idea, that concept is crushed.
We’re not getting better and better and better and better. So the only answer I have is scripture speaks the truth, and it’s powerful, and God is using it, and he will use it. And we just have to commiserate with our friends and say, yeah, I agree, I do want to be autonomous because I was born an atom and I’m fallen, but I’m not autonomous. Okay, well, I’m struggling at this point. We’ve got five more minutes left. We’ll try to go on a little bit.
Fourth paragraph, from this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, there you go, no spiritual advancement, no spiritual benefit that we can do ourselves. And wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed to all actual transgressions. So now they’re moving from Adam’s sin and what’s been imputed to you, Right? To what follows from that corrupted nature.
Right? All your actual transgressions. Again, that’s a point of contact. We would all be able to speak to one another that we agree that we’re not, we don’t always do good things. And everybody can, I think, confess that. There’s a fellow, Ray Comfort. Have you heard of Ray Comfort? Well, he goes and interviews people on the beach, and this is really where he starts. He starts the interview with saying, well, do you think you’re a good person?
And 9.9 times out of 10, the answer is, yeah, I think I’m pretty good. Okay, well, can we take a test? Sure, sure, okay. How many lies have you told? You know, do you lust? Have you used God’s name in vain? And so people, well, yes, yes, yes.
And so he’s showing them that they are transgressors, that they are opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil. That’s where he begins. In a sense, that’s where Romans begins, doesn’t it? Showing you that whether you’re a Gentile or a Jew, You’re not a good person. You’re not a good person. It’s funny, though, that the rich young man didn’t answer that he was good. You know, the rich young man in Jesus, he’s done everything. He did everything right. Yes, he did.
Isn’t that a crazy way to respond to the Savior of the world? Yes, even worse. Every time I read that, it strikes me. Well, and you know, is that the same? Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he address the Lord as good teacher? Yes. Of course he was good, but Jesus sort of said, why do you call me good? Because I think the young man had in his mind that He didn’t have a right concept of good, did he? No. Yes, sir?
Every time I read that passage, I think that’s the only time in scripture that a person walks away knowing it’s not saved. He chose. He said, I’d rather have this stuff over here, right? Goes away sad. But what confuses me about that, I have to say this, is that in another version, Doesn’t the Lord say he looked at him and loved him? Yes. Why are you confused? That always gives me hope, because if Jesus loves you, he’s not going to change. He’s unchangeable. So to me, that means that in the future, that young man was converted. Many people would agree with you.
Yeah. It’s not infallible, but there is a number of church fathers that is the traditional idea is that he was later converted. Yeah. OK, well, how about that? It’s time to pray. Questions before we pray? What’s interesting, how the confession in 3, 4, and 5 basically get to the definition of originals. Yes. That’s what we’re all pointing toward. The definition, as opposed from actual transgressions that proceed from it. That’s why it’s so great to memorize the catechism. You don’t need three paragraphs. You need just one sentence. You got it. Agreed.
Okay, let’s pray. Oh, Father, we thank you for the way you work. Lord, we have to constantly remind ourselves that all this is for your glory. And Father, we thank you for the reminders we’ve had this morning that this is your glory. We thank you for Christ. We thank you for the good news we have in Christ. Now we ask help us prepare us to come before you in worship and service and praise. We ask all this in Jesus’s name. Amen.