They needed to understand how to operate and to relate within their given circumstance. That was a reminder in the moment that even at the beginning of time, at creation, Adam and Eve needed counsel. He could not make sense of his experience at that time.Īnd I had not had any forethought of having to give him counsel ahead of time. He had this funky feeling inside that he had not felt before, he stood there in bewilderment because he had no clue what was going on. And I’m sitting there looking at him thinking, “What are you doing? Don’t you know you need to go to the bathroom!? You need to do that in the toilet or outside.” But I recognized that this poor kid had no clue what to do. Then out of nowhere, he just launches vomit right in front. He was standing right in front of me and he gets his really awkward look on his face. One illustration for me in my life where I learned that was with my four-year-old son. Because of the effect of sin on our minds we all need counseling.Ī reminder though for those of you who have gone through any of the basic counseling training: We talk about the fact that we’ve all needed counsel from the very beginning. What it presents to us is the incredible need that all people have for counseling. Theologically this is called “Justification” which we will discuss in my next meditation.We need to make certain that we’re recognizing that sin has an effect on the way people think. This is the “GREATEST NEWS” God has ever shared with the world. God gives a believer Christ’s righteousness and takes away sin’s penalty and condemnation (2 Corinthians 5:21). When a sinner personally believes the gospel, he becomes justified as a completely righteous person before God (Romans 3:24, 5:1-9). The gospel, when believed, “ is the power of God to Salvation for every one who believes.” (Romans 1:16). Salvation is a gift of grace and is received by believing the gospel. Jesus was punished for our sins so that we could be forgiven and avoid sin’s punishment. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, proving that God accepted His payment for sin. The gospel proclaims that Jesus paid sin’s penalty thru His substitutionary death for sin. It is a blessed truth to know that I can be forgiven of my sins and go to heaven instead of going to hell. Getting through this together, Paso Robles The gospel is good news because it saves a sinner from sin’s condemnation. The word literally means the proclamation of “good news.” The apostle Paul clearly discusses the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This deliverance is called the ‘GOSPEL” in the New Testament. Salvation or deliverance from sin’s penalty has been provided thru Christ. The apostle Paul declared in Ephesians 2:1-6 that every sinner is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins but God in His mercy and grace has provided a way to escape sin’s condemnation. Jesus said that He was sent into the world not to condemn sinners but to save them from condemnation: “ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that world through Him might be SAVED.” This is how a sinner is saved from sin’s penalty of condemnation. Jesus clearly taught that sinners were condemned in sin and would perish and go to hell if they didn’t believe in Him as their Savior (John 3:16-18). God has pronounced that the penalty of sin is spiritual death and separation from God in a place of judgment called hell: “ For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). For example, murder, lying, and stealing are sins because these actions are violations of the ten commandments. It is disobeying a scriptural law of God. Today in society, many people do not clearly know what sin is according to the Bible.ġ John 3:4 declares that sin is lawlessness.
However, most sinners are not aware of the biblical penalty for sin in the sight of God.
Many people will admit that they commit sin and are, therefore sinners.