Saint or Sinner or Both?
1 Thessalonians 5.12-28 (esp. 5.22-24)
For the last sermon of the 1 Thessalonians series, we will focus on the tension that all Christians experience: are we sinners or saints? Indeed, our identity is rooted in Christ, but Scripture continually describes us as both sinners who need to combat sin and saints who have been saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This tension is deeply practical as many of us have experienced the conflict of being both a sinner and a saint in Christ. What principles has Scripture offered in helping us to make sense of all of this? As we explore this tension, we will gain a deeper appreciation for Jesus Christ! We will reflect upon three questions: what is the ultimate problem in life? What is the ultimate solution? And when does this solution take place?
(1) The ultimate problem in life is sin. Sin is our tendency to suppress, distort, or reject God's character or involvement in our lives. Because God is the source of true life, joy, wisdom, and love, cutting ourselves from him impacts every aspect of our existence. Theologians call this the "total depravity of sin." Moreover, sin is deeply offensive to God who is perfect in holiness, so we are objects of his wrath. Sin is the ultimate problem and its impact knows no bounds. For this sermon, we will look at three roles that sin can have: a judge, a master, and an influence.
(2) The ultimate solution is what Jesus Christ has done, is currently doing, and will do on our behalf. He has died for us so that we can be forgiven of the offense of our sin: sin no longer has the final say in our lives and has ceased to be our judge! Christ also resurrected from the grave so that we can now live by his Spirit: sin no longer has total control over our lives and has ceased to be our master! And Christ will return and make us fully conformed to himself: sin will no longer have a strong influence in our lives (theologians call this "indwelling sin"). Both our identity and destiny are rooted in Christ!
(3) So when does this solution take place in our lives? On the one hand, Paul understands that we are still sinners as he warns us to "abstain from every form of evil" (v. 22). On the other hand, Paul says that our sanctification or salvation is secure because God will accomplish it (vv. 23-24). Many of us can relate to this tension. We celebrate the efficacy of what Christ has accomplished for us, but there are moments where we are still devastated by the impact of sin. Theologians refer to this tension as "already, not yet": Christ has already secured our salvation and the future promises are all guaranteed because God is true to his word; yet all of these blessings are not yet fully lived out in our lives until his return.
These three understandings--(1) sin and its impact; (2) the death, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ; and (3) the "already, not yet" tension--can help us make sense of what Paul is describing in 1 Thessalonians (esp. 5.22-24). More importantly, these understandings also help to interpret how the gospel of Jesus Christ is being lived out in our own lives, particularly in our struggles!
Questions:
1. In the sermon, we talked about the definition of sin and how the effects of sin have devastated every aspect of reality (i.e., total depravity of sin). In what areas of your life do you underestimate the effects of sin?
2. Throughout the sermon series, we talked about the impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our identity has already been firmly rooted in Christ and our destiny to be conformed to Christ is secure. Between these two glorious promises, which has been providing more hope to you these days and why?
3. The sermon explained that the life between our identity in Christ and our destiny to be conformed to Christ is filled with tension and conflict. This is what theologians call "already-not yet." How does an understanding of the "already-not yet" tension help put our lives into proper perspective?
4. One of the implications of the "already-not yet" tension is that although sin is no longer our judge or master, the power and effects of sin are still present in our daily living (i.e., indwelling sin). Oftentimes, we err in having a casual attitude toward sin's daily presence or the daily presence of sin causes us to doubt the gospel of Jesus Christ. What is your typical way of responding to indwelling sin? How should we respond?
5. Paul emphasizes in 5.23 that God will sanctify us completely. Thus, in a similar way to total depravity of sin, we see that the scope of salvation is also "total." What area of life are you most looking forward to experiencing “total” salvation?
