Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.
Synopsis
The gospel can only be as good as the bad news is bad. Sequeira argues that the church has largely diagnosed sin as behaviour — a list of wrong acts to be forgiven and corrected — and therefore prescribed a gospel that is essentially behavioural repair. Scripture, he insists, diagnoses something far deeper. Sin is a condition, a nature, a legal and spiritual solidarity with Adam into which every human being is born. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. This is why forgiveness alone is insufficient: forgiveness deals with the fruit, but the root remains. The condemnation resting on humanity is not merely the sum of our misdeeds but the verdict pronounced on the race in Adam. Sequeira also distinguishes carefully between sin as nature (for which Christ made corporate provision) and sin as cherished, deliberate choice (for which the sinner is personally accountable). Understanding sin as condition prepares the reader for the book's central claim: that God dealt with the race, not merely with a collection of individuals.
Key points
- Sin is a state inherited in Adam before it is an act committed by us.
- The law condemns the sinful nature itself, not only sinful deeds.
- Forgiveness alone cannot save; the sinner needs a new humanity, not a clean record only.
- Distinguish inherited sinfulness from cherished, deliberate sin.
Key passages
- Romans 3:9-23
- Romans 7:14-24
- Psalm 51:5
- Ephesians 2:1-3
- Jeremiah 17:9
Study questions12 total
- 1.Comprehension
How does Sequeira define sin, and how does his definition differ from the popular definition of sin as 'breaking a rule'?
- 2.Scripture
Examine Psalm 51:5 and Ephesians 2:1-3. What do these texts say about the human condition at birth?
- 3.Doctrinal Clarity
Explain the statement: 'We do not become sinners by sinning; we sin because we are sinners.' What is at stake in getting this backwards?
- 4.Contrast
Contrast a gospel designed to forgive sins with a gospel designed to deal with sin. Which does Romans 5-8 present?
- 5.Scripture
In Romans 7:14-24, what is Paul's discovery about the limits of willpower and law-keeping?
- 6.Comprehension
Why does Sequeira insist the bad news must be preached before the good news can be appreciated?
- 7.Doctrinal Clarity
How does the author distinguish between the sinful nature we inherit and the sins we deliberately cherish? Why is that distinction pastorally vital?
- 8.Doctrinal Clarity
If sin is a condition, what does that imply about the possibility of self-reform, character development programs, and behaviour-focused revivals?
- 9.Application
Where in your own spiritual struggle have you been treating symptoms rather than the disease?
- 10.Application
How would you counsel a young person who says, 'I keep confessing the same sin and nothing changes'?
- 11.Doctrinal Clarity
Does viewing sin as a condition excuse the sinner or intensify accountability? Defend your answer from Romans 3.
- 12.Application
Summarise in one sentence why the depth of sin determines the depth of the cross.