Jacob Withrow

It has been well said that the doctrine of original sin is the most empirically verifiable doctrine in the Bible. That is, the truth that is explained in Romans 5:12-21 about Adam’s first sin in the garden, and his transmission of that sin to all his posterity who willingly follow his example, is the most clearly seen reality in the world with the least need for investigation to find it.

To put it another way, it seems that the only book ever written which allows the reality of sin to speak with it’s full voice is the Bible, and we all know it. We know so well in fact that we would naturally rather hear anything other than what the Bible has to say about our fallen condition. The unparalleled clarity with which the Bible speaks of man’s sinful nature ought to bring everyone into submission to it’s teaching all by itself. As someone else I can’t name quipped, ‘every major character in the Bible has major problems except this one guy.’ It is against the black velvet of our willful sin and rejection of God that the diamond of Christ’s perfect, holy person is revealed in it’s fullest splendor.

Because God’s “invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and deity” (Rom 1:20), all are “without excuse” and the “wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (1:18). That truth which all mankind has been in a competitive conspiracy to suppress is the simple truth that God is Holy, and we are sinners, breathing His air, eating from His earth, walking on His ground, and using the very members of our bodies which were created to bring Him glory to sin and contradict His character.

Why does the Bible speak about sin with such clarity? Because the law, which is the revelation of God’s holy character, is a “tutor” (Gal 3:24-25) which displays our need for a Savior, the Great Substitute, Jesus Christ who would die in our place. It against the backdrop of evil, sin and rebellion that Christ is most clearly displayed. He revealed Himself to us most clearly during His earthly life, when He joined His eternal Person, (Is 9:6) Who created all things (Jn 1:1-3; Col 1:15-19), to a human body, mind, and soul (Lk 1:35; Jn 11:35; Heb 4:15), and lived a perfect life (2 Cor 5:21) on our behalf, and “bore our sins in His body on a tree” (1 Pet 1:21) so that all those who believe in Him would “never perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

The person of Christ is worthy of all our attention, adoration, and devotion simply for who He is, as revealed in His earthly life. There we see perfect, eternal deity joined to perfect, finite humanity, so that Christ could really and fully experience infinitely greater temptation than Adam did (Lk 4:1-13; Lk 22:44; Matt 26:42), and yet bear it to the end without buckling His knees. I love what J.C. Ryle says about the two natures of Christ:

“I see a marvelous proof of love and wisdom in the union of two natures in Christ’s person. It was marvelous love in our Savior to condescend to go through weakness and humiliation for our sakes, ungodly rebels as we are. It was marvelous wisdom to fit Himself in this way to be the very Friend of friends, who could not only save man but meet him on his own ground. I want one able to perform all things needful to redeem my soul. This Jesus can do, for He is the eternal Son of God. I want one able to understand my weakness and infirmities, and to deal gently with my soul, while tied to a body of death. This again Jesus can do, for He was the Son of man, and had flesh and blood like my own.”[1]

The gospel that Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Apostles preached was an invitation for all to exercise faith in Christ and repentance from sin for deliverance from the wrath of God (Jn 5:24; Eph 2:8-9; Matt 3:2; 4:17; Lk 13:3; 1 Jn 1:9; Acts 2:38; 3:19), but the faith which God grants at the seed and root of the entire redemption process is the same faith which sustains every believer, and it’s not because the believer’s faith is strong, for our faith is weak, and often fails (Matt 14:31), the apostles even asked Jesus,  “Lord, increase our faith!” (Lk 17:5). A believer’s faith is sustained simply by the infinite glory, beauty, and sufficiency of Christ. His person as revealed in Scripture is enough to sustain any believer for a hundred lifetimes of devotion and diligence for whatever our work is, whether it be plumbing houses and faithfully serving the local church, or doing missions in a third world country.

We must see our sin clearly before we see our need for a Savior, and once we find a perfect Savior in Christ, we must repent from our sin, and instead of looking at our sin, we must look to Christ, and believe that He will save us, and give us all that we need “for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3-4). We need the whole Christ, in His eternal deity to sustain us and to qualify as a redeemer for a countless multitude of sinners, and we need His humanity, so that He would be like us in every way, tempted in every way like we are, yet without sin. The author of Hebrews, after describing the importance of the humanity of Christ, gives this application: “Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that we may find mercy and grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). So look to Christ, Christian, so that you would receive the infinite benefit that God has placed freely at your disposal.

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[1] Holiness by J.C. Ryle, p. 222