The Fall of Man and the Work of Christ

Chris Patton
October 9, 2022
Sermon Recap PDF

• In this series, we aren’t looking to unpack and explain the Statement of Faith in detail; however, we are looking to familiarize you with the Statement of Faith and to highlight key aspects of it for your edification and blessing.
• We consider sections 5-7 today.
• Section 5: “Man’s Sin and It’s Effects”
• Section 6: “The Person of Jesus Christ”
• Section 7: “The Saving Work of Jesus Christ”
• The goal of today’s sermon: Help us to appreciate the glory, the magnitude, the wonder of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and what He will yet do.
• My hope: We will leave with our faith in Christ strengthened and our joy Christ renewed.

Introduction‌

• One challenge we all face or will face in living the Christian life, is we can, at times, become extremely preoccupied and weighed down with the trials, and sorrows of life.‌
• In this life, discouragements of many kinds inevitably come our way.

“The truth of the matter is that all we have to do is live long enough and we will suffer.” – D.A. Carson

• ‌When sorrow and sadness comes knocking at your door and mine, where do we look for comfort, for help, for hope, for strength?‌
• We look where Christians have always looked and that is to God’s all-sufficient Word.‌
• Our Statement of Faith, and even more, the scriptures the Statement of Faith is based on re-orient us and give us divine perspective on life in a fallen world.
• In essence, they say ‘Look over here. Let me show you something, rather someone that can make all the difference.’
• They point us to Christ.

I. What Is Wrong With the World?

• Read Genesis 3:5-6, Genesis 3:16-19

Man’s trespass of God’s command brought enmity with God and the curse of death. Because God had established Adam as the representative head of the human race, his sin was imputed to all his descendants, bringing guilt, condemnation, and death to humanity. Therefore, we are all by nature corrupt and inclined to evil from conception. -Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

• Scriptures referenced: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:12-13, Romans 3:10-12

All people are now by nature enemies of God, living under the power of Satan, subject to the curse of the law, and deserving of eternal punishment. Therefore, all people are dead in sin and without hope apart from salvation in Jesus Christ. The curse of the fall corrupted not only mankind but the entire created order, subjecting the world to futility, decay, and death. Both the cursed creation and moral evil produce calamity, suffering, hostility, and injustice in the world. The groaning of the created order reminds us of our fallenness and causes us to long for the redemption of all things under Christ. -Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

• Scripture referenced: Romans 8:19–22
• ‌How our particular suffering connects with God’s sovereign purposes is often shrouded in great mystery.
• That said — not all is mystery. Scripture does provide some explanation and part of what it tells us is all human suffering is an effect of the fall.
• Paul Tripp points out that often where we go wrong as believers, is, we tend to forget our location. We fail at times to take into account where we are living. We are living in a “broken down house” as he calls it.
• We overlook that creation itself is even now, groaning.
• Explain how the doctrine of the fall helps us process life’s disappointments in a God-glorifying manner.

II. Who Is Jesus?‌

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. — Hebrews 12:2 (1984 NIV)

• Thankfully our Statement of Faith helps us to do just that as it moves so wonderfully from talking about the fall of man to the glory of our savior Jesus…who came in order reverse the tragic effects of the fall!
• Section six is entitled “The Person of Jesus Christ”
• It begins by explaining His identity–who Jesus is.
• It reminds us that Jesus is fully God and fully man.
• Refer to Ligonier article by Stephen Nichols, Christology in Context.

…both his human and divine natures are united and find expression in the one person of the eternal Son. Thus our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son incarnate, is fully God and fully man, able to be our all-sufficient savior and the only mediator between God and man. — Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

• ‌Scriptures referenced: John 1:1–3, John 1:14, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 2:9
• Only One who is fully God and fully man could ever have the authority, the power, the capacity, the ability to save us and to reverse the cosmic, universal effects of the fall.

Having fully obeyed his Father in life, our Savior was also obedient unto death. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, dying a substitutionary death for the sins of his people. – Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Cor 5:21

He was buried and arose bodily from the dead on the third day, vindicating his identity and saving work as God’s Messiah and guaranteeing the defeat of death, our future resurrection, and the glorification of our physical bodies. – Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. –1 Corinthians 15:21–22

Forty days later Jesus ascended bodily to heaven where he is now enthroned at the right hand of God, reigning over all things, and interceding for his people as their Great High Priest. One day he will return to judge all people and angels, putting all his enemies under his feet and dwelling with his people forever.  – Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith‌

III. What Did Jesus Come to Do?

• This takes us into section 7 of the Statement of Faith — The Saving Work of Jesus Christ‌
• This section speaks to the Humiliation of Christ —how Christ humbled himself by coming into this world to save us.‌
• It speaks of the efficacy — the effectiveness of His saving work — Christ secured our eternal salvation. And speaks to His exaltation, and return.
• We will focus on the end of this section.

As the exalted Lord, Christ reigns with all authority as universal king and head of his church, governing the affairs of men and nations and empowering his people to be victorious over sin and Satan. The consummation of Christ’s saving work will occur when he returns to judge the world in righteousness, deliver the kingdom to his Father, and receive eternal worship as King of kings and Lord of lords. – Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

“…Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God” — Romans 8:34

Jesus Himself said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given me” — Matt 28:18

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” — Romans 6:6

We are those who are “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might… (Ephesians 6:10)”

We put on “His armor and we stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

• God has given us what we need to not live according to the flesh, and to live for God.
• One Day, Christ is going to return. This “broken down house” will be set free from it’s bondage to corruption.
• We will live in the New Heavens and the New Earth forevermore. Every single tear will be dried.
• King Jesus will dwell with his people.

Questions for Discussion/Application

• Consider taking time, before the discussion, for each person to silently read for themselves sections 5-7 of the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith. This should take about 10 minutes.
• In reading the Statement of Faith, is there anything that immediately stands out to you or encourages you that you want to share with the group?
• Take a few moments to discuss the effects of the Fall. What are some of the effects of the Fall?
• How can a robust doctrine of the Fall help us to have realistic expectations for life?
• Read Hebrews 12:2. How practically do we do this? How practically do we “fix our eyes on Jesus” ?
• Explain what it means that Jesus is “fully God” and “fully man.”
• What does Jesus mean to you personally as a believer?
• What hope does Jesus give Christians both for this life and the next?
• Consider taking time to pray, thanking God for the hope we have in Christ and praying that God would help us to trust Him amidst the challenges and trials of life.