Dead in Sin, Alive in Christ (Part 2)
Pastor Tan Thai · Oct 23, 2018
This sermon explains the biblical nature of sin, refutes the Confucian notion that human nature is inherently good, and shows that all people are spiritually dead because of sin. Only the Holy Spirit can bring spiritual life to those who believe in Jesus Christ.
The sermon opens with the analogy of a doctor and patient to explain why understanding sin is essential: God is the supreme physician of the soul, and sin is a deadly spiritual disease that leads to eternal death if left untreated. Drawing primarily from Ephesians 2:1-9, the preacher argues that sin is a serious matter that cannot be ignored or minimized.
The preacher contrasts the Confucian concept that human nature is inherently good with the biblical teaching on original sin. While Scripture acknowledges that environment can influence behavior, it firmly teaches that since Adam and Eve's fall, all people are born with a sinful nature (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:3). The book of Proverbs is used to describe six heart diseases: a deceitful heart, a sorrowful heart, a suffering heart, a heart that abandons God, a proud heart, and a heart that blames God, reinforcing that sin originates from within (Mark 7:14-15).
The sermon carefully explains Paul's use of 'flesh' (Ephesians 2:3; Galatians 5:16-17): living according to the flesh is not merely about physical sins but about placing one's own will above God's—living for self and rejecting God's lordship. By contrast, living according to the Spirit means allowing Christ to reign on the throne of one's life, using one's body as an instrument for God's purposes as taught in Romans 12:1-2.
Three distinctions are drawn between a moral but unregenerate person and one who has been born again: their attitude toward Scripture, their attitude toward people who are morally weak or failing, and their attitude toward themselves. The regenerate person hungers for God's Word like a deer longing for water (Psalm 42:1), shows compassion toward sinners, and practices humility modeled after Christ's self-emptying in Philippians 2:6-8.
The sermon concludes that salvation is entirely by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that spiritual rebirth by the Holy Spirit is the foundation of genuine Christian life. Only through regeneration can a person be truly transformed from within and begin to live according to God's will.