Bulletin Articles
The Problem and Solution
Some people are particularly good at troubleshooting problems. Whether electronics, cars, or engaging in household fixes, some just have that knack for figuring out what is wrong and then finding the solution to fix it. We need people like this in service positions. We need them in businesses. We need them in doctor’s offices and hospitals. We need them in churches. To have an eye for the problem with solutions in mind is valuable everywhere.
Culture at large is broken. People are broken. Something is wrong, and the problem we have in diagnosing this problem is that we have been part of the problem. We have been so invested in our selfish interests that we become blind to the problem and fail to see it for what it is. Yet in this case, we do not need to be the ones who diagnose the problem; we need to recognize that the problem has already been diagnosed. Further, we are not the ones who need to provide the solution, for the solution has already been given. We just need to submit ourselves to it.
Sin is the problem. This may sound oversimplified, but when we understand the problem of sin for what it is, it is deeply profound. Sin is not just a mistake. It is a grievous offense against the God who made us in His image (Gen 1:26-28). It is a violation of His nature, His character, His glory (Rom 3:23). We are essentially trying to remove God from His throne and put ourselves on it so that we need not answer to Him; we want to decide right and wrong for ourselves (Gen 3:5). We must not minimize this, for by seeing it for what it is, we can begin to appreciate the solution.
God provides the solution. Sin is a problem that no mere human can fix. Since we have been part of the problem, and blinded by it, we are not in a position to figure out what needed to be done. Sin causes death because it is a rejection and rebellion against the God of life. Yet God did not wish to leave it at that. From the time sin entered the world, God put into effect a solution that the wisdom of men would not have formulated (Gen 3:15; 1 Cor 1:18ff). Jesus Christ, God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14), is the solution. He came into this world and tasted death for all that “he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb 2:14-15). He tasted the consequences of sin (death), though He was without sin (2 Cor 5:21), so that death would be defeated through resurrection (1 Cor 15:50-58).
This solution from God means that forgiveness of sin is available to all (1 Tim 2:4). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…” (Eph 1:7). The grace and love of God are on full display through the cross of Christ, and His power over death is fully seen in the resurrection of Christ.
Repentance is key. God providing the solution by grace does not mean that we get a pass to sin and do whatever we wish. God’s message throughout Scripture is that people need to repent (this encompasses whatever else God commands). “Repent” was a clarion call of the prophets: “Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness” (Isa 1:27). Repentance is also key to the gospel (Acts 2:38; 3:19). God does not want us wallowing in our sins. He wants us to change, return to Him, and dedicate ourselves to holiness (1 Pet 1:13-17). Our eyes are on God’s grace; we do not claim to be perfect and sinless. We can only do this “by grace through faith” (Eph 2:8-9). At the same time, we must never excuse or enable sin (Rom 6:1-2), for grace teaches us to act as God teaches while we look for the return of our King (Titus 2:11-14). Repentance is not to be feared.
Hope is the result. Because we can trust what God promises, we can have a sure hope for our future. God has caused us to be “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…” (1 Pet 1:3-4). This hope is a “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:19), based on the promises of God. Our hope is not grounded in our own greatness or perfection, but rather upon the God who could only swear by Himself since He could swear by no one greater (Heb 6:13). The promise is sure and steadfast.
The problem is sin. The solution is God’s. If we wish to take part in His solution, repentance is key. Then, the result is hope. We cannot afford to walk away from God’s offer through Christ.
