On Thursday our small group got together for our discussion of the book What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers. Here are a few highlights on chapter 4—Every Christian Ought to Know What Happens When a Christian Sins:
This chapter was a great follow up to the previous week’s chapter. After affirming that a Christian will not lose his salvation, the next logical question is “What happens when a Christian sins?”
Rogers doesn’t beat around the bush—if we are enjoying sin, getting into a habit of sinning, or excusing our sin, we need to reevaluate whether or not we’re really saved.
The chapter develops from a close inspection of Psalm 51, the psalm David wrote after he had sinned with Bathsheba, getting her pregnant and having her husband killed. He really committed a wicked act.
The book points out many of the consequences of sin in the life of a believer, giving a major emphasis to the disconnect that exists between the believer and God and a loss of joy and peace. Shame and disgrace follow, as well as a gnawing conviction from the Holy Spirit that won’t let us forget.
Fortunately, there’s healing. God will cleanse His children who humbly come to Him asking for grace and forgiveness. The promise of 1 John 1:9 stands true: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Our group conversation took us into entirely different territory as we discussed what to do with sin in the church and whether or not it is biblical to differentiate between sins. The old adage “All sins are equal before God” is a true statement, but are we saying it to minimize a sin or to amplify a sin? We all agreed that most of the time it is an attempt to minimize or trivialize sin.
Some time in Matthew 18:15-17 would benefit anyone with questions about what this means in the church, as well as 1 Corinthians 5.
For additional resources that will help you recognize the severity of our sin and the wonderful grace of God, check out R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God (in Spanish) or John Piper’s Desiring God (in Spanish).
To join us in our readings, get the book in English or Spanish and download the reader guide (in English or Spanish) to fill out for each chapter. Then stop by next week Saturday when we discuss chapter 5—Every Christian Ought to Know How to Handle Temptation.
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