Confirmation: The Human Condition

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Work through the confirmation Lesson below.  Do the best you can on your own.  If you need help, or if you get stuck send me an email, (revrichm@gmail.com), text or call me (610-401-5602).  When you're done, post your answers at the bottom.  When we meet next I will go over this and we'll do an exercise to have some fun with it.  

The Human Condition

My Faith Story

The BIG QUESTION:  Are you a bad person when you make poor choices or break a rule?

Open the Bible

Read Genesis 3.

When you finish reading the chapter, go back to Genesis 3:5.   Focus on these three phrases: "for God knows"; "your eyes will be opened"; and "you will be like God."

"For God knows": Only God can experience all things; only God is immune to evil. You might think that God would have created people to be more respectful of creation (and of God). Maybe God could have hardwired humans to be more careful and gentle. After Adam and Eve's act of disobedience, they were angry with each other; God knew that, and God was disappointed with them both. With Adam and Eve, God gave us freedom—and the games began.

"Your eyes will be opened": We are sinners. How hard is that to swallow? We can't change that reality, no matter how many friends we make or self-help books we read. Read Genesis 3:6–13 again. God didn't tell Adam and Eve, "You're sinners. Hate yourselves." Instead, God told them, "You're sinners. See yourselves." See that you are not perfect and that you will never be God.  After disobeying God, Adam and Eve saw everything differently. They lost sight of themselves as beings created by God.

"You will be like God": The people that God created disobeyed God. As a result, evil spread throughout the world. Not accepting our limits is one way that we try to be like God, just as Adam and Eve did. Our whole society has a problem with limits. We think we can eat anything, buy anything, go anywhere, and do anything.

What is the basic Lutheran understanding of sin?  The Lutheran Confessions define sin as the inability to fear, love, and trust God.  Human beings turn away from God and in on themselves, seeking their own will first and using the gifts of creation, including other people, to gratify their own desires.  It is God’s acting in Christ that brings us to repentance and gives us renewed vision of ourselves and our world.  To test this understanding of sin, use the story of Adam and Eve from Genesis 3 that you just read and discussed.

Just as God has been active throughout the Bible, God continues to be active today to help us overcome the effects of sin. While we must deal with the consequences of sin, we also receive the blessings of being people of God.

Open the Catechism

Student Book page 301–304: Read the petitions of the Lord's Prayer.   Consider the fifth petition.   There are two versions of this petition that are used in the Lutheran church.  One uses the word sin, and the other uses trespass.  What do you think…Is there any difference between sin and trespass?  If so, what is the difference? 

Student Book page 228: Read "How to Be Saved (By Grace Through Faith and Not by Your Good Works)." There is some heavy, important stuff in here.  Think of it like this—there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less, and there is nothing you can do to make God love you anymore.

Focus on point 5. Many people find it hard to imagine themselves as unique individuals, often preferring to just be one of the crowd. Even with all our shortcomings and failings, God still thinks we are special. Each one of us is claimed as God's own. It's personal between God and you. As far as God is concerned, the relationship doesn't change even when we make poor choices or break rules. When we feel lost, God always finds us and brings us back.

Focus on point 7. The last sentence is a strong statement of faith—we have all the grace we need. It is hard to believe, but we have nothing to earn because Jesus has earned it all for us.  Our world tells us to work hard in order to succeed in life.  That may be good advice for some things, but when it comes to God’s saving grace, God has done all the work for us.

Student Book page 280: Read "How to Tell the Difference between Original Sin and Everyday Sin." What's the difference?  Make two lists of sins—one that lists everyday sins people commit and one that lists examples of original sin. How do we see original sin in today's Bible story?

Quiz  

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Ever since creation, as humans we have a history of . . .

     a. fearing snakes.

     b. rebellion.

     c. baking apple pie.

     d. living in gardens.

2. When rules are broken . . .

     a. there is a price to be paid.

     b. lawyers just get us out of it.

     c. God's too busy to care.

     d. it's not my fault.

3. Sin can be seen as any action that causes . . .

     a. acid indigestion.

     b. sibling rivalry

     c. God to come looking for us.

     d. a breakdown of a relationship.

4. When God sees us making poor choices, God . . .

     a. looks for someone more mature.

     b. pretends to be blind.

     c. does not leave us.

     d. gets angry and punishes us.

True or False Questions

5. Sin is not just what we do—it's whom we trust.

6. Sin is limited to certain cultures and certain tax brackets.

7. Our parents also deserve judgment and grace.

Answer in your own words

8.  What is the basic Lutheran understanding of sin?

9.  What are some things you can do make God love you a little more?

10.  What are some things that could make God love you  a little less?

11.  In the Lord’s Prayer, what is the difference between saying trespass and sin?

12.  What’s the difference between original sin and everyday sin?