September 12, 2025 • 10 mins
In this episode of Coffee Break Theology, Pastor Greg Griffith and Marcus Nathan pour into the reality of sin—not just bad habits, but the condition of every heart. Utilizing Scripture, they uncover why sin runs so deep and why only Christ can redeem us.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Coffee Break Theology a King of
Kings podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome back to Coffee Break Theology, where we
stir up some deep doctrine witha double shot of espresso.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
He's Greg, I'm Marcus , and we're here to help make
theology as warm andapproachable as your favorite
mug of medium roast.
Today's topic sin Not exactlylight roast.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's absolutely not, and warm and approachable sin
probably isn't either.
But we got to talk about it,and not just because it's all
over the Bible, but honestlysin's all over us, yep, and from
a Lutheran's perspective, sinis not just doing bad stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's deeper than that .
It's more like a disease thanit is a mistake.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, so let's start here.
First, martin Luther wrote inhis small catechism the law
shows us our sin, whether it's acurb ruler or mirror, it shows
us that we're sinning.
The first commandment just getsat it.
(01:14):
There's no just softly entering.
This is not a zero entry pool.
You will have no other gods.
And so Luther continues onsaying we should fear and love
and trust in God above allthings.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So right off the bat.
We don't do that.
We just don't Not all the time.
And most of the time we trustourselves.
We trust our money, we trustour status, we trust what we
have or what we can do, andthat's the root of it.
Sin isn't just breaking therules or doing something wrong,
it's misplacing trust.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I love what Paul continues to write in
Romans 3.23.
And it's that reminderespecially.
I think this is a reminder noteven for more non-Christians, I
think this is a reminder fordeep Christians that all have
sinned and fall short of theglory of God.
And so it pulls, as Jesus says,it pulls the plank out of our
(02:08):
own eye as we're looking at thespecs of others.
And so Luther says that sinisn't only what we do, but this
is also the condition we're bornwith we are natural sinners.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right, and speaking of light topics, I did some
light reading the HeidelbergDisputation of 1518.
I don't know if you guys haveread that, but I haven't either.
Here's a quote, though, fromLuther, who writes writes this
in this Heidelberg disputationhe says the law says do this,
and it's never done.
Grace says believe in this,everything is already done.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Wow, and that's so great.
Yeah, and what we call that isoriginal sin, right, so this is
not like a new trend.
This is just the oldest problemthat happens.
This is why there's not aparent out there that has to
teach their kid how to be bad.
We have to teach them how to begood.
(02:53):
They know what they're doing.
Yeah, they know what they'redoing.
Article 2 of the AugsburgConfession actually says since
the fall of Adam, all men, orall human beings, are born with
sin, that is, without the fearof God and a fear of like oh,
you're sovereign, you're holy, Ibetter, and even the fear of
you're amazing.
(03:13):
I respect, I love you, I honoryou.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
And so, without that, and then without trusting God
and without concupiscence, Greg,I made up a word last week and
I'm pretty sure this is yourturn.
What are we saying here?
What is this?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
it's not a made-up word, it's a real word that I
have used now for the first timesince seminary.
But what it means is thissinful desire, so like a bend
inward towards ourselves.
St Augustine actually called itthis way.
He called it humanity curved inon itself.
(03:53):
I won't use the Latin to soundsmarter than I am, because I'm
not that smart.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Well, thanks Cause I wouldn't understand it.
So sin is a serious problem,then it's not just a thing that
we should work on.
You might say something like Idid the best I could, but the
answer you get from Scripture isno, you didn't.
Actually, you can't and youwon't.
Cs Lewis put it this way.
He said he never discovered thedepth of sin in himself until
(04:22):
he tried to be more moral, untilhe tried to do better and found
out he couldn't.
It's why we don't need a secondchance.
We need a new heart.
The problem is deeper than that.
We have the old Adam in us, andthe problem is that that sin
kills.
Romans 6.23 says the wages ofsin is death.
So if it's a condition of theheart, we need surgery deeper
(04:44):
than we even imagine.
And Jesus said in Mark 2.17,the well, the physically well,
are in no need of a physician.
The problem with that is we'reinclined to think that we are
well.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah.
So sin is really powerful.
Matter of fact, it's a tyrantand it will just continue to
demand more and more and moreout of you.
Luther talked about it as likebeing stuck in a pit that you
can't climb out of.
As a golfer, I think of this aslike the Scottish bunkers Like
once you're in, golfer.
(05:17):
I think of this as like theScottish bunkers Like once
you're in, you're out.
And I'm a bad golfer, so Idon't golf in Scotland because
I'll be in the pits all the time.
But the worst thing is, whenyou're caught in sin, you don't
even realize that you're in thepit.
Exactly you don't realize howbad it is, it is bad.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Okay, so if sin is that deep, if it's that total,
where's the hope, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
So again, I love martin.
Luther just nailed this on thehead and, and for a reminder,
like luther was, was mired in achurch that was focused on sin.
So much in that time.
And so he wrote and said Jesusis our redeemer.
Who has redeemed me, a lost andcondemned person?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
And he continues.
He says, purchased and won mefrom all sins, from death, the
power of the devil.
That's powerful.
I've heard a college professorI mean way back when, when I was
in college.
He said a superficial view ofsin leads to a superficial view
of the cross and what.
Jesus did for us.
If we can climb out of our ownsinful state, out of that bunker
(06:23):
, by ourselves, and we don'tneed Christ on the cross, he
doesn't need to die for us.
But Paul writing in Galatians,he knew we couldn't climb out of
it alone.
So in Galatians 2, he writes Ido not nullify the grace of God,
for if righteousness werethrough the law, if I could get
myself out of this pit, thenChrist died for no purpose.
But the Bible over and oversays Christ died for your sins,
(06:46):
he died for my sins.
His righteousness was given tous so that our shortcomings, our
sin, won't keep us from him inheaven.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Sin won't keep us from him in heaven.
Yeah, so the answer to sin isin denial, and I'll?
I'll be the first to say Igenerally am a person that's
like, if I ignore this, thisdoesn't really happen and that's
just not the answer.
It's normal, is it self-help?
I can't like pull up mybootstraps when I don't wear
boots and the ones I do havedon't have straps, so I don't
have that but but I can't dothat.
(07:13):
Nor is it like a behaviormodification, like just stop
doing this.
It's Jesus, crucified, risenand given to us in what we as
Lutherans and I believe this isso great in the word of God,
which leads us to see the graceof God and the sacraments of God
(07:34):
baptism and communion whichgive us the full grace of God
and meets us where we're at andpulls us out of the pit we're in
, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
So I'm reminded when we were getting ready for these
podcasts.
I'm reminded from a sermon wayback when that Pastor Mark said.
But he said the problem of sinis not solved by becoming good.
Sin is bad, yes, and changingbehavior.
We should try to do that.
But merely changing behavior ortrying really hard to change
doesn't work, it can't work andit won't work.
(08:04):
And he goes on to say my effortwill never ultimately cure my
sin.
It can't, I can't beat it, butenter Christ.
He does not merely change ourbehavior, he changes our hearts.
Right, he didn't come to makeus good from bad, he came to
make us alive because our sinfulnature makes us dead and
(08:26):
through baptism.
You mentioned the sacraments.
Romans 6 says we die to sin andrise to new life.
That isn't symbolic, that'sreal, that's happening.
That's spiritual surgery thatwe need so desperately.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Man, we need Mark Zender to do some more preaching
.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That guy's good.
He's so good.
Hey, listen, if you'relistening and you're thinking
right now like I've missed themark, first of all I'd say you
did more than miss the mark.
Second of all, I'd say welcometo the club.
There's not one of us thathasn't so.
I want you to hear this fromPaul, where sin increased, grace
abounded even more, from Romans5.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You're not your sin.
You're not defined by whatyou've done or haven't done, but
by what Christ has done for you.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, luther said it this way.
And he said Be a sinner and sinboldly, but believe and rejoice
in Christ even more boldly.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
That's a good quote and it's not an invitation to
sin more.
He's not saying sin because youcan do it.
He's saying it's a call.
He's calling you.
God is calling us to trust himmore, because grace covers your
sin.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, paul even writes about that and just says
like should we go on sinning allthe more so that more grace can
come?
And then he says certainly not.
So it doesn't mean we just likerun around and go, let me do
all the sins I can do, like thisis not Mardi Gras right.
And that's a bad theology, MardiGras.
So that's all we got for todayon this coffee break theology,
(09:59):
but I want everyone to remembersin is serious, but grace is
greater, so join us next timewhen we talk about grace and why
water and words changeeverything.
Until then, stay rooted intruth and grounded in grace.
Maybe get a refill while you'reat it.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Amen.
Thanks for listening to CoffeeBreak Theology.
Be sure to tune in next timeand remember to check out our
other podcast series availableon every major podcast listening
service.
You're listening to Coffee Break Theology a King of
Kings podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome back to Coffee Break Theology, where we
stir up some deep doctrine witha double shot of espresso.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
He's Greg, I'm Marcus , and we're here to help make
theology as warm andapproachable as your favorite
mug of medium roast.
Today's topic sin Not exactlylight roast.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's absolutely not, and warm and approachable sin
probably isn't either.
But we got to talk about it,and not just because it's all
over the Bible, but honestlysin's all over us, yep, and from
a Lutheran's perspective, sinis not just doing bad stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's deeper than that .
It's more like a disease thanit is a mistake.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, so let's start here.
First, martin Luther wrote inhis small catechism the law
shows us our sin, whether it's acurb ruler or mirror, it shows
us that we're sinning.
The first commandment just getsat it.
(01:14):
There's no just softly entering.
This is not a zero entry pool.
You will have no other gods.
And so Luther continues onsaying we should fear and love
and trust in God above allthings.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So right off the bat.
We don't do that.
We just don't Not all the time.
And most of the time we trustourselves.
We trust our money, we trustour status, we trust what we
have or what we can do, andthat's the root of it.
Sin isn't just breaking therules or doing something wrong,
it's misplacing trust.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I love what Paul continues to write in
Romans 3.23.
And it's that reminderespecially.
I think this is a reminder noteven for more non-Christians, I
think this is a reminder fordeep Christians that all have
sinned and fall short of theglory of God.
And so it pulls, as Jesus says,it pulls the plank out of our
(02:08):
own eye as we're looking at thespecs of others.
And so Luther says that sinisn't only what we do, but this
is also the condition we're bornwith we are natural sinners.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right, and speaking of light topics, I did some
light reading the HeidelbergDisputation of 1518.
I don't know if you guys haveread that, but I haven't either.
Here's a quote, though, fromLuther, who writes writes this
in this Heidelberg disputationhe says the law says do this,
and it's never done.
Grace says believe in this,everything is already done.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Wow, and that's so great.
Yeah, and what we call that isoriginal sin, right, so this is
not like a new trend.
This is just the oldest problemthat happens.
This is why there's not aparent out there that has to
teach their kid how to be bad.
We have to teach them how to begood.
(02:53):
They know what they're doing.
Yeah, they know what they'redoing.
Article 2 of the AugsburgConfession actually says since
the fall of Adam, all men, orall human beings, are born with
sin, that is, without the fearof God and a fear of like oh,
you're sovereign, you're holy, Ibetter, and even the fear of
you're amazing.
(03:13):
I respect, I love you, I honoryou.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
And so, without that, and then without trusting God
and without concupiscence, Greg,I made up a word last week and
I'm pretty sure this is yourturn.
What are we saying here?
What is this?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
it's not a made-up word, it's a real word that I
have used now for the first timesince seminary.
But what it means is thissinful desire, so like a bend
inward towards ourselves.
St Augustine actually called itthis way.
He called it humanity curved inon itself.
(03:53):
I won't use the Latin to soundsmarter than I am, because I'm
not that smart.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Well, thanks Cause I wouldn't understand it.
So sin is a serious problem,then it's not just a thing that
we should work on.
You might say something like Idid the best I could, but the
answer you get from Scripture isno, you didn't.
Actually, you can't and youwon't.
Cs Lewis put it this way.
He said he never discovered thedepth of sin in himself until
(04:22):
he tried to be more moral, untilhe tried to do better and found
out he couldn't.
It's why we don't need a secondchance.
We need a new heart.
The problem is deeper than that.
We have the old Adam in us, andthe problem is that that sin
kills.
Romans 6.23 says the wages ofsin is death.
So if it's a condition of theheart, we need surgery deeper
(04:44):
than we even imagine.
And Jesus said in Mark 2.17,the well, the physically well,
are in no need of a physician.
The problem with that is we'reinclined to think that we are
well.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah.
So sin is really powerful.
Matter of fact, it's a tyrantand it will just continue to
demand more and more and moreout of you.
Luther talked about it as likebeing stuck in a pit that you
can't climb out of.
As a golfer, I think of this aslike the Scottish bunkers Like
once you're in, golfer.
(05:17):
I think of this as like theScottish bunkers Like once
you're in, you're out.
And I'm a bad golfer, so Idon't golf in Scotland because
I'll be in the pits all the time.
But the worst thing is, whenyou're caught in sin, you don't
even realize that you're in thepit.
Exactly you don't realize howbad it is, it is bad.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Okay, so if sin is that deep, if it's that total,
where's the hope, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
So again, I love martin.
Luther just nailed this on thehead and, and for a reminder,
like luther was, was mired in achurch that was focused on sin.
So much in that time.
And so he wrote and said Jesusis our redeemer.
Who has redeemed me, a lost andcondemned person?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
And he continues.
He says, purchased and won mefrom all sins, from death, the
power of the devil.
That's powerful.
I've heard a college professorI mean way back when, when I was
in college.
He said a superficial view ofsin leads to a superficial view
of the cross and what.
Jesus did for us.
If we can climb out of our ownsinful state, out of that bunker
(06:23):
, by ourselves, and we don'tneed Christ on the cross, he
doesn't need to die for us.
But Paul writing in Galatians,he knew we couldn't climb out of
it alone.
So in Galatians 2, he writes Ido not nullify the grace of God,
for if righteousness werethrough the law, if I could get
myself out of this pit, thenChrist died for no purpose.
But the Bible over and oversays Christ died for your sins,
(06:46):
he died for my sins.
His righteousness was given tous so that our shortcomings, our
sin, won't keep us from him inheaven.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Sin won't keep us from him in heaven.
Yeah, so the answer to sin isin denial, and I'll?
I'll be the first to say Igenerally am a person that's
like, if I ignore this, thisdoesn't really happen and that's
just not the answer.
It's normal, is it self-help?
I can't like pull up mybootstraps when I don't wear
boots and the ones I do havedon't have straps, so I don't
have that but but I can't dothat.
(07:13):
Nor is it like a behaviormodification, like just stop
doing this.
It's Jesus, crucified, risenand given to us in what we as
Lutherans and I believe this isso great in the word of God,
which leads us to see the graceof God and the sacraments of God
(07:34):
baptism and communion whichgive us the full grace of God
and meets us where we're at andpulls us out of the pit we're in
, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
So I'm reminded when we were getting ready for these
podcasts.
I'm reminded from a sermon wayback when that Pastor Mark said.
But he said the problem of sinis not solved by becoming good.
Sin is bad, yes, and changingbehavior.
We should try to do that.
But merely changing behavior ortrying really hard to change
doesn't work, it can't work andit won't work.
(08:04):
And he goes on to say my effortwill never ultimately cure my
sin.
It can't, I can't beat it, butenter Christ.
He does not merely change ourbehavior, he changes our hearts.
Right, he didn't come to makeus good from bad, he came to
make us alive because our sinfulnature makes us dead and
(08:26):
through baptism.
You mentioned the sacraments.
Romans 6 says we die to sin andrise to new life.
That isn't symbolic, that'sreal, that's happening.
That's spiritual surgery thatwe need so desperately.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Man, we need Mark Zender to do some more preaching
.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That guy's good.
He's so good.
Hey, listen, if you'relistening and you're thinking
right now like I've missed themark, first of all I'd say you
did more than miss the mark.
Second of all, I'd say welcometo the club.
There's not one of us thathasn't so.
I want you to hear this fromPaul, where sin increased, grace
abounded even more, from Romans5.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You're not your sin.
You're not defined by whatyou've done or haven't done, but
by what Christ has done for you.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, luther said it this way.
And he said Be a sinner and sinboldly, but believe and rejoice
in Christ even more boldly.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
That's a good quote and it's not an invitation to
sin more.
He's not saying sin because youcan do it.
He's saying it's a call.
He's calling you.
God is calling us to trust himmore, because grace covers your
sin.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, paul even writes about that and just says
like should we go on sinning allthe more so that more grace can
come?
And then he says certainly not.
So it doesn't mean we just likerun around and go, let me do
all the sins I can do, like thisis not Mardi Gras right.
And that's a bad theology, MardiGras.
So that's all we got for todayon this coffee break theology,
(09:59):
but I want everyone to remembersin is serious, but grace is
greater, so join us next timewhen we talk about grace and why
water and words changeeverything.
Until then, stay rooted intruth and grounded in grace.
Maybe get a refill while you'reat it.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Amen.
Thanks for listening to CoffeeBreak Theology.
Be sure to tune in next timeand remember to check out our
other podcast series availableon every major podcast listening
service.
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