The Fall of Man, Sin, Punishment — John Gerstner from The Westminster Confession of Faith

Michael A

2 years ago

The purpose of this post is to provide a biblical description of sin and depravity. This topic is greatly distorted, ignored… by the contemporary church. And although they don’t seem to care about it, or are afraid to preach it, one must understand how to deal with sin God’s way for salvation.

I will be posting a wonderful sermon on sin by C H Spurgeon, but I wanted this to precede it, as Spurgeon spent considerable time talking about sin before he went into how mankind rationalizes… and avoids dealing with it.

Spurgeon emphatically proclaimed that dealing with sin is the beginning of walking with God [I wish I could write it like he spoke it]; and a necessity of salvation. This post is extremely important because most of the contemporary church avoids the topic to their peril.

The following narrative is from: Williamson, G.I.. The Westminster Confession of Faith: for Study Classes (p. 69). P&R Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Gerstner read from a different WCF that had KJV type language.

Our first parents being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.
By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.
They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation.
From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.
This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated: and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.
Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.

[There is a short bland space between sections 4 and 5, so listen through it please.]

The following link is to the entire series at YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8zn4uhMQ5g&list=PLhORVCVz3B2YyeXLs8b0SAtC3OZW7Vokj&index=1

The following list is of WCF content page, from my Kindle version:

Contents Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition

Of the Holy Scriptures (I)
Of God, and of the Holy Trinity (II)
Of God’s Eternal Decree (III)
Of Creation (IV)
Of Providence (V)
Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof (VI)
Of God’s Covenant with Man (VII)
Of Christ the Mediator (VIII)
Of Free Will (IX)
Of Effectual Calling (X)
Of Saving Faith (XIV) and Of Repentance unto Life (XV)
Of Justification (XI)
Of Adoption (XII)
Of Sanctification (XIII)
Of Good Works (XVI)
Of the Perseverance of the Saints (XVII)
Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation (XVIII)
Of the Law of God (XIX)
Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience (XX)
Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day (XXI)
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows (XXII)
Of Marriage and Divorce (XXIV)
Of the Church (XXV)
Of Communion of Saints (XXVI)
Of the Sacraments (XXVII)
Of Baptism (XXVIII)
Of the Lord’s Supper (XXIX)
Of Church Censures (XXX)
Of the Civil Magistrate (XXIII)
Of the Civil Magistrate (continued) and Of Synods and Councils (XXXI)
Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead (XXXII)
Of the Last Judgment (XXXIII) Answers to the Questions Index of Scripture

Williamson, G.I.. The Westminster Confession of Faith: for Study Classes . P&R Publishing. Kindle Edition.

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