Podcast Summary: "The Sinfulness of Man"

Podcast: Renewing Your Mind
Host: Nathan W. Bingham, Ligonier Ministries
Guest Teacher: Dr. Michael Reeves, President & Professor of Theology, Union School of Theology, UK
Date: October 20, 2025

Overview

This episode, featuring Dr. Michael Reeves, explores the biblical doctrine of sin and contrasts surface-level versus deeper, more radical understandings of human sinfulness. Drawing from Martin Luther's personal struggle and theological writings, Reeves unpacks how a deep grasp of sin not only reveals our helplessness but also magnifies the necessity and glory of God’s grace in the gospel—a theme rediscovered and vigorously championed during the Reformation.

Key Discussion Points

1. Facing the Bad News of Sin (01:54)

• Opening Challenge: Most people (then and now) dislike hearing about sin’s seriousness and depth.
• Reeves frames the question: Do we see sin as merely surface misbehavior, or is it deeply rooted in our hearts?
  • “God saving people out of his sheer loving kindness sounds wonderful, but people needing to be saved because they are otherwise helpless in their sin sounds less pleasing.” (00:00, Michael Reeves)

2. Luther’s Early View: The Shallow Problem of Sin (03:02)

• Luther, influenced by culture and Aristotle, once saw sin as a big problem, but believed the solution was superficial: do better, be better.

• Quote: “We become righteous by doing righteous deeds.” —Aristotle

• Luther’s relentless efforts (monastic life, fasting, praying) never changed his inner disposition or love for God.

  • “Trying to sort himself out and become righteous by his own efforts was driving him deep into slavery, despair, and hatred of God.” (05:09, Michael Reeves)

3. The Radical Shift: Sin as Deep Helplessness (08:12)

• Luther realized his entire being was corrupted—sin went "deeper down than he could reach."

• Key Turning Point: Luther’s 97 Theses directly challenged Aristotle’s notion of being made righteous by our own actions.

  • Notable Thesis: “We do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds. Rather, having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds.” (09:25, Michael Reeves)

• Only God's grace in Christ can change the heart, not just outward acts.

4. Surface Fixes vs. Heart Transformation (11:10)

• Erasmus vs. Luther: Erasmus (leading scholar) viewed the church’s and our problem as needing just a “good cleaning”—better morals, not radical heart-change.

  • Erasmus’ book: On the Freedom of the Will (1524), insisted we just need more effort.

• Luther’s Response: Sin is slavery: our hearts and desires are captive; we need to be remade, not just improved.

  • “You do not choose what to want. For underneath our wills, directing and governing our choices, lie our hearts with their inclinations and desires.” (13:44, Michael Reeves)
  • Supported by scripture: Proverbs 16:9; Ephesians 2; John 3; James 1:14-15.

5. The Bondage of the Will (14:33)

• Luther’s work On the Bondage of the Will (1525) argued we always choose according to our desires, but we cannot, left to ourselves, desire God.
• Erasmus’ error: He misunderstood sin as laziness; Luther saw a far more radical inability.
  • “I did not love, I hated the righteous God. I was angry with God.” (17:01, recounting Luther)
  • Only a new heart, given by the Spirit, can truly love and please God.

6. Contrasting Christian Visions (19:19)

• Erasmus: Faith is like an army; keep the rules, do your duty, Christ as drill sergeant.

• Luther: The church is a family; God is a Father to be loved and enjoyed.

  • “Sin is not just substandard behavior... Sin is despising God.” (19:54, Michael Reeves)

• Merely commanding people to “try harder” is cruel if their deepest problem is a captive will.

7. The Only True Cure: The Gospel (22:01)

• Luther’s Pastoral Approach: Conversion and Christian growth require not scolding or mere behavioral change, but the inward miracle of new desires formed by the beauty of Christ in the gospel.
  • “I could not have faith in God if I did not think he wanted to be favourable and kind to me. This in turn makes me feel kindly disposed towards God and I’m moved to trust him with all my heart.” (23:11, quoting Luther)
  • “Faith must spring up and flow from the blood and wounds and death of Christ… then your heart… will grow sweet and disposed towards God.” (23:44, quoting Luther)

8. The Reformation Legacy (24:25)

• Times of revival and church renewal—Reformation, Great Awakening—have always begun with a radical sense of our incapacity and need for grace.
• “If sin is not much of a problem, Christ is not much of a savior and we don’t need much grace… Only if I see my plight is so bad I cannot fix it myself, only then will I turn to Christ and depend on him instead of myself.” (24:41, Michael Reeves)
• Jesus is most loved by those who know they are most forgiven (Luke 7); moralism never liberates.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Michael Reeves, on sin’s depth:
  “Sin… goes as deep in us as it possibly could, all the way down into our hearts, shaping what we want and love. And as a result, we never naturally want God.” (16:16)
• On the difference between superficial and radical views:
  “Anyone who holds to Luther's deep view of sin must find their compassion swell and build. …they are helpless. They need their very hearts to be dealt with, not simply their performance.” (21:46)
• On the means of renewal:
  “Only in that Gospel light can true humility, goodness and charity grow.” (23:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–01:53 | Framing the topic: our need to confront the ugly side of sin
• 01:54–05:08 | Luther’s struggle with self-reform and the burden of Aristotelian “righteousness”
• 08:12–11:10 | Luther’s breakthrough: Sin is a heart problem, not just behavior
• 13:44–16:16 | The Will’s Bondage and Biblical foundations
• 19:19–21:46 | Erasmus vs. Luther: Two pictures of Christian life and church
• 22:01–24:25 | The only cure—being gripped by the love of God in Christ; change from the inside out
• 24:25–end | Historical examples and application to the church today

Summary Reflection

Dr. Michael Reeves offers a rich, compassionate explanation of the biblical view of human sinfulness versus more superficial, optimistic alternatives. By drawing on Luther's spiritual journey and the theological debates of the Reformation, Reeves demonstrates that unless we grasp the depth of our condition, we will neither appreciate the grace of Christ nor experience true spiritual renewal. The episode closes with a strong plea to look outside ourselves for hope—pointing us again to “God’s grace alone.”