From plight to solution and back again

The view we take of the plight of human beings in sin will affect our understanding of salvation as the solution to sin.

If sin is a trivial problem, it requires only a trivial solution.

Is sin is serious, it demands a serious solution.

A Pelagian view of sin requires only a Socinian Jesus; a human example to show us a better way.

An Augustinian view of sin demands a Chalcedonian Jesus; one who is fully God and fully human in one person, dying in the place of human beings to put us right with God.

The same applies if you argue from solution to plight. If it took the death of God incarnate to save us from sin, then sin is the most weighty problem we will ever face. A problem that outside of Jesus has no solution.

Biblically speaking, Matthew 1:21 only holds true because of Matthew 1:23.