The word "sin" is distasteful and offensive to many and is often misunderstood. Many times, people think of sin as a word of condemnation for the wrong things that they do. That can immediately cause a defensive reaction, and a rejection of the whole concept of sin. I invite you here, to explore with me, what the bible really does say about sin...
A true understanding of the biblical concept of sin begins with our state before our actions. They are connected, but it is important to grasp the biblical teaching that all humans are born in a state of sin. Before ever “doing” one thing, humans have "fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This is an important distinction if we are to understand that as humans, nothing we could ever do can restore us or connect us to God.
Sin is a spiritual condition we are born with; in much the same way we are born with physical genetic traits and conditions. God made a perfect world that He pronounced good, (Genesis 1-2) but humans defied God's instructions and introduced sin, corruption, death, and decay into God's perfect creation (Genesis 3).
According to the Scriptures, through the first man, Adam, sin entered the "spiritual DNA" of humans: “and so sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
We can strive, and even be successful in "doing" many good things, but sin is a part of our very existence, and we cannot, on our own, "escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." We have no ability to "participate in the divine nature" (Romans 1:20; 2 Peter 2:4). We have inherited a “sinful nature” (Romans 7:18, 25) that is completely estranged from a pure and holy God, and we cannot approach the divine. In fact, “we were, by nature, deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).
Every heinous crime, every horrible act that was ever committed in the history of humans is representative of the nature in all of us. The deep things and the dark thought of our hearts may not be obvious in our façade of respectability and “upstanding morality”, but Moses acknowledges our real condition in the prayer he pours out in Psalm 90, “We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.” (vs. 7-8).
The writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews says that "the word of God...judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
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