The work of God toward man is stated succinctly by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The problem of life is sin. God gave men free will, and men determined to sin (from Adam on). As such, God’s grace became necessary so that we might be born again, achieving new life through the Son.
While men have a tendency to minimize the significance of sin and its consequences, we see a very different record in the Bible. Let’s compare the two: men’s views VS God’s view.
The idea that men are born degenerate sinners is not true. We understand that sin is not biological (in our genes) nor an inescapable part of a fleshly nature. This is a view that is espoused by Reformed Theology (Calvinism). Without getting to a detailed treatment of the view, we note that the Bible paints a very different picture.
For example, consider James’ admonition: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:13-14). Your “own desires” together with the enticements the devil supplies explain the prevalence of sin in our culture. The free will granted by God, our most precious gift and one great thing that separates us from the rest of creation, gives us the ability to choose the wrong thing. No one would say that Adam and Eve were unable to do righteousness, that they were created degenerate by God. Adam sinned because he chose to disobey God when he certainly could have refused the devil’s enticements. The same is true for each and every one of us. Death spread to all because all sinned! We are not compelled, we are not incapable of righteousness, we simply choose not to obey. The onus is ours, and we should acknowledge our responsibility rather than saying “I couldn’t help it!” As Paul noted in Galatians 5:16, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Take as an example the sin of fornication. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:13, “…Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” His simple solution (18), “Flee sexual immorality.” Every man can choose not to sin. His nature is not inherently and totally depraved. It is a matter of choice.
It follows then, that sin is not “transferable” from one man to another. Trying to blame others for your own sin is not an uncommon thing. Adam tried to blame Eve, and Eve the devil himself in Genesis 3:12-13. Aaron blamed the Israelite people for his part in their idolatry in Exodus 32:21-24. It didn’t work then and it will not work for me or you. Sin is personal! This was made clear by the Lord in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” King David understood this truth when he confessed his own sin before God, “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (Psalm 53:1). As James wrote, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”
Sin itself is always sufficiently heinous to God to bring separation. While we may minimize how “bad” it is, God is unsparing in His categorization. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to Israel, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Not only does sin separate you from God, it can also have dire consequences in our relationships with one another. “A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:28). While the evil of sin can be destructive both physically and spiritually, our chief concern is the impact upon our relationship with God. Any separation from God can be an eternal one, leading to the perdition of the soul.
Fortunately, there is a remedy. This truth was revealed by the apostle John who wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). God’s grand scheme for redeeming man was accomplished in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14).
You have a choice. Will you be a slave to sin, or will you accept Jesus as your Master? “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:12-14). It is a choice that is within the power of every soul. Any who wills to come to Jesus may. Any who wills to give up sin and serve the Lord may receive life eternal. This is God’s promise!
Yes, sin entered into the world, ushered in by Adam – but grace by Jesus Christ. Through “one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Praise God!
