Where Did Sin Come From?
The word
Genesis means "beginnings."
Genesis is the first book of the Bible, where we get a glimpse of what
it was like at the dawn of human creation. God made the first man, Adam,
and gave him a wife, Eve. They walked closely with God. God loved Adam
and Eve and they responded warmly to that love, taking great delight in
the openness, trust and companionship they experienced with their
creator. Life was deeply satisfying and free from stress. They lived in
Paradise.
But, sadly, this Paradise was short-lived. What
happened next had huge consequences. We learn from the Bible that Adam
and Eve were tempted and disobeyed God's clear command. God held Adam
accountable when he rebelled and chose to walk his own way. This is the
first evidence of what the Bible calls sin. The result was that not only
Adam, but all who were born after him inherited a fatal defect.
The Remedy
Mankind's nature ever since Adam has been ruled
by violence, greed and jealousy. The Bible calls this sin. The
continuing result of Adam's sin is a break in every person's
relationship with God.
Gratefully, this is not the end of the story!
Shortly after sin entered the human race through Adam, God foretold the
coming of one who would remedy the fatal defect and save us from sin. He
was God's own son. His name was Jesus. As God's perfect representative
in human form, he alone had the capacity to deal with the issue of sin.
Our Capacity to Change
Jesus was like Adam in certain ways. Both were
born free from the defect of sin. Both were tempted and capable of sin.
However, here the two took radically different directions. While Adam
gave in to temptation, Jesus did not. He led a perfect life and was an
example of how each person should live.
But more than his life, his death and
resurrection (when he was raised from the dead) form the basis for our
personal capacity to change. The story of Jesus is so important, please
take a moment to review just what happened in his birth and life.
The Life of Jesus
Man is born sinful. We cannot escape our sin. But there is
good news! As mentioned, in the beginning God creates the first man and
woman. Almost immediately they give in to sin. Then after thousands of
years of preparation, at just the right time, God visits and plants his
seed of life into a young virgin girl named Mary, who is engaged to a
carpenter named Joseph. A son is born, Jesus, the Son of God himself.
As a young man, Jesus goes to work in Joseph's carpentry
business. Although he faced the temptations each of us faces, he grows
up living a perfect life.
At about age 30, Jesus leaves his trade to begin sharing
the message of his heavenly father's kingdom. Tens of thousands follow
him, scores are healed, and even the dead are brought back to life.
Religious and government leaders see him as a great threat.
They collaborate and arrange his death on trumped-up charges. Jesus is
betrayed, arrested, tried, whipped and nailed to a cross. Though he
could have called a huge number of angels to rescue him, he does not. In
the words of the prophet Isaiah, he is led like a lamb to the
slaughter. He dies.
Jesus Saves Us
On the cross Jesus says, "It is finished." Jesus is talking
about not only his own human life, but the problem of sin. Jesus has
become God's remedy. He satisfied God's requirement as "the perfect
sacrifice for sin."
Jesus is buried in a tomb which is sealed. Three days
later, to the great surprise of even his closest followers, Jesus is
raised from the dead. His disciples find the grave empty and are shaken
to the core. Jesus then appears to them and to hundreds more. He
comforts and reassures them by telling them that these incredible events
have been at the very heart of God's plan.
After 40 days Jesus goes up into heaven where he is
reunited with God, his father. The father then gives his son the supreme
high honor of headship over everything on earth and in heaven. Jesus is
made both Lord and Christ — positions he holds today. "Lord" refers to
his rulership, and "Christ" refers to his capacity to save. He and he
alone becomes the savior of mankind. From this place of authority, Jesus
invites us to become his followers — new creations!
Who can say this is not utterly amazing! I doubt the human
mind can fully take it in. What kind of love is this — a father
sacrificing his only son? Yet this occurred for one critically important
reason — so you and I can reestablish the kind of personal relationship
with God that he intended from the beginning.
Now, we will look more closely at believing in God.
What Does it Mean to Believe?
The key in applying these truths is to believe them and
allow them to shape our lives. Let's look more closely at the concept of
believing as it is used in the Bible. The word "believe" is used more
than 200 times!
Believing is
not wishful thinking or unfounded hope.
It is not about earning a relationship with God. It is not about doing
good deeds or just being a "good person." We do not become believers
simply by joining a religious institution, by following tradition or by
being born into a Christian family.
How Do We Believe?
Believing
is to place our confidence in someone or
something. It is an action word that involves making a conscious
decision. We choose to believe — or we choose not to believe. Both
involve a decision.
In the biblical meaning, believing engages the depths of
our hearts, not just our minds. When we believe, we link the realities
mentioned earlier with a commitment to anchor our hope in the person of
Jesus.
When we believe, we are responding to God's love towards
us. That love is so profound it embraces all he has done for us and all
he expects of us. Jesus passionately wants us to be complete in our
relationship with him.
How do we take this leap of faith and begin to know God?
Begin Today on Your New Journey
First, understand that we are separated from God. The chasm
separating us from God is both wide and deep. It's the result of our
inheriting a fatal defect at birth. Because of this we have lived our
lives independently from him. The Bible emphasizes this stark reality:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Which is exactly why we need a savior!
Second, understand who Jesus is, and what he has done for
us. Jesus bridged the wide gulf that separates us from God. He came to
earth as the Son of God. He was born to a virgin. He led a sinless life,
died and was buried. He rose again and later went up into heaven where
he became both Lord and Christ.
Jesus, and he alone, is qualified to be the remedy for our
sins. What he did totally satisfied God's requirements. In the apostle
John's words: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life" (John: 3:16).
Repent and Believe
Finally, repent and believe! We begin our new, personal relationship with God when we repent and believe.
To
repent is to say to the Father,
"God, help
me. I want to turn toward you and away from the life I've lived on my
own. I am sorry for who I've been and what I have done and I want to
permanently change. I receive your gift of forgiveness for my sins."
To
believe is to affirm for ourselves the reality
that Jesus is the Son of God, the One who died for our sins, and to
receive him as our Savior and Lord. This is emphatically promised in
John's gospel: "To all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
Begin Now
Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your savior? If you would, you can pray a prayer to God like this:
"Jesus, I need you. I repent for the life I've lived apart
from you. Thank you for dying on the cross to take the penalty for my
sins. I believe you are God's Son and I now receive you as my Lord and
Savior. I commit my life to follow you."
