Root cause - Sin
Is it really SIN?
Our world, the enlightened society we live in doesn’t like it. And doesn’t accept that sin is the inherent problem in society and man. They like to categorize man’s problems as his lack of educational, lack of opportunities, poor diet, poor health, and poor income.
If our greatest need was education, God would have sent an educator. If it was technology, God would have sent a scientist, if medical, a doctor, if money an economist, but our greatest need was forgiveness, and so God sent us a savior.
What was the savior to save us from? Matt 1:21 tells us in recounting the announcement about Jesus impending birth; "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
Denying our reality
As individuals, we are very good at explaining away our faults. We can’t see ourselves as sinners. Oh the reason were doing this is because of the man who was my father, or the woman who was my mother. That husband of mine, that wife, she doesn’t love me you know! I went to a bad school, we grew up in poverty, I was spoilt by my parents! And so we make up our little excuses as to why we are the way we are. Sin does not discriminate, we may have different sins, but we all have sinned. And the apostle John says you better watch, if you say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. John goes on to say in 1 John 1:8, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
The Greek work for sin here is “hamartia”, its singular. Hard to believe, but men and women, despite the discrepancies of their lives, the discrepancies of their own failures, despite their outward conduct, deny the fact that they are actually sinful. We don’t want to see ourselves in this way.
How does God see our condition?
God describes sin in the following ways
· as a putrefying disease (Isa. 1:2-6)
· a heavy burden (Psalm. 38:4)
· defiling filth (Titus. 1:15, 2 Cor. 7:1)
· a binding debt (Matt. 6:12-15)
· darkness (1 Jn. 1:6) and
· a blemishing stain (Isa. 1:18)
The story of the prodigal son is our story. All of us have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6), none are just (Rom 3:10), all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Just like the prodigal son, we may have to hit rock bottom before we recognize what we are doing to ourselves (Luke 15:11-32). And sin is painful, and it is debilitating, trapping us and making us its slave.
Jesus shines a light into our darkness. In Luke, Jesus reveals himself as light and Peter reacts. He says Luke 5:8 “But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Why, because when Christ manifested his truth and when He saw the Truth in all its beauty, He saw Himself in all His sin. This is not to rob us of our self-image! This is to bring reality to our lives. Does man today deny He is inherently sinful? Yes he does. Our sin breaks our relationship with God, and we cannot restore it ourselves.
What are the consequences of unrepentant sin?
God once described man by saying “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” Gen 6:5. Jesus warned that in the final days, Matt 24:12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.” Sin cannot be ignored. It is a destroyer of marriage, family life, health, wealth, relationships, life itself, physical and mental. And worst of all, sin is an inside job! Jesus challenged the people of his day, who relied on ceremonial activities for purity by reminding them, Mark 7:15 “there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” Our hearts are full of sin, and only a change of heart will change us!
Jesus warned the people about a judgement to come. No one gets away with sin, every murderer, adulterer, thief and liar will give account. Apart from the hell of a life they create for themselves here on earth, it will be a condemnation for eternity that awaits all sinners. Matt 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels“. It is avoidable, provided you acknowledge your sin, and turn to God.
Conclusion
We need a Savior. God knew this, and He sent His beloved Son. Jesus is the only means of restoration with God. As it stands, all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Rom 3:23. Because of our sin, God must turn His back on us. Isaiah 59:1-2 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This very day, young and old, Jesus is faithful to forgive us of all our sins, and remove all our stains. if we confess our sins! Not deny them, not run from them, but get down on our knees and admit them.
Many of our illnesses, many of our depressions, our angers, our dis-satisfactions, are rooted in our choosing to conceal what we need to confess. We conceal it, and we conceal it and we press it down, we paint over it, and we find ourselves in the experience of the psalmist, in Psalm 32, David knew how messed up He was. Psalm 32:3-5 “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away, Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
God is looking for an intimate relationship with the repentant sinner, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you”
Do you want to have your sins forgiven? Are you interested in a fresh start? Turn to Jesus, let us help you know Him and Love Him. We are no more than repentant sinners, helping each other stay on course with Jesus. Got a question? Want a study to learn about Jesus? Join us at the www.churchofchristireland.ie or contact us HERE.