Many people deny the existence of sin as described in the Scriptures because they view that man is naturally good. Sadly, sin has been termed a fragment of our imaginations or a myth, especially in popular culture where many people state that truth is relative. The greatest tragedy of the post-modern (meaning the era in which people have generally embraced skepticism and relative ideas) mind is that it denies the existence of absolute truth. However, denial of truth does not mean that it does not exist. When it comes to the issue of sin, the truth is that it takes one look at the world and the self-evidence of sin is undeniable because it is fully displayed by the human heart. Further, as a starting point, as Christians, we believe that reality is not defined by man but by God. God is He who defines what sin is in His Word and being the creator rather than the creature, He defines what sin is, transcending any human intellect to define sin for itself.
The Origin of Sin
Nonetheless, people today tend to view themselves as good and, in turn, have ended up minimizing the significance of sin. People have described sin as arising from the environment around us; that is, it is external to our nature. However, as Paul reveals in Romans 5:12, the Scriptures teach that sin was introduced into the world through our first parents, Adam and Eve, who were our federal representatives. The first act of sin is usually described as “Original Sin.” Original sin has to do with the entrance of sin into the human race, whereby it came in by one man and was imputed to all men after that. Moses captures one of the most tragic accounts in biblical history in Genesis chapter 3, which contains the inspired account of how sin entered the world. Genesis 3 is the tragic result of what started in chapter 2, which records the temptation of Adam and Eve. God gave an express command to our first parents (Gen 2. 2:16-17). However, they ended up doubting God’s Word (Gen. 3:1). Satan had planted doubt into Eve’s mind suggesting that God did not mean what He said. This laid the foundation upon which they proceeded to deny God’s Word; as is recorded in Gen. 3:4-5, Satan had made a direct attack against God’s Word, and He perverted the very Word of God. In denying God’s Word, they proceeded to disobey God (Gen 3:6). Adam and Eve had violated an express command that was given to them by God, they had disobeyed God, and this was the entry of sin into the world. Moral evil had now taken root, and its disastrous effects soon became evident when Adam and Eve were cast away from the Garden of Eden.
The Consequences of Sin
From that first fall, according to Psalm 51:5, every human being is born into sin. Sin is not only limited to a few people in the world, but it is a universal human condition (1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:9, 23; 1 John 1:8), according to Isaiah 59:2, it has caused a separation between man and God. While many people do not give proper thought to the far-reaching consequences of sin, the Scriptures are clear about its extent. In the Scriptures, it is well captured that Adam was the first man to sin, and by his action, all humanity sinned with him. Adam is considered the federal representative of all humankind by being the first man. His actions had disastrous consequences not only upon himself but also upon all humankind, including his direct descendants. The Old Testament Scriptures (Psalm 51:5; Psalm 58:3; Job 15:14; 1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9) offer excellent support for the fact that Adam’s sin was imputed to all humanity. The first act of disobedience towards God had far-reaching effects upon all men to the extent that moral depravity penetrated all men. Paul records the far-reaching consequences of sin in Romans 1:18-32, and its most disastrous consequence, according to Romans 6:23, is death.
Therefore, it is clear from the Scriptures that sin has far-reaching consequences and that humans do not grow into sin but are born in a sinful state. God consequently views humans as sinful because they come from Adam and share in his nature. Additionally, in capturing the consequences of the fall, the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 6: 1-4 states;
"Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory. By this sin, they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of soul and body. They being the root of all humankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed; and the same death in sin, and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions."
From our first parents, we fell and are in moral corruption other than God redeems us through His Son. Sin is not a creation of the human mind nor a mere blemish on our nature but a reality fully exposed to us through the Scriptures. Further, the nation of Israel is the perfect example of what is wrong with humanity, and God chose to reveal the reality of sin through His people Israel. So, Israel reflects our society today as we share a common problem in our natures: sin. People have assumed that a loving God does not give much concern to humanity’s sins. But even though the Scriptures capture Him as loving (Psalm 100:5; Psalm 136:1; 2 Corinthians 13:11), above all, He is a Holy God (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 22:3) and demands that we also be holy (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:7) as He is holy. God is also upright in His justice (Psalm 89:14), and He will judge the sin of humanity (Acts 17:31). The person and nature of God do not allow Him to overlook sin because it is a great atrocity. Therefore, because sin violates God’s will, God will judge all who act wickedly.
God’s Solution for Sin
However, God’s riches of mercy and grace have provided a remedy for sin through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood so He may forgive us (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 5:8-9) and reconcile us to God (Colossians 1:20-22). But according to (Psalm 9:17; Psalm 145:20; Ezekiel 18:4, 20), God will judge those who will reject His one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Add a few more paragraphs that can issue a practical application to your exposition.
