Blog

Written by Chris Winston

If you were to poll 1000 people in the United States of America and ask them what they think is the greatest problem in our country today, you would get different answers. Some of the answers might include economic instability, gun regulation, social or racial injustice, abortion just to name a few. Though these concerns are valid, and each are problematic for our society in varying degrees, these problems are only the symptoms of a greater problem. This problem is at the root of every argument, every act of violence, every form of injustice, every war and all evil that has ever existed and that exists today. What problem is it? It is the sin problem. The entire world is affected by sin. From the vicious circle of life in the animal kingdom to senseless mass shootings, all things testify that sin is in the world, and it is a problem.

What exactly is sin and where does the concept of sin originate? The Holy Bible is the origin of this idea, and it is where we find the definition of what sin is. Sin is defined as violation of divine law (1 John 3:4). Sin is also defined as doing wrong in the face of right (James 4:17). Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that it is the basis for right and wrong. But to accurately define what sin is we must trace the biblical history of sin and see where it began.

The history of sin does not begin in the book of Genesis, which means beginning, but in heaven where all things were perfect. Sin arose in a perfect angel. The bible says, “You were an anointed guardian cherub…You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you” Ezekiel 28:14, 15. In the place of bliss and perfection, holiness and peace, sin finds its origin. A key ingredient in understating the insidious nature of sin is to understand the nature of this perfect being’s sin.

The bible pinpoints where he went wrong when it says, “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” Ezekiel 28:17. Pride in his beauty and splendor “corrupted” him. You could say that he was feeling himself. He thought he was the cat’s meow. In other words, at the root of his sin was selfish pride. From here we must understand that at the heart of sin is selfishness. Sin is self – seeking. Sin is fulfilling selfish pleasures and selfish motives. Even self–righteousness and self–justification are sin.

When God created humankind, they were made in “His image,” which means they were made to represent Him. The bible says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it...” Genesis 1:27, 28. They were to stand on behalf of God and represent what the Godhead was like. A proper representation of God was to fill the world so that the knowledge of God and His character would never be lost sight of, and this was to be accomplished through the family. With God as the head, the family would reflect His image perfectly to each subsequent generation. In doing this they would perpetuate His character to everyone. He would not be misunderstood and slandered but would be glorified by all the inhabitants of the earth.

The bible says that He created the first human being whose name was Adam. The name Adam means humankind. Then he created a woman out of the rib of Adam named Eve. Eve’s name means life giver. These two were the first humans. God placed them in a perfect world, in a perfect garden, in a perfect home. What could go wrong? Well, the worst thing that could ever happen.

To be continued...