TUESDAY, July 28, 2009 READ: Romans 5: 12 - 21
WHATEVER BECAME OF SIN
MEMORIZE: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned ….” Romans 5: 12
Whatever became of sin? The late Dr. Karl Menninger, in his book, Whatever Became Of Sin, bemoaned the fact that, as a psychiatrist, he was seeing more and more individuals who were displaying symptoms of physical sicknesses, which were rooted in a sense of guilt, both false and real guilt. He observed that when he was able to get the individuals with whom he dealt to open up through confession, they experienced great relief. Dr. Menninger wondered why more was not being said about sin and the need for confession and repentance in our churches. He wondered why sin was not being taken seriously in our churches, and wondered at whatever became of sin.
Whatever became of sin? The Bible predicts that there would be more of it going on and that people would be inclined to speak of it less (cf. Matthew 24: 12; 2 Timothy 3: 13). We are more likely to hear a sermon about skin rather than about sin. Preaching about sin makes people uncomfortable (cf. Romans 3: 23). We have shown that we prefer to ignore, deny or even rationalize sin than to do what God requires of us with it (cf. Acts 17: 30, 31). Whatever became of sin?
According to our text for today’s reading, Romans 5: 12 – 21, sin is a reality which entered, which began to be a reality in our world, as a result of one man, Adam’s, offense. Adam made the decision not to act in faith and trust God. Adam knew what God required of him and he chose not to do it. He knew that God had commanded him not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he consciously, knowingly and intentionally chose to go against what God had commanded him. Adam, the representative head of the human family, sinned against God. As a result, all of his descendants have inherited the bent, the tendency to naturally disobey God and to act contrary to His revealed will. Adam’s sin led to spiritual and physical death – separation from life for all of his descendants (cf. Genesis 2: 17; 3: 19; Romans 6: 23; Hebrews 9: 27). Because we have sinned, we too have been consigned to die physically. In v. 13, Paul argued that God codified His law as a gift to the nation of Israel, to help them and the rest of us, to recognize when we have sinned, so that we might seek out His remedy for our sins. The people who lived before God gave the Law to Moses, and Moses gave it to the people, all participated in sinning, as a result of Adam’s sin. No matter how long they lived, they also died. Because of sin, life on the earth has been experienced as a “painful burden” or “difficulty,” "estrangement from God" and "an experience in futility." We have all sinned in one way or another, and have all experienced life as toil, as an exhausting load of troubles, which we either cause to others, or, others have caused to us. Think of how things changed between God and Adam and Eve, between Adam and Eve after they sinned. All of us have experienced the effects of sin. God has taken the initiative in giving up His own, only begotten Son, to pay the price of all of our sins by the shedding of His own blood. We incurred a debt to God which we have been unable to pay, and definitely would be in no position to pay. God took it upon Himself to pay the debt, which He never incurred. He makes us aware of our sin and responsibility to Him. When we confess the sin of which we are convicted, we come to experience His forgiveness. We do not have to pay the price for our sins. Jesus has already paid the price of each of our sins, past, present and future. What is left for us to do? We need to agree with the Holy Spirit that it was our sins that He bore on the cross. We need to accept His forgiveness, His pardon and remission that He offers. He wants us to commit to accept the gift of His life to us, so that we will not need to continue to live under the power of the nature, the tendencies that we inherited from Adam (cf. Romans 6: 1 - 23; John 1: 12; 1 John 3: 7-9).
PRAY: LORD, God Almighty, thank You for making me aware of my sins. Thank You for providing forgiveness for all of my sins You are faithful to do what You promised to do. I believe You, LORD. Thank You for Your forgiveness and cleansing, in Jesus’ strong name. Amen.