In the last message we defined what sin is. In this message we will concentrate on the origins of sin. We have learned in the last message that sin in the eyes of God is a failure to achieve 100% of the standard of holiness set by God. This means a failure to archive 100% compliance to all his laws. The laws of God includes the Ten Commandments and all other laws that are found in the bible. The bible as the very word of God, contains the standard of holiness required by God given through the law and how to achieve it.
2. Where did sin originate?
Paul tells us in Romans 5:12-13 that sin was in the world before the law and it came to the world through one man, Adam and unfortunately also brought death with.
Romans 5:12-13 (NLTse)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
The first people to sin was Adam and Eve. God gave them a command not to eat the fruit of the tree and they disobeyed God and went ahead and ate it. This was how sin entered the world. God gave them the mark they needed to achieve and they missed the mark. This is how sin found its way into the world.
John in 1 John 3:8 tells us that sinning is of the devil. That means failure to comply 100% with the law of God is something the devil has being doing since the beginning and continues to do so even today.
1 John 3:8 (NLTse)
But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
The devil came disguised as a snake when he approached Eve to cause her to sin.
Genesis 3:1-6 (ESVST)
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden ’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. ’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
As you can see in the above verse how the devil questions God’s commandment and how he casts doubt in Eve’s mind. God said you must not not eat, the devil says eat. God says you will die, the devil says you will not. Once the devil has questioned God’s commandment in Eve’s mind, he then replaces God’s commandment with his own. This is how the devil works, he makes you question or doubt God and God’s commandments and gives an alternative to God which he knows our weak flesh cannot resist.
The devil uses three things, the body, the heart and the mind to deceive people as illustrated in the verses above between him and Eve. The devil uses the desires of the body, the heart and the mind. When it came to Eve,
– the devil used the desires of the body which was food: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,“.
– the devil used the desires of the heart which is lust: we know that the eyes are the window of the heart, “and that it was a delight to the eyes,“, this led to her lusting for the fruits in her heart.
– lastly the devil used the desires of the mind: the mind needs wisdom, “and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise“.
Paul also illustrates this point:
– the devils uses the desires of the heart
Romans 1:24 (NLTse)
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
– the devil uses the desires of the body
Romans 1:26 (NLTse)
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.
– the devil uses the desires of the mind
Romans 1:28 (NLTse)
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
Once the devil has got you to sin, he makes sure that you stay a sinner and he makes it very difficult for sinners to stop sinning or to find a way to stop sinning. In other words, the devil keeps you trapped in sin like a prisoner, infect more like a slave.
Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESVST)
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
As you can see from the verse above, the devil is currently at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience. The devil never stops. He makes sure that you stay a sinner. So, if you are a sinner currently, you are also among the sons of disobedience and the devil is currently at work in your heart to keep you a sinner. Again in the above verse, it shows that he works with the desires of the heart, the mind and the body to keep you a sinner.
So as you can see, from the very beginning sin originated from the devil and came to the world through Adam. The devils makes you question or doubt God and God’s commandments and gives an alternative to God which he knows our weak flesh cannot resist. The devil uses the desires of the mind, the heart and the body to cause us to sin and to trap you in sin.
So, We have learned so far that sin in the eyes of God is a failure to achieve 100% of the standard of holiness set by God. This means a failure to archive 100% compliance to all his laws. The laws of God includes the Ten Commandments and all other laws that are found in the bible. The bible as the very word of God, contains the standard of holiness required by God, and given through the law and how to achieve it. We have also learned so far that from the very beginning sin originated from the devil and came to the world through Adam. The devils makes you question or doubt God and God’s commandments and gives an alternative to God law which he knows our weak flesh cannot resist. The devil uses the desires of the mind, the heart and the body to cause us to sin and to trap you in sin.