Sin

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"We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we're sinners."

Something is obviously wrong with all mankind.   Read the newspapers!  Children murder parents; parents rape children.  The poor steal; the rich steal even more.  Politicians and elected officials shake their heads while they abuse their offices; common people rebel against all forms of authority.  Seems like everyone is looking out for only themselves these days, and they're willing to step on anyone else to do it.

 
bulletSociologists blame bad environment for this bad behavior. 
bulletPsychologists point the finger at wrong thinking. 
bulletEducators say we can eliminate poverty and crime if we only have more knowledge. 
bulletSome economists believe the problem stems from inequitable distribution of wealth. 

All do agree, however, that people are basically good, and these problems arise from situations outside of man himself.  All, also, uniformly ignore the Bible's teaching on this subject of built-in human failure.  

 
bulletThe Bible states that people are basically bad! 

While originally created good, and in right relationship with his creator, the Bible tells that man deliberately chose to rebel against God's authority.  In doing so, those first humans broke their relationship with their creator and  missed the mark.  All of us have since been paying for their decision--and continually missing the mark ourselves.  Without God's guidance, mankind goes blundering down the road like a blind man driving a high-speed bulldozer.  The wreckage we cause to the environment, animals, fellow humans, and ourselves is the natural consequence of leaving the protection and guidance of our creator. 

The Greek word hamarita is translated sin 172 out of 174 times in the New Testament.  It means "to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, to be mistaken, to miss or wander from the law of God, to violate God's law."

Romans 14.23  ...whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

James 4.17  Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

1 John 5.17 All unrighteousness is sin.

We all sin.  We all miss the mark.  We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are--by nature--sinners.   We cannot better ourselves on our own; we cannot restore our fellowship with God, we cannot stop our downward spiral.   We cannot do what is contrary to our own nature!  That's the very reason Jesus became human and assumed our punishment.  If we could make it by studying more, working harder, moving to a better environment, altering our genes or consciousness God wouldn't have had to die in our place.

 

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