God, creation and sin
We live in a moral world, where laws and orders regulate the way we live and our relationship with other people; our limits and boundaries. Whether these rules were put in place by God or man, we know when we live in violation and it makes us uncomfortable. This state of misdeeds and failures bother mankind than any other thing in life. Whether we do them ignorantly or knowingly, we are not excused. The laws hold us accountable and responsible for lapses on our part. These misdeeds and lapses mean we have fallen short of our expectation and have done what hurts God and /or fellow humans, are described as sin. A Presbyterian Clergy – R.C. Sproul wrote, “We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.” Charles Colson in Loving God amplified it, “We are not theoretical sinners or honorary sinners or vicarious sinners. We are sinners indeed and in deed.” Human beings sin because we are sinners by nature. The Psalmist exposes its source: in sin we were conceived and born [Psalms 51:5]. Sin is disobedient of God’s commandment or laws against the state. It’s the main reason for social injustices, betrayal, greed and gains, violence, corruption and dishonesty. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us [1 John 1:8]. The positional truth is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God [Romans 3:23]. This is a universal problem.
It has been known that human beings of all ages do not want to be in a state of sin, where their moral sense and conscience prick or judge them because they have done some wrongs. In most cases, we attempt to justify our misdeeds and perhaps give them new names – errors, mistake, mishaps, etc. We shift the goal post to suit us; dip where it pleases us and skip where we feel uncomfortable. These do not make them right and nothing justifies them; making sin an unhealthy subject to discuss. We like corrective role, where a kettle calls a pot black or where we judge what we don’t do and hide or excuse what we do. Does that still make it right? God did not deny that His son, Adam sinned. But rather He judged rightly that the soul that sins must die. As a righteous judge, God condemned the act of His son yet with a heart full of mercies He give him a pardon and set his son free. The Father secured this by Jesus death on the cross. The blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin [1 John 1:7].
But God, our Creator and Maker understood long before creation that no human being can solve the problems of sin. Yet, we still doubt the reality of sin! Little wonder from the genesis of the bible, the opening chapters tell the story of the beginning of man’s life on earth. It was the story of creation and disobedience against God our Maker and Father described as sin. “God saw that the wickedness of man’s mind was great in the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth…..” [Genesis 6:5-6]. The early prophets dealt with the problems of inequality and social justices, as well as disobedience. But God in Christ Jesus came into human experience, lived with man on earth in a sinless way. He came to call sinners to repentance, to seek the lost sheep and make them face up to the fact of their sinfulness. He died on the cross of shame after persecution and torture but rose from death on the third day, conquering the power of death and given salvation and deliverance to all mankind. Jesus left His apostles and disciples to establish a new order on the foundation He laid with His life called the Church – called out people.
Leonard Griffith on God in man’s experience wrote, “Let it be admitted that the Church is indeed the one organization in the world whose members meet together regularly to describe themselves as ‘miserable sinners’……..so, if the Church seems to be obsessed with sin, it’s only because the bible as a whole is obsessed with sin.” The whole world is polluted by sin. Griffith also availed to us his friend’s opinion: “Apostle Paul never forgave himself for persecuting the early Christians and he projected his guilt into his theology which has unfortunately eclipsed the simple teachings of Jesus in its influence on Christian thought and has created within the church an unhealthy obsession with sin.” Paul addressing the Romans social injustice opined that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. There’s none righteous, not one; none that understands or seeks after God. They all have gone out of the way and have not known the way of peace. They have no fear of God before their eyes. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God [Romans 3:23]. He further added that whatever the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may stop and all the world may become guilty in his sight for by law is the knowledge of sin.
However, God knew that no human can adequately deal with the issue of sin, so He took upon Himself to offer solution to human inadequacies and immorality. Apostle John summed up God’s action this way, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.” [John3:16-17]. Apostle Paul also described God’s action like this, “For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” It was not because of what we have done or failed to do. He further demonstrated the process by which God performed this miracle: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself: it is the gift of God” [Ephesians 2:6]. God has given us a cure for sin, in Christ Jesus, so when we put faith in His saving grace; we are saved from the penalty and from the power of sin. It becomes a practical statement of faith that only God can save from sin. But first we have to acknowledge, confess and ask for pardon. God who is faithful and just, forgives us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness [1 John1:9]. He gives us power to live for Him and in Him.
Reach: Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.