And now to consider the human condition-- human beings
were created by God in God’s own image—in true righteousness and holiness—to
know, love, and obey God and be righteous stewards of the creation. As we read
in Genesis, our earliest ancestors, instead of acknowledging, worshiping, and
obeying God, became disobedient sinners and brought sin and death upon
themselves and all creation.
There is now
a radical brokenness and corruption in human nature that is both the result of
and results in sin. Sin is simply rebellion against God. No human effort can
fully resolve or redeem this defect. Sin is destructive, contagious,
parasitical, polluting, disabling. Human beings are sinners by nature, by
influence, by choice, by action.
While there
is an inalienable glory and nobility to human beings because they are God’s
image bearers, this image is now broken and distorted, and even our best and noblest
actions are contaminated by sin. Every part of our human being—our personality,
intellect, emotions, will, motives, virtues, and actions—is corrupted by sin.
The human will, originally free and righteous, is now crippled and defective.
As a result,
human beings are in bondage to sin and subject to God’s holy judgment. Without
God’s intervening grace and salvation, we are lost and condemned.
Sin is both
personal but social. Not only are we human beings sinful, we create
organizations and institutions that are broken and sinful as well.
If we are to
accept God’s grace and salvation, then we must recognize the reality of sin in
our world and in ourselves. There is no such thing as good enough. There can be
no forgiveness, no new creation, unless we realize that we are all sinners.
It is also
essential that we get out of our heads any idea that human nature is basically
good and that we can somehow redeem ourselves through good effort, discipline,
improved environment, etc. The defective nature of human being is not the
result of heredity or environment to such a degree that human beings are not
morally responsible for their nature or behavior.
God is in no
way the author or source of sin. Sin is not part of his original plan to educate
and improve humankind. God hates sin. God loves us.
Sin is our
both our legacy and our choice. God is a good judge who passes just sentence on
our crimes. We cannot pay the price of God’s righteous judgment. But there is One who can.
+In Christ+
Pastor Jill
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