A Distorted Image Series

A Distorted Image

Romans 5:12-19

TSA Doctrine # 5 – Captain Moy Hernandez, Jr.

http://pomonacorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/distorted-image-5-10-09-captain-moy-tsa.html

What a blessed day this is indeed. A day where we celebrate our mothers!

We celebrate them in appreciation to the many hours of labor they had to put up with, in order to bring us into this world.

We celebrate them for putting up with us as we grew and learned about life.

We celebrate them for the support that they always gave us.

And we celebrate them simply because we know that they loved us!

In fact I believe it is also fitting that our sermon for today is based around the fifth doctrine or statement of belief for The Salvation Army. Which states that we believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness; and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.

Now you say captain you are crazy, how can we talk about original sin as we celebrate our mothers?

Well think about it? This doctrine speaks about our first parents and how it is that through them life began and through them that life continued. Also through them sin was allowed to entered humanity.

Think about our own moms now. It is through them that life begins as far as we are concerned. It is through them that life continues as we are given birth and it is in the very nature of our moms and dad which is passed on to us, that ends up being the sin nature that is in each of us.

So it’s not really too much of a reach. But let’s get in to this teaching to get a better understanding of our fallen condition.

In the book of Roman, chapter 5 our scripture for this morning we read that: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Basically what this doctrine teaches us is that our first parents were created to live in harmony with God but because they allowed sin to enter their lives and as a consequence entered into each of our lives their image as Gods creation has been distorted!

We like to put blame and say that it was Eve who sinned or Adam who sinned. As I have understand it, Eve was deceived as many of us are also deceived into sin from time to time but Adam willfully sin, also as many of us do so from time to time.

But the reality is that I think we all would have failed the test if we had been in their shoes! Well feet, after all they did not wear shoes at first!

The true fact is that sin is a human condition that we cannot rid ourselves from unless it is through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Through one man sin (Adam) entered the world and through one man sin is dealt with… Jesus!

In fact if you think about the story of Adam and Even we find God offering a sacrifice on their behalves. In Genesis 3:21 it reads then the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Clearly an animal had to die, a sacrifice had to be made, to cover their sin.

Let’s look at some of the background of this doctrine to get a clearer picture of how since the beginning God has been trying to correct this distorted image between us and Him.

In the covenant between God and Adam in the Old Testament (Genesis 12:1-3) the creator promises better things, and himself initiates the redemptive sacrifice.

Remember when Abraham went to offer his only son as a sacrifice, God stopped him and provided for with a ram.

The development of this covenant with the people of Israel, inaugurated by the Passover, includes the divinity instituted ritual whereby the sins of the nation can be purged and the well-being of the people established despite their continual waywardness.

The relationship between God and his covenant people is therefore continually renewed.

Later, Israel’s prophets realize that suffering, especially innocent suffering consequent on the sin of others, in some way deals with the alienation between God and his people. At the same political and natural disasters are firmly identified with the nation’s failure to live by God’s will and laws (Isaiah 9:8-21; Joel 2:1-14).

The Lord himself not only judges and punishes this sin, but he is the redeemer who will re-enable light living (Zephaniah 3:1- 13).

Moral failure always begins with a rejection of God’s sovereignty and ends in oppression by corrupt, self-seeking hierarchies or powerful elites.