What's So Bad About Sin?

What’s So Bad About Sin?

Genesis 3:1-19

(I showed a cartoon on the screen of a woman sharing with her Bible study group--"I’ve never really been dead to sin, but I did feel rather faint once.")

Our apathy toward sin is destroying us.

If All Of Us Have Sinned, Why Worry About It?

1. Consider The Commands, Genesis 2:15-17

Man was created to _tend and keep_ the Garden , v. 15

These same 2 words are found in Deuteronomy 13:4 (and 10-15 other verses in the OT where they are together)

“You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and _keep_ His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall _serve_ Him and hold fast to Him.” These words don’t mean pull weeds and hoe rows, they mean to worship God.

Man’s real purpose: serve and obey

There were these 2 trees, v. 16-17 in the garden. The tree of knowledge of good and evil and tree of life.

One tree teaches _obedience_

One tree to transform earthly into _eternal_

The point of the trees is that Eden is not just a vacation spot. The Garden of Eden was designed for _Spiritual Development_. There man would learn to obey and serve God. The trees would be constant reminders of man’s responsibility (obey) and future (eternity). God’s plan for man was to enjoy fellowship with the Creator forever.

But, with every great dream there comes opposition.

2. Consider The Conversation, Genesis 3:1-5

The conversation with the serpent alludes to four lies we love to believe.

Four Lies We Love

1. I know what God said, _but what did He mean_? Has God really said?? Now is that what He meant? How often do you rationalize/excuse/disregard God’s clear command because the situation tempts you?

2. Quoting God verbatim is _unnecessary_. By not knowing EXACTLY what God says we easily misconstrue it. Eve added on to God’s command, "Nor shall you touch it." A loose understanding of God’s word will not carry you through a battle.

3. God’s rules _hold me back_. God keeps things from us. Sex, money, opportunity, popularity. He’s cruel to not allow me to experience all that is out there and determine for myself if this is good or bad.

4. _Experience_ is more attractive than _promise_. God wants us to learn by obedience, not experience. We, being stubborn, don’t trust what He said we must instead find our for ourselves. When she saw how good the fruit looked and all it could do, caution and commandments went out the window. Well, now they know. They’re naked and not much they can do about it.

Third, Consider The Consequences

“_ dying you shall die_” 2:17 My Hebrew profs always told me that’s what the phrase "surely die" literally meant, so let’s take that approach. This is a constant process of slowly dying until you meet the actual final moment. The wages of sin is death, but what actually dies? Adam and Eve didn’t croak on the spot, so what did God meant that they would surely die (dying you shall die)?

Here’s some areas that sin kills immediately:

1. Dead to _innocence_ (Shame)

2. Dead toward _God_ (Alienation)

3. Dead _relationships_ (blaming, dishonest, denial)

4. Dead _dreams_ (what could have been–child birth,etc)

5. Deadly _disease_ (passed on eternal death)

This is the worst of the consequences. Sin is now part of man’s makeup.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”

–Romans 5:12

“...by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners...” Romans 5:19

We call this doctrine, the _depravity of man_.

“ For as in Adam all die...” –1 Corinthians 15:22

BUT...remember, read the whole verse--learn God’s word verbatim!

Romans 5:19 REALLY says: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

1 Corinthians 15:22 REALLY says: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

There is good news! Though sin’s effects are devestating, the seed of the woman shall prevail! There is a redeemer, Jesus God’s own Son! Today He will rescue you from all this!