Articles
The Fix For Sin
What is the number 1 problem in the world today? Some might answer Covid-19. Others might answer racism. 'Global warming' would certainly make the top 10. The pages of a thick book probably would not have enough space to list what people perceive as the biggest problem in our world. But we know don't we? It always has been, and always will be, SIN.
We could discuss many things about sin, but here's the real problem. "...each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." (James 1:14-15)
Things changed when Eve ate the forbidden fruit. She was just the first, we've all eaten it too. But that death God promised, which is a separation from Him that sin brings about, is the real problem with the world. God created a perfect place for humans. It was the humans who messed up that plan.
But sin is just a fact of life. We are told that we will sin, and if we think we don't or claim we don't we are liars. (1 John 1:8) But our society in general today, is doing exactly that, hiding or denying sin. We see efforts to hide it, and we see people making the claim that evil is no longer evil, that as long as society embraces it, it's good. There is without a doubt a conspiracy of silence in the press regarding sin, as we don't hear much about it. Oh we hear about the evil men do, but have you ever, even one time, heard it called sin. No, they label it every which way, but never call it sin! Meanwhile, God has a lot to say about sin, in fact, He's written a book about it, maybe you've read it?
God's book actually exposes sin we don't even know we have at times, and if we put some effort into study, we discover just how sinful we really are. While God has much to say, let's look at just three verses today, penned by the Apostle Paul. They help us understand this problem and what God has to offer us because of it.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Rom 6:12-14) God has accomplished much for us, and we have a duty or responsibility to obey His commands regarding our condition. The temptations in life are not removed, but we have the choice to prevent them from controlling us, and thereby be blessed by God in spite of them.
God saying Sin will have no dominion over us (in the above verse) is not stated in the form of a command, but in the form of a promise. Sin will only triumph in a Christian's life if the Christian allows it to. Each day, we give ourselves to God, cleansed by the blood of Christ, so in essence, we start each day anew. (1 John 1:7-9) But because we live a new life, one where we have been redeemed, our past sins become just history, no longer current baggage. We live under grace, which allows us to put to death sin with the help of God, and obtain the forgiveness He offers. (Rom 3:24, Rom 4:16, Rom 5:2, 15-21)
The problem is sin. The answer is God, and we gain access to Him through His Son Jesus, by the grace that He offers, when we accept it and apply it to our lives through obedience to His commands. We are fortunate brothers and sisters. We do know what the number 1 problem is in the world, the disease of sin. But we also know who holds the cure and how to get it.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,..." Eph 2:8ff)
