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NASB | Isaiah 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Isaiah 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning [light-bringer], son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, You who have weakened the nations [king of Babylon]! |
Subject: How did sin originate |
Bible Note: Greetings New Creature: According to Eph 2:1 "we were dead in tresspasses and in sins before we were made alive in Christ." Adam and Eve were placed in the position of spiritual death the moment they disobeyed God. In fact they were ashamed of their nakedness and try to cover themselves with fig leaves. Gen. 3:7 Even though they were dead, "they heard the voice of God" They were dead and could not change their situation (helpless), but they were not deaf to the call of God. This is where the idea of free choice verses God making the choice to call them. God knew their condition, he knew their need, but he wanted them to acknowledge that need before he would take the next step in restoring them to himself. God asked two questions which apply to sinners even today. "Where art thou?" and to Eve "What is this that thou hast done?" Gen 3:10-11 They acknowledge their sin and need "I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself" V.10 We find that God makes a covenant with them with a promise in V15 in of a redeemer through the seed of the woman speaking of Christ. God covered their nakedness with coats of skins. This is a picture of a sinner being clothed by God in the righteousness of Christ and made fit for God's presence. The only choice which Adam and Eve made was to sin. It was God who made the choice to call them and redeem them bringing them back into fellowship with him. We must remember that the plan of salvation for lost sinners was all of the grace of God. Humankind in his sinful state did not seek after God. Romans 3:11. The only choice we could make as humans was to continue building sin upon sin. Even the things which we did before we were saved which may have been kind works or goodness to others, none of this could earn us any peace with God. Do lost sinners have the ability to choose right from wrong. I believe that according to Romans 1;20 God has not left humans without a testimony of himself in creation. In Romans 2"14-15 we find that the Gentiles who know not God, "do by nature the things contained in the law" which would show us that the law is written in their hearts, in other words they have a conscience. The fact that they have this testimony of God and have a conscience which would convict them of wrong only makes them more responsible before God. However, as I have referred to Rom.3 a person in their natural state "does not seek after God." How then do we ever receive salvation? It is God by his Spirit who strives with sinners and shows them their utter, hopless condition. It is God by his Spirit through his word whether written or spoken who opens the understanding of lost sinners to the truth of the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for our sins. The moment we rest, trust or believe this truth, it is God by his Spirit who indwells the believer giving them assurance of eternal life, a new nature within and power to live for Christ in our daily lives. What I am trying to show in the above paragraph is that eternal life is a free gift given to us by God and that he is the one who calls us, who convicts us, who enlightens us, who saves us and who keeps us. We are totally dependent on him. At one time I thought that I had made certain choices before I was saved. Yet in retrospect, I can see that God was in it all. It was no accident that a preacher from many miles away visited our farmhouse and brought the gospel to people who had never heard it before. It was no accident that my father was gloriously saved and immediately spread the good news to his family. I can see now that when as a young boy I learned about my sin and my need to be born again, that it was God by his Spirit who used my father and others to get that important fact across to me. I learned by bitter experience that I could not get saved whenever I wanted to. I thought I believed the gospel and God's promise to save those who believe and yet I was not saved. The day that I came to know Christ, I was alone on the roadside after school, I was in torment over my dilemma, not saved. I tried to believe and yet it seemed that there was only darkness in my soul. I got down on my knees and cryed to God "please help me to get saved" It was only moments later as my mind went over John 3:16 that God revealed to me the truth that I was the whosoever for whom Christ died. I took him at his word "that I would not perish but have everlasting life" On the other hand, we have many scriptures which invite sinners to come to Christ. We have examples of those who came to him in their need when he was on earth and had their sins forgiven and their bodies healed. Even Jesus warned of the urgency in coming to know him. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate" I have told my friends that if they are being convicted of their sin, if God is dealing with their soul be thankful for it and do not trifle with his call. Robert |