Identifying the Process of Sin
For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God, (Romans 3:23 NKJV).
That Biblical phrase sounds so cliche and old-fashioned in this modern culture. Or does it? As believers, we are reminded that even as tiny newborns, we enter the world as sinful beings.
In Sunday School, we all read Genesis 3 and learned about Adam and Eve's choice to disobey the Lord. And as a result of their sin, the Lord responded in His righteousness. He cursed Eve with great sorrow and pain in childbirth and family relationships, (see Genesis 3:16). And He cursed Adam with a life of never-ending toil against thorns and thistles working the very ground he needed to live, (see Genesis 3:17-18). But worst of all, the Lord cast them, and all to follow, out of Paradise in the Garden of Eden. As it is written in Genesis 3:23-24, (NKJV), "therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So, He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life."
The Bible contains countless stories of individuals, great leaders, and even entire people groups that engaged in sin and ultimately suffered the consequences of their sin. Often, we see that the gateway to sin begins as a thought or a seed of doubt, like the following example with Eve. Follow this idea outlined in Genesis 3:4-5, (NKJV), "Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Looking at my own history, I recall times that I yielded to impulse or emotion instead of taking a moment to seek wise counsel from others or even pray to the Lord for direction. As I re-read Genesis 3, I wondered how often we, as women, yield to the evil one's emotion-filled doubt.
And I laughed out loud as I read how Adam and Eve reacted when the Lord confronted them. Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed Eve, and he even blamed the Lord, saying "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate", (Genesis 3:12, NKJV). In the past, as a child, an immature adult, and as a new believer, I pointed the finger of blame at others for my wrongful conduct. Maybe you have too?
But then, enter the Good News! I am truly thankful for the godly women and men that shared their faith journey testimonies, their struggles, and countless Bible studies. They showed me how to pray and dig into the Word for myself and pointed me to Jesus! We see in James 5:16, "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much", (NIV).
On my own faith journey, I learned that we should not only confess our sins to each other but especially open our hearts to the Lord and regularly confess our sins to Him. David speaks of this physical and spiritual healing through confession in Psalm 32:3-5, (NKJV), when he said "When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin."
James 1:14-15 gives us clear instructions on how to identify the pathway to sin. As women, we know firsthand the elements leading up to childbirth - conception, stages of pregnancy, and ultimately delivery and birth. James uses this metaphor to teach us the steps leading up to the trap of sin. He says in James 1:14-15, (NKJV), "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
We can see actual steps right there in Scripture of how the process of sin evolves. We know the evil one cannot read your mind, but he watches all of us. He can put someone or something in your path to cause you to think and possibly feel a certain way about something. That thought or feeling then becomes a desire. The desire puts you into action on a path not meant for you. That evil path and action leads you to act in a sinful way. And eventually, that sin leads you to death, a physical or spiritual death, living a life away from the Lord. But there is hope!
As we know from Peter, in 1 Peter 3:12 (NIV), "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." And in verse 15, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Indeed, we have the power to identify and stop the pattern of sin through our hope in the Lord and His precious Son, Jesus Christ!
Question for Reflection:
- Is the concept that we are all born sinners troublesome to you? If so, please dig into Adam & Eve’s story a bit more deeply and ask God to show you His righteousness.
