Situational Analysis: The Disappointment with Our “Natural Human Bodies”Humans, all humans, have a condition creating weaknesses in their self-control and causing them to die. This condition is called “sin.” You may think sin is a verb, something a person does. The word is often used that way, but in the Bible verses above, the Apostle Paul uses the word sin as a noun – something “living in” him. As it is, this sin living in you is a fatal condition passed from generation to generation. And, it creates weaknesses in every person’s human nature referred to by Paul as the “sinful nature” (meaning a nature that can’t help but sin.) The Greek Philosopher, Plato, said, "If you would converse with me, please, first, define your terms." So first, let’s define the word “sin.” Following is how dummies.com defines it: “Sin is any deliberate action, attitude, or thought that goes against God. You may think of sin as an obvious act, such as murder, marital unfaithfulness, or theft. Although that's true, sin is also wrongdoing that's far subtler and even unnoticeable at times, such as pride, envy, or even worry. Sin includes both things you shouldn't have done, but did (sins of commission) and things you should've done, but didn't (sins of omission).” The online dictionary defines sin as: “A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate…Deliberate disobedience to the known will of God…A condition of estrangement from God resulting from such disobedience. These definitions are traditional and represent how most people think about sin – as something that we do or don’t do. But there is something more important to understand about the word sin! The Bible also uses the word “sin” as a noun, to describe a “thing”, living in you, resulting in a condition called “sin” in your human nature that you can’t control! These simple but profound insights, about the word sin which I learned after being a Christian for over 30 years, revolutionized my understanding of the Bible, clarified what Jesus Christ did at the cross, and set me free. The Apostle Paul confirms the truth of this condition in the Romans 7 quotation above, which includes, “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:20). So the next time you say to yourself or others “I don’t understand why (fill in name) does those things,” now you know why! How did humans (referred to in the Bible as “man”) get into this situation? Following is a summary of the facts from the Bible:
As a result of this sin condition in our human nature, the Bible says that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). But we just defined reality as the mortality rate being 100%. So what death and life is the Apostle Paul, author of Romans, talking about? He is talking of spiritual death (separation from God in Heaven and His life giving power for eternity) and spiritual life (unity and fellowship with God in Heaven and connectedness to His life giving power for eternity.) In Part II we will examine the solution for this condition Paul calls the sinful nature. The Spirit Led Business™ is published by American Business Advisors, Inc. to provide business and personal improvement information and ideas. All material is presented to provide general and broad information only. The information found in this publication does not constitute business, tax, financial, or legal advice and should not be acted upon without seeking the counsel of a professional advisor. The following post Real Christianity – Why You Should Consider It (Part I) was first published on http://abadvisors.com/ via Blogger Real Christianity – Why You Should Consider It (Part I)
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