Sin and Redemption
According to Merriam-Webster sin is defined as-: an offense against religious or moral law.
As human beings we naturally associate the word sin with something bad. We generally know that sin isn’t good and it generally means something that we don’t need to do. As defined above it means that someone broke a set of rules or laws. For instance, as defined, when we drive our vehicle to fast we are in danger of getting a speeding ticket. We broke the law and therefore we have to pay the ticket. Let’s look a bit deeper at the word sin. We all have a general understanding of the word sin but let us look at it from God’s standpoint. Sin and Redemption deals with something far more important than just a set of rules or guidelines. Scripture gives many references to sin.
1st John 3:4 says this “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” When we read about sin from a Biblical perspective we realize that sin doesn’t just happen if the trooper catches you speeding, but if you do things that are lawless, meaning do things that are against God’s law whether someone catches you at it or not! Lawlessness is sin, even when someone doesn’t even know about it, God does. Sin is a verb and not a noun. It is something you do, or act upon.
Galatians 5:19-21” Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” This passage refers to works of the flesh, or sin as evident. It’s not hard to know if you are sinning or not. How do we know? Read God’s Word! First off if any of these actions listed are present in your life, put this book down and ask God to forgive you right now. Sin is dangerous!
Scripture also defines sin this way in James 4:17-“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” When we have been enlighten to the truth and then we don’t operate according to it then it is a sin to us. For example, if we know not to commit adultery and then we do commit adultery it is a sin!
Let us look now to Genesis chapter 3, the fall of man. We find in this passage the perfect example of an act of disobedience. Genesis 2:17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” God gives man very plain instruction. The garden was a place like we can only imagine, everything in perfection created just for Adam and Eve. Everything they ever wanted and they even walked with God in the cool of the day! Wow! There was only one very clear rule…don’t eat of this certain tree. Have you ever heard God tell you not to do something in a very clear manner? Often times we start to try and reason with God. Lord, I know You said not to go to a certain place but I have this reason I need to go. Does something like that sound familiar? It doesn’t matter why we think we need to go there God said not to and that is all that matters! Remember God always has our best interest in mind. God told man not to eat of the tree. He did that for a reason. He knew that it was in there best interest not to eat of it and it was God’s law. Always remember that He is God and we are not!
Genesis 3:1 the serpent, the tempter, comes on the scene. The devil will always be there to tempt you. Being tempted is not the sin, God has given us a way of escape for temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”) it is the giving in to temptation that becomes the sin. The serpent presents Eve with a temptation. Eve in vs 2-3 clearly states what God’s command was. Eve had no doubt about what God said. The Word of God makes it clear what is sin and what is not. Something that goes against God’s Word and commands is a sin! Simple as that. It doesn’t matter why we want or what our reasoning is, what matters is what God says.
Vs 4 the devil lies to her. He is a liar and the father of all lies! John 8:44 “ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Why does he want to lie and tempt us and try to convince us to commit a sin? Satan is headed for hell and he wants to drag us there with him. How can he do that? By convincing us to disobey God…commit sin. How dangerous is it for us to sin? Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the [a]gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The payment for sin is death. Spiritual death. When you speed you have to pay a speeding ticket. There is a payment for sin and that payment is hell. That is hard to think about but it is just the truth!
Adam and Eve paid terrible consequences for their disobedience. They ate of the very tree that God told them not to eat off. Sin. God removed them from this perfect place that He had created for them. Genesis 3:24 “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.” They paid a great price just for a piece of fruit. Remember sin is an action! Isaiah 59:2- But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” I don’t want God to not hear me when I pray, but if I have sin present in my life that is exactly what happens. Not my words, but His. That is a scary consequence!
Who all has sinned? Everyone! Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” We are all sinners! Don’t feel alone in this sin thing because we have all been there. Never forget the only difference between the saved and the unsaved is the Blood of Jesus that covers them! Romans 3:10 reminds us “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one;” Jesus Christ is the only sinless person ever! Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” So if sin separates us from God and makes us bound for hell and we are all sinners, this sounds pretty gloomy. We are a people without a chance except for Jesus!!! Thank God for redemption!
We come to the realization that there is a sin debt to be paid and everyone of us has that sin debt. So if we all have this debt that must be paid, then how do we pay it? We obviously can’t pay it because it is our own sin that has created the debt that must be paid? Long story short, someone without sin must pay this debt or we pay it by being cast into hell for eternity. That is hard to even say but it is reality according to the Word of God.
Scripture tells us in Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the law almost all things are [a]purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no [b]remission.” Blood must be shed in order to pay this debt. Exodus 12:5 says “Your lamb shall be without[a] blemish, a male [b]of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.” Just any lamb or goat would not do. It was not payment enough. It has to be perfect. We have clearly established the fact that none of us are, none of us are able to pay this sin debt. There is ONLY ONE! Jesus Christ the Lord. 1st Peter 2:22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; Hebrews 7:26 “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, [a]harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;” 1st Peter 1:19 “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Jesus Christ lived a perfect and sinless life and therefore He alone is worthy to pay the sin debt.
Christ died on the Cross at Calvary to pay for our sin. We could not do it because we are unworthy and the One who is worthy paid the price for us. Somebody shout! Wherever you are reading this, take a moment and praise the Lord for what He has done! We had no hope but now we do. Thank You Jesus! Colossians 2:14 “having wiped out the [a]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 1st John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
In Jesus Christ we have redemption because the perfect sacrifice was made when Jesus died on that Cross for us. Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” So we are sinners in need of redemption, Jesus paid our sin debt at the Cross, how do we “cash in” on this payment? How is it applied to our debt? Repent!
Repentance is the key that unlocks redemption. Acts 3:19 tells us “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” 1 John 1:19 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we admit that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness, and repent then the payment is applied to our debt and it is erased!!! We receive that redemption that we so desperately need.
We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. If we will repent and ask Jesus to save us then the Blood that He shed at Calvary is applied to us and we are redeemed! Thank You Jesus!