INIQUITY - The nature of sinfulness (Part 3 in the series)

Have you ever wondered


*  about sin - its origin, nature and results?


*  about freewill - the fact that we are able to make decisions which really count?


*  about what the highest form of freedom is?


The awareness of our thoughts and actions, in full consciousness, and the ability to control them, implies freewill and makes us morally responsible beings.

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As the story goes,
         there was a garden -- Eden

There was a perfect and holy pair --
         Adam and Eve

There was a test -- the tree of knowledge of good and evil

and the forbidden fruit,1 - the taking to themselves the right to say what would be counted as good and what would be counted as evil in their lives.

The Fall into Sinfulness

They accepted the offer of the serpent - the offer of the "highest form of freedom" - and chose self-rulership above God's rulership in their lives.

God honored the freewill which he had given them and they and all theirs became self-centered rivals of Himself, - by nature.

The nature to consult our own wills, above the will of our creator and rightful ruler, is the essence of all sinfulness and the open door to all sin.

The Source of Sin

This condition of sinfulness opens the way for the perversion of our own God-given physical drives, desires, and needs. The "king" indulges his appetites and passions at will, with little regard for the debasement and hardship caused. He seeks honor and recognition, power and glory, with little regard for the way he obtains it. He loots and hoards and grabs for himself, lest he should suffer hardship at any time.

While alienated from God, we are mistrustful of Him and we feel insecure. Our self-centered wills are the cause of the misery in our world. As long as we unrightfully possess the rulership of our lives, we cannot escape the results - disease, hurt people, and want.2

Responsibility

The awareness of our thoughts and actions and the ability to control them in full consciousness, infers freewill and makes us morally responsible beings. We must give account for the things we do or think - unless, of course, we are the highest authority in our lives.3

Since we owe all that we have and are to God, our creator, we should be subject to His authority and law, and should give account to Him. Justice demands our submission to Him.

A Period of Grace

The moment Adam became his own god, he should rightfully have had to support his own existence (since he cut himself off from Creator God by choosing his own way). Since all existence is dependent on God, he should have been immediately annihilated.4   His continued existence is evidence that God did not allow the just results of his choice to follow their course. Instead, He has provided a period of grace - an unmerited period during which a plan has been put into action to resolve the problem of sin and sinfulness.5

Conclusion

Through the choice of Adam, the first human being created by God, we have inherited sinful natures.6   And since we are responsible (to our creator) for the things we do in full consciousness, we are accountable before God for the sins we commit.7

We have been able, through many generations, to see the results of self-godship. We are now able to make a clear judgment as to its non-desirability in society.   Laws are instituted to prevent sin, but we fight against them by nature, and we are all found to be faulty and guilty members of society.8

The fact that we live in a period of grace, gives us hope that God, in His love, has a plan whereby we can be made free of this terrible sinfulness.

Supporting Biblical References

1  Genesis 2:8,9; 3:1-6

2   Romans 7:21,23

3  Hebrews 9:27

4   Genesis 2:17

5   2 Peter 3:9

6  Romans 5:19

7  Romans 2:2

8  Romans 3:10