Man was created in God’s image with the purpose of glorifying God. But one look around makes it clear that somewhere between creation and now, things drastically changed. What happened?

Sin. Way back in the garden, the very first man and woman decided to break God’s only law by going their own way. The consequence of this sin was death, manifested first spiritually through separation from God and distance in their relationship with Him. They no longer walked with Him in the cool of the evenings and life was hard. Thoughts of their purpose were clouded with hard work, pain, disappointment, discontentment, fear, and selfishness.

Sin also brought physical death as man’s life would now have a definitive end… a ticking clock that once expired, would mark the moment His choice regarding eternity (Heaven or Hell) could no longer be altered.

Sin wasn’t isolated to Adam and Eve. It spread to all people and continued to wreak havoc among God’s creation. Later, God would give 10 commandments to guide His people in following Him righteously (in what is right), but that list merely proved man’s inability to choose right and uphold God’s laws. It put a spotlight on man’s sin.

You may wonder, didn’t God know Adam & Eve would choose sin? Didn’t He know the destruction that would come because man would choose to follow their own sinful desires, rather than God’s perfect law, over and over again? So why would He allow it? Wouldn’t we betater off without it?

And after salvation, why doesn’t man escape his sin nature? Why doesn’t God just remove a person’s desire to sin so that the light of Jesus can shine through them even more brightly?

This week, we’ll answer these questions and more as we look at:

Essential #8 - Sin is anything man thinks, says, or does that breaks God’s law (His Word- the Bible). While sin can be choosing wrong, it is also neglecting what is right. Sin separates man from God through spiritual death and is the cause of man’s physical death as well. While sin originated with Adam and Eve, all people are born in sin and have a natural desire to do wrong. Sin is unavoidable for man but is designed to illuminate man’s need for Jesus.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What was the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden? What ‘slow fade’ or progression took place there?
Read Romans 6:23. What consequence for sin is outlined here?
Read James 1:14-15. What is temptation? Who tempts us?
Why does God allow mankind to wrestle with sin and temptation?
Read Romans 6:15-18. Are you currently a slave to sin or righteousness? In what ways?
We must be intentional in our battle against sin. What should we include in a ‘game plan’ against sin and for righteous living?