Doctrine of the Week - Sin / Original Sin

The Doctrine of the Week for this Sunday is sin, as well as the concept of original sin.

The Greek word translated sin in the Bible simply means to miss the mark.

Perhaps the best definition of sin in scripture is found in 1 John 3, verse 4, which tells us that sin is a violation of God's law.

And of course, when we look at the Ten Commandments, we see that to worship other gods is sinful, to bow down to statues is sinful, adultery, murder, theft, these things are sins against God.

And if the law tells us anything, it tells us of our need for God's grace.

The scripture says in Romans 5, verse 12, So death entered into this world through the first man,

Adam, along with all of his descendants. All die because all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 3, 23. Also, in Isaiah 59, verse 2, the scripture says,

But your iniquities have separated you from God, and your sins have hidden his face from you.

So because we have all missed the mark, all of us, even an infant who dies not committing any sin of his or her own, all are affected by Adam's sin.

And this is where we get the concept of original sin, which does not refer to the first sin as much as it refers to the consequences or the effects of Adam's sin, that all of Adam's descendants die.

And in our natural state, we are alienated from God. Now that's really bad news, isn't it?

That is very bad news for each and every human being. But the good news of the gospel is that if you are in Christ, all who are in Adam die.

All who are in Adam perish. But if you are in Christ, the good news is this, and Christ is called what?

The second Adam. So if you believe that Christ died for your sin and rose again, taking upon himself that just penalty that we deserved.

If you have faith in the gospel, the promise is that your sins will be forgiven.

And as the scripture says in first Corinthians 15, 22, for as an

Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.