The human predicament is a moral one, it is not how much intelligence of doctrine or knowledge of God we have or verses of scripture we know, but whether we are in harmony with God, righteous in His sight. God identified unrighteousness from creation, if we loved God we would follow His guidance and be in harmony with His will. He set forth His definition of being in harmony with God at creation, simply follow divine instruction as it led to or was good versus that which led to or was evil, and which He gave a understanding to Adam and Eve.
It was not God’s plan for us to fall into sin and be at odds with Him. To the contrary, God created us in His image, pronounced humankind good, and wanted to enter into a relationship with Adam and Eve and all who would follow.
Adam and Eve were given all they needed to grow in an ever-closer relationship with their Creator. Do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God instructed them. But they chose to disobey. Adam and Eve fell not out of ignorance but out of disobedience. Christ had to die not so much to tell us we did wrong but to establish a right relationship with us.
The Bible tells us that alienation is one of the results of sin (Genesis 3:10-13). The very first thing Adam and Eve did after having disobeyed God was to flee from Him to avoid His presence. Later, when confronted by God, they failed to admit their misdeeds. Instead, they stonewalled. They pointed to each other as the culprit. As a result of their sin, they fell away from God and their son Cain went so far as to get angry with God and take it out on his brother Abel. Sin leads to the total disruption of harmony in relationships. The love in our earthly relationships depend on a strong relationship with our heavenly father, we have to be in harmony with God and His love or evil causes a total breakdown with others as sin not only seperates us from God but turns others against us as our evil nature harms them.
Being in harmony with God means being found righteous such as God found in Noah and Abraham:
Genesis 7:1
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 15:6
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
What evil does in disrupting the relationship between us and God is evident in the story of Sodom and Gomorah. This was a defining moment in what this seperation caused as Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city if only ten could be found in the city that were righteous.
Genesis 18:23
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. 33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Notice the argument that Abraham uses, that God must be just in his justice:
Genesis 18:25
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Even the mighty Pharoah acknowledge his sin that he had done wrong against God and His purpose:
Exodus 9:27
And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
Now comes the interesting part, can we make mistakes in life and still be righteous before God, can our sins be forgiven if we follow what God wants and we are in harmony with Him. Lets look at what Solomon says about the alduterer and murderer that still loved God and repented:
1 Kings 3:6
And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
God is not only the Creator of all that is. God is like a tree that unites all branches. Sin sets us apart from Him, being apart from God there is no unity or harmony. He lays out the law of love that like the law of gravity keeps us rooted and is consistent in its purpose. We must understand that to be in harmony with God we must be righteous, not only in spirit but in what it bears fruit, our actions. Jesus made clear that we needed to have righteousness and He would provide it, but it also was a action within a person that might cause them to be persecuted:
A second consequence of sin is condemnation (Romans 5:18). As those who knowingly disobey God, we have incurred the judgment of God. The law defines and lays claim against us, showing our seperation from God and His love. A legal status of guilty of sin is pronounced upon us, showing our slavery to sin. Sin not only disrupts our relationship with God; it also leaves us inclined against God and weakened with a propensity toward sin. Jesus tells us to hear his words and understand them:
Matthew 13:43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Adam and Eve set us on a course from which we on our own strength cannot depart. We stand condemned. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Fortunately, sin and death do not have the last word. Paul continues in the same verse with the good news: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”, this is the triumph of the cross. We have a loving God who does not want to let us go. And so He sent his only Son to die for us.
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5: 18, 19). Christ triumphed over sin while nailed to the cross, and His resurrection left no doubt about His victory. This is indeed good news that we are not alone. God is truly with us. For in dying on the cross, Christ exiled alienation. He has made it possible for us to be at one with Him and He is reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). He brought us back in harmony (righteous) with God, and His Holy Spirit comes to cleanse our hearts and minds to transform us so we can live in harmony (righteous) before God. By faith in Jesus Christ we accept His righteousness, we must be careful not to count it as our own work and by faith let the Spirit continue its divine puspose to transform our hearts and minds into harmony (righteous) with God:
Galatians 5:5
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
God does not see a guilty verdict stamped on our hearts. Rather He sees Christ’s robe of righteousness. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, 4).
We shall continue to struggle with our fallenness (see Romans 7) because we are powerless to do good on our own. But God can transform and empower us to be in harmony (righteous) with Him, if we allow Him. Indeed, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
All have sinned and brought into disharmony with God, and with the Evil one still tempting us, we may fall, but we need not remain fallen. God’s grace is sufficient to lift us up and help us to continue our transformation into a being in harmony (righteous) with God.... Excerpts from Facing sin by David A. Pendleton.
It was not God’s plan for us to fall into sin and be at odds with Him. To the contrary, God created us in His image, pronounced humankind good, and wanted to enter into a relationship with Adam and Eve and all who would follow.
Adam and Eve were given all they needed to grow in an ever-closer relationship with their Creator. Do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God instructed them. But they chose to disobey. Adam and Eve fell not out of ignorance but out of disobedience. Christ had to die not so much to tell us we did wrong but to establish a right relationship with us.
The Bible tells us that alienation is one of the results of sin (Genesis 3:10-13). The very first thing Adam and Eve did after having disobeyed God was to flee from Him to avoid His presence. Later, when confronted by God, they failed to admit their misdeeds. Instead, they stonewalled. They pointed to each other as the culprit. As a result of their sin, they fell away from God and their son Cain went so far as to get angry with God and take it out on his brother Abel. Sin leads to the total disruption of harmony in relationships. The love in our earthly relationships depend on a strong relationship with our heavenly father, we have to be in harmony with God and His love or evil causes a total breakdown with others as sin not only seperates us from God but turns others against us as our evil nature harms them.
Being in harmony with God means being found righteous such as God found in Noah and Abraham:
Genesis 7:1
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 15:6
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
What evil does in disrupting the relationship between us and God is evident in the story of Sodom and Gomorah. This was a defining moment in what this seperation caused as Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city if only ten could be found in the city that were righteous.
Genesis 18:23
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. 33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Notice the argument that Abraham uses, that God must be just in his justice:
Genesis 18:25
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Even the mighty Pharoah acknowledge his sin that he had done wrong against God and His purpose:
Exodus 9:27
And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
Now comes the interesting part, can we make mistakes in life and still be righteous before God, can our sins be forgiven if we follow what God wants and we are in harmony with Him. Lets look at what Solomon says about the alduterer and murderer that still loved God and repented:
1 Kings 3:6
And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
God is not only the Creator of all that is. God is like a tree that unites all branches. Sin sets us apart from Him, being apart from God there is no unity or harmony. He lays out the law of love that like the law of gravity keeps us rooted and is consistent in its purpose. We must understand that to be in harmony with God we must be righteous, not only in spirit but in what it bears fruit, our actions. Jesus made clear that we needed to have righteousness and He would provide it, but it also was a action within a person that might cause them to be persecuted:
- Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5:5-7 (in Context) Matthew 5 (Whole Chapter) - Matthew 5:10
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
A second consequence of sin is condemnation (Romans 5:18). As those who knowingly disobey God, we have incurred the judgment of God. The law defines and lays claim against us, showing our seperation from God and His love. A legal status of guilty of sin is pronounced upon us, showing our slavery to sin. Sin not only disrupts our relationship with God; it also leaves us inclined against God and weakened with a propensity toward sin. Jesus tells us to hear his words and understand them:
Matthew 13:43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Adam and Eve set us on a course from which we on our own strength cannot depart. We stand condemned. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Fortunately, sin and death do not have the last word. Paul continues in the same verse with the good news: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”, this is the triumph of the cross. We have a loving God who does not want to let us go. And so He sent his only Son to die for us.
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5: 18, 19). Christ triumphed over sin while nailed to the cross, and His resurrection left no doubt about His victory. This is indeed good news that we are not alone. God is truly with us. For in dying on the cross, Christ exiled alienation. He has made it possible for us to be at one with Him and He is reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). He brought us back in harmony (righteous) with God, and His Holy Spirit comes to cleanse our hearts and minds to transform us so we can live in harmony (righteous) before God. By faith in Jesus Christ we accept His righteousness, we must be careful not to count it as our own work and by faith let the Spirit continue its divine puspose to transform our hearts and minds into harmony (righteous) with God:
Galatians 5:5
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
God does not see a guilty verdict stamped on our hearts. Rather He sees Christ’s robe of righteousness. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, 4).
We shall continue to struggle with our fallenness (see Romans 7) because we are powerless to do good on our own. But God can transform and empower us to be in harmony (righteous) with Him, if we allow Him. Indeed, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
All have sinned and brought into disharmony with God, and with the Evil one still tempting us, we may fall, but we need not remain fallen. God’s grace is sufficient to lift us up and help us to continue our transformation into a being in harmony (righteous) with God.... Excerpts from Facing sin by David A. Pendleton.
