Original Sin
Original Sins
December 13, 2024
Anyone who has ever read or heard the Bible story of Adam and Eve knows that the most commonly referred to original sin stems from disobedience to God. Yet, within the text of the story there are several others, including blaming others.
Maybe I’m unique (I doubt it), but there is this fact that since a young age (I still can remember), I demanded answers to such questions as, “Who took my toy?” Later the questions were more like, “Who took my keys?” and “Who keeps moving my stuff?”
The answers, of course, were, “Nobody. Your toy is right in the toy box.” and “No one. They’re right on the table where you left them.” and “You do.”
If nothing else, it proves that I have a sinful nature.
Those crimes are not awful, of course, but when we blame the government, the weather, our fatigue, or anything else, for our attitudes and behaviors, we are committing an original sin. The Blame Game.
“It’s only natural,” one might say. Well, again, that just reinforces my point that human nature is a fallen nature. Also, let me remind ourselves that sin in the Bible is doing harm to ourselves or to others. That is why God gave us rules to live by in order that we stop hurting ourselves and others, that we learn to mature and live together in an amiable and productive Society. God does love His Creation, after all.
Now, the productive part, Biblically, is not material output, but it is of a transcendent nature, producing “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” as opposed to the works of our natural born nature: “What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God.” — Galatians 5:19–21, Good News Translation.
Can you see that that is true? Whether you think those behaviors are counterproductive and palin wrong, or not, doesn’t really matter. They form a dichotomy, a conundrum, an uncomfortable situation…
Paul wrote this, too, “What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.” — 5:16–17, ibid.
Don’t you think a change is needed? Forget about other people needing to change… The question is for you and me — not trying to figure out someone else who is to blame. Maybe the Devil had his part in starting the whole mess, but that was then. Your choice is today. What is true now is that we each have the freedom to choose…
The Rolling Stones — Sympathy For The Devil (Official Lyric Video)
Unfortunately we are naturally born and cannot begin to see the Kingdom of God, let alone the Holy Spirit! This is why Jesus said that we must be born again: We are born of our mothers and receive a natural human nature which has a tendency to do harm. In order to end that, we must be born again by the Spirit of the living God to receive a new nature which has the tendency to do what is right.
https://biblehub.com/gnt/john/3.htm
Turn to God. Start talking at Him — toward whichever direction you think He might be standing. Seek His presence in your life. Start reading Jesus’ story in the Bible account of Matthew in the New Testament. See if you like Him (not what gossips say about Him).
