Sin
When the Bible talks about sin, it's not so much talking about the sins we do, but about the inclination we have to disobey God. The angel Lucifer (Satan) committed the first sin, when he craved the power and worship given to God. His rebellion failed, but he managed to lead Eve and Adam astray as well, in the form of the serpent. He convinced them that God didn't really have their best interests at heart, and that if they obeyed God, they would never experience life to the full. It sounded good, and they disobeyed God. That was the first sin committed by humans. We probably think of visible sins, such as cheating, murder, lying or adultery. But God is just as concerned about invisible sins, such as bitterness, pride, and hatred.Since then, everyone has been born with an inclination to not trust God, and to rebel against Him. This has become a crucial flaw in the human condition, where doing wrong is a more natural inclination than doing right. It causes us to become self-absorbed and put ourselves before others. We are all living in the wreckage of the fall of Adam and Eve and our bodies, heart and affections are prone to love things that kill us. If we try to discipline ourselves into doing good, it just becomes de-humanising and exhausting. At the heart of all the worlds atrocities are men and women who have not individually dealt with their hearts inclination to do wrong instead of good. It is only through Jesus that we can begin to overcome the trap of sin and begin to love the things we should love. (See ‘Ransom’)
