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THE WORLD, THE
WORD & YOU! RADIO BROADCAST
I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the “Reality of Sin” in our world and worse our lives… … When tragedy strikes our world in gargantuan form, the world cries out and wonders how such things can happen to us. It’s as if we should be immune to the tragedy and the ill effects of life. Somehow we think that only “good things” should come our way, and we should be protected from these negative things that happen upon us. This thinking is fueled by the knowledge that there may be an Omnipotent God above us all, and it is His duty to shield us from any and all such happenings. Well, I believe this thinking is universal, and when such thoughts are quickly dispelled by the raw calamities that occur, we blame God, or in the least we cry out “there is no God!” However, the Bible gives us some very important truths for us to understand about our world, and the calamities and tragedies that happen. So after another pause for some good music to brighten your day, I’ll return with God’s answer to man’s questions concerning the bad things that happen to good people… …Why is there so much suffering, hurt and harm that comes to our world? Why are there so many wars, fights and disputes that end in bloodshed? Why is there so much sickness and disease that hurts, harms and kills so many innocent men, women and children? Why is there worldwide starvation, poverty, unhappiness, tears, and suffering of all kinds? Well the answer can be found in the Bible in one word which we all tend to ignore - it is “SIN!” Now I know many today simply refuse to believe such a thing exists, at least by God’s definition. But nonetheless, “sin” is the cause of ALL our world’s calamities, tragedies, heartaches and loss suffered, regardless of how it comes into our lives. Now if this is true, and it is my friend, we need to look into the Bible to see what sin is, what it does, how it effects us all, and what end result it does bring. Furthermore, we need to see if there is any “cure” for this terrible malady that afflicts our world and every living being in it. Where can we find such information? The answer is the Word of God. There is no other source of truth that can tell us what is wrong with our world and with us, than the Creator’s instruction manual for life and living in God’s universe. Of course, many have ignored this or rejected it. However today indulge me for the next 15-20 minutes, will you, and at least listen to what I have to say. Then, be the judge of it, OK? Good, now let’s explore this idea of “sin,” as the Bible tells us about it. We begin with the fact that God’s Word tells us, SIN ORIGINATED BEFORE ANY HUMAN BEING WAS EVER BORN Yes, God first created mankind by fashioning two human beings we know as Adam and Eve. Now these were not fictional characters, but real live people. These first two people, the Bible says, were created absolutely perfect and without “sin.” Now we’ll define sin a bit later. Listen to God’s Word on their creation and the world God created around them in the beginning.
Now there you have the story of man’s origins and what was created. God made two perfect and sinless human beings, and placed them in a world that was also sinless and perfect. Now all of us should be puzzled, for if that is what was in the beginning, something obviously must have happened to place us all in a world vastly different. The answer is yes, “SIN” entered the world and infected both of our first parents and the entire world and universe God created. Listen to God’s description.
God warned Adam and later Eve, that if either of them would defy God’s command for living in His world, they would experience the results of their “sin” which would be death. History records Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, and gave it to Adam and both, at that moment, sinned against God and brought the entire perfect world and creation crashing down on them forever. The Bible tells us what God did as a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience.
Now, here we see the very first human beings, created as mature adults, were now on their own in a world which God in a real sense took His hand of absolute control off of it. The human race by their choice, wanted to go it alone, as they rejected God’s care, provision and love and chose rather to be king over all without God. It was at this point when “sin” had entered the very nature and being of mankind, that both Adam and Eve conceived and gave birth to the very first human being, who by the way inherited the Adam’s new “sin nature.” From that day to this, the entire human race has been infected with what the Bible calls a “sin nature.” All humanity has this, which has been the cause of every calamity, every tragedy and every tear that has been shed from that time till the present. Now I’ve talked about this issue of “sin,” and we need to allow God to tell us about it in detail and what it does and will continue to do to us all, unless we find the cure for it. So let’s explore further, the Word of God for answers to man’s greatest dilemma. Let’s ask first, “What is sin?” There are many definitions of sin[1] which have been proposed throughout history, and they divide into fairly well-defined categories. 1. Some say sin is an illusion—it doesn’t really exist. To be sure, there are lacks in man, but given time and the ongoing processes of evolution, these will disappear. A medical doctor not long ago said, “There is no place for the concept of sin in psychotherapy.” And very long ago, more than one thinker said that man is conscious of sin only because of his lack of knowledge. If he knew more, he could dissipate that illusion of sin. Others say, 2. Sin is an eternal principle of evil outside of God and independent of Him. This is dualism which has been associated in one form or another with Zoroaster, Yang and Yin in Chinese thought, and early Gnosticism. 3. Sin is selfishness. This is a common definition of sin and is scriptural though inadequate. For however much sin is selfishness it is more. Therefore we come to the fourth definition which is, 4. Sin is “Lawlessness!”
Lawlessness is further defined in the Bible as “living as if there were no God and no law.” It is arrogantly living on one’s own terms not being bound by God’s revealed standards or Law. Further definitions of this “lawlessness can be found in scripture. For instance sin can be described as “unrighteousness,” “failure to do good,” and a “lack of faith.”
But sin is best defined as “going outside the boundaries God has set for us to live in His universe.” Adam and Eve made this choice in a test environment. God determined to allow them the right to choose whether they wanted to live in His boundaries, under His Law, and be obedient to Him. Unfortunately both chose not to, and God honored their choice. However, God warned them that to become “lawless,” would carry a stiff penalty which was death. Now this death came instantly, but was a slow process. When Adam and Eve sinned by stealing and eating the fruit from a tree God commanded them not to, the eternal life God planted in them was lost, and their bodies began to die. Furthermore, a “sin nature” was born in them by their rebellion and lawlessness. This sin nature became a living part of Adam and Eve. Its characteristics can be defined as a contaminate in our body and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1)
Sin contaminated the entire realm of humanity and when the first child was born, a man named Cain, he exhibited this sin nature in his wanton hatred of and killing of his brother. Sin can be defined as a disease that has come upon the human race, and is transmitted to every new person born of Adam and Eve. The Bible says that[2] “by nature we are children of wrath (Eph 2:3). This sin nature, which all people have by birth, is that capacity to do those things (good, neutral, or bad) which do not commend us to God, but rather condemn us. The Scriptures are filled with statements of the corruption of many aspects of man’s nature. Our intellect (2 Co 4:4; Ro 1:28), our conscience (1 Ti 4:2), our will (Ro 1:28), our heart (Eph 4:18), and our total being (Ro 1:18–3:20) have been corrupted. This is the Christian teaching, called the doctrine of Total Depravity. Total depravity does not mean that everyone is as thoroughly depraved in his actions as he could possibly be, nor that everyone will indulge in every form of sin, nor that a person cannot appreciate and even do acts of goodness; but it does mean that the corruption of sin extends to all people and to all parts of all the human race, so that there is nothing within the natural man that can give him merit in God’s sight.” Because we are sinners by nature, we will always exhibit this willfulness, selfishness, disobedience and lawlessness to assert our own way and will over God and others. Isaiah the prophet gives us a vivid description of this disease we all suffer from. He said,
Sin manifests itself in us all in the form of ingratitude, selfishness and rebellion to anything that does not please or serve us, regardless of the cost to others. This is why we have wars, fights, crime, bloodshed, murder, robbery, rape and experience cruel suffering at the hands of others. It is the “sin” principle in us all! There is no other explanation! But most shocking of all is the Bible says in human terms it is INCURABLE, and worse we continue to PRACTICE it till we die! Let me put it in present day terms as I quote for you from the Book of Romans. First Jeremiah’s assessment from God,
In truth, there is nothing you or I or anyone can do about it. So often we try to fix this flaw, with the Band-Aid of good works and deeds, or we try education, or simply deny it exists, but none of these actions will take away the sin in us, or the stain it has placed on our soul and spirit, not to mention our world. God tells us this sin nature will also take all of us down in death, and finally to a place called Hell! How deep is this sin?
Sin is a deep-seated terminal disease you have and I have my friend, and unless you get treatment you will die, not only physically but eternally as well. Do you have the symptoms of sin? Indeed you have. Have you ever lied, cheated, stolen anything that was not yours? Have you ever failed to carry out what you promised, or know is right to do? Have you ever lashed out with your temper? Worse, have you neglected to obey God’s command to live perfectly and sinlessly in His world? Jesus once told a woman what God expects of you living in His creation.
WOW! There is no one who can say – I am sinless and perfect. You see sin controls you and me, and causes us to deny or reject God’s law over us. We spurn Him and live without Him as if we were king of our own lives. The apostle John said it best when He describes sins desires,
As such, we are all under God’s wrath and one day will suffer the fate and penalty of it called death. The most devastating effects of this sin disease is it damns our souls to eternal punishment and separation from God for all eternity. Since we were created in God’s image, you and I are a soul or spirit that will live forever past the death of our bodies. The question is where will we live? As sinners we cannot live with God, since we are defiled. God is sinless and holy and will not allow the presence of sin near Him. So God fashioned a place in eternity called Hell. This is a place absolutely devoid of God and who God is. It is the eternal penitentiary, in the Bible called the LAKE OF FIRE. We read,
Thus, we see the final and most deadly result of sin and the evil it brings to us all unless cured in this life! But thanks be to God, the Bible says there is a cure! Have you found it and partaken of it? Listen to the Bible prescription,
Jesus Christ declared the way to receive this spiritual cleansing of sin and its disease in us,
[1],2 Ryrie, C. C. (1995, c1972). A Survey of Bible Doctrine. Chicago: Moody Press.
· Broadcast date: February 16, 2003 · Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator · Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast · Address: P.O. Box 40133 Grand Junction, CO 81504 The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 22 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also. Want to Help?
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