The Second Sin

Why Don’t We Hear About the Second Sin?

What is the second sin?

The second sin is so subtle, most people don’t think about it.

Before we look at the second sins, let’s briefly review the first sin.

Read Genesis 3:1-6

Genesis 3:1–6 NIV84

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

One day a spectacular visitor struck up a conversation with Eve.(The serpent)

The serpent didn’t look like a snake at this point. The serpent was probably an charismatic being probably looking more like an angel than a snake.

The dialogue ended with Eve eating the apple and Adam closely following.

What exactly was that first sin? The act of disobedience and disbelief.

The first sin is highly important, but the second sin may be even more important, because we will never recover from the first sin so longer as we’re guilty of the second.

So, what is that second sin?

Scripture and human experience both testify that God has provided a remedy for the first sin. JESUS

But the second sin can make God’s remedy ineffective. One might even say that the second sin is the unpardonable sin. So what is it. Let’s take a look at the scripture as see if we can pick it up.

Read Genesis 3:7-13

Genesis 3:7–13 NIV84

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Well, did you pick it up?

It is the unwillingness to admit that we are wrong and the refusal to see ourselves for what we truly are.

Whatever our original sin may be, lying, cheating, adultery, sexual immorality, ill temper, gluttony, drunkenness, gossip, stealing or murder, there is always hope for us, because of Jesus.

But when we become guilty of the second sin, the sin of denial or excusing ourselves or being unwilling to see our sin for sin, we close the door against God and hope.

Eliezer be Hycanus, a second century rabbi, said, “Like an architect, the Holy One modeled the world, and it would stand, until He created repentance.” The World does, indeed, stand or fall with readiness to repent.

Can you think of examples where repentance was admitted by leaders of political jurisdictions, institutions, or famous individuals?

This goes for nations, institutions, or individuals.

Mistakes don’t destroy us, nor will eternal mistakes called sins. What destroys is the inability to face ourselves and confess that we’ve been wrong or are living in a sinful manner.

The world has become great at being professional excusers for mistakes they have made.

The secret is to be teachable, and to be teachable you must be willing to admit that you don’t know and that is a form of repentance.

As long as we excuse our failure our failure to learn, we frustrate the learning experience.

Some of history’s magnificent human beings have been marked by major sins, yet have come to greatness because of their capacity for acknowledging their failures. They actual are great, not in spite of their sins, but because of them.

Character grows out of the soil of our lives, like a tender plant. If we repent of our sins, repentance breaks the soil of life so that the plat gets a new and stronger start.

But is we excuse our failure, ignorance, or sin, the soil of life hardens until the plant character simply cannot survive.

I suggested earlier this could be the unpardonable sin, lets look at that a little closer.

Read Mark 3:28-29

Mark 3:28–29 NIV84

I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

How do we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the persuasive agent on our lives, the power which convicts us of sin.

When we excuse ourselves and refuse to recognize our sins, we harden ourselves against the Spirit’s work of persuasion.

That very act is a sin against the Holy Spirit, a blaspheme so to speak or the Spirit being able to work in our lives.

If this continues long enough, we come to a place where we no longer hear or even sense the Spirit’s pleading.

How could we be more lost than to be in a state where we are no longer disturbed about being wrong, or in sin? We come to such a place by continuing the process of self-excusing.

While we like to blame the woman for committing the first sin, it was man that led the way on the second. And in both cases the other was all too prompt to follow.

Re-read Genesis 3:12-13

Genesis 3:12–13 NIV84

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

So it wasn’t Flip Wilson who invented the term, “The Devil made me do it.”

But in this second sin, Adam even takes it a step further. He complains to God, “This woman you gave me.” It’s your fault God. And we have been talking that way ever since.

It’s in my genes. It’s my lack of talent. It the temperament God gave me. It’s my looks that gave gave me., Yada, Yada, Yada.

We have refined the skills or earlier generations with psychiatry and other related sciences to aid and abet our natural inclination to blame someone else, even God.

The real issue isn’t finding someone else to blame but realizing the real issue and the one responsible for the mess of sin we are in in ourselves.

That means stripping ourselves of all excuses and taking advantage of that new start which Christ has offered us.

The ultimate tragedy of the second sin is that is prevents us from finding the fullness of God.

Read Psalm 51:17

Psalm 51:17 NIV84

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

When Adam and Eve committed the first sin, a great mercy came into our lives. God called, “Where are you?” How will we answer?

What would happen if we treated our medical problems this way?

Whatever sin, or weakness or inadequacy affects or afflicts us, God offers a remedy. Only one thing can prevent our getting well. Only one! The second sin.

Our unwillingness to confess that we need help to conquer the first sin means we no longer need to seek God’s remedy.

Whatever we do with this life, whatever course we follow, let us be sure that we don’t die making excuses.