THE HISTORY OF SIN

The history of sin, that is, how sin developed, began with our look at the History of the Fall. When Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator, they sent the entire world, humanity and the rest of creation, into the dark, unending grasp of sin.

As we noted in one statement of faith, “Our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them whereby death came upon all: all becoming dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of of soul and body.”

These wise, godly, and biblical theologians then wrote this, “From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and holly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.”

Sin began with Adam’s failure to obey his good, righteous, and glorious God. And this evening, as we look at the life of one man in particular, we will see the history of sin. That is, we will see how sin develops, how it festers in our lives, how it eventually boils over the edge of the pot and spills out into the lives of others. In this history we will see how sin has affected man’s relationship with God. We will also see how hopeless our battle against sin truly is.

I. SIN IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD-

As we begin examining this history of sin, we must note first that sin affects our relationship with God, first and foremost, and primarily. Adam and Eve bore two children: Cain and Abel. God is fulfilling His promise to provide seed to the woman (see ). He is blessing Adam and Eve with two sons.

Now, before we discuss the relationship between Cain and Abel, I want to keep the focus where is currently is: on the young men’s relationship to God. Adam and Eve sinned against God, bringing horrific and unimaginable effects on the created world. Then, after God issued His promise and judgment, and expels the first couple from the Garden of Eden. The wonderful relationship between God and humanity had been altered.

Now these two young men are bringing offerings to the LORD. It is important to remember that, while we read sections of Scripture, we remember the development and progression of God’s revelation. I mean, at this point the Mosiac Law is not in existence, at least with regards to the various offerings. The book of Leviticus develops the functions, roles, and expectations of offerings and sacrifices, but we have not entered that period in church history yet.

With that said, we see the relationship with God and humans has drastically changed. Whereas Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day (), Cain and Abel are seen making offerings to the LORD. The word used for offering is a general term variously applied throughout the Old Testament. It is a gift, an offering to God. They are bringing it to God. Notice the language of separation. Sin has separated humanity from God.

Passages such as illustrate how this thought fleshes out. In this passage in Romans, we note several issues between God and humanity as a result of sin:

No human is good

No human comprehends what is good

No human seeks after God

All humans turn away and are worthless

No human fears God

Now, you may read that and object on the basis that God accepted Abel’s offering. We will pick that them up shortly. However, Cain is representing what we learn from . There was a separation between God and Cain.

So, one of the first lessons we learn from the History of Sin is that sin has severed our relationship with God. But there are additional lessons to be learned.

II. SIN AND HUMAN REBELLION-

The history of sin develops in a terrible progression. Like an accident progressing in front of us, almost in slow motion, this account moves. The mention of the offerings of Cain and Abel are shadowed with Cain’s response. God did not “respect” Cain’s offering. That is, God did not accept it. Now, there has been much written and debated on the why. Some wrongly assume that God was holding Cain accountable for something he did not know. Of course, God is completely just, and as such He holds us accountable for what He was revealed. So, we can rule this argument out on the basis of God’s character.

We simply do not have a record of what transpired before the offerings. Therefore, it would be foolish of us to attempt to speak where Scripture is silent. Suffice it to say, the focus is on Cain’s response to God’s instruction. God, observing Cain’s change in his physical disposition (his “face fell”), seeks to investigate the problem. That is, God is asking questions to prick Cain’s conscience. God wanted Cain to respond right, but Cain rebels (not unlike his father) against the goodness of God.

You see, Cain was a sinner. He had a disposition to sin because he was a sinner. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. And we are not rebellious because we rebel, we rebel because we are rebellious. Just as dogs bark because it is in their nature to bark, humans rebel because it is in their nature to rebel. A simply example is found in the sign, “DO NOT TOUCH: WET PAINT.” The first thing we instinctively desire to do is to touch it.

God tells Cain that if he does well he will be accepted. Sin, like a crouching lion, desires to rule over Cain, and God instructs Cain that he must allow this to take place. And what is Cain’s response? He acts within his very nature, and the next verse records the first murder.

So, the second lesson we gather from the history of sin is the nature of rebellion. We are inherently rebellious.

III. SIN AND HUMAN INABILITY-

Since we have already read these verses, we can simply summarize them. This passage instructs us on the inability humans have in their fight against sin. We are predisposed to sin. But we also face an inability, beyond the grace of God, to gain victory over sin. We certainly do not mean that humans can never do anything naturally good (helping others) or civilly good. God’s common grace (a term given to those who have natural intelligence and use it for the betterment of the world, think doctors) has helped humanity for many centuries. However, man is unable to do what is spiritually good, that is, what God deems as good.

; ; ; ; and 15:4, 5 all point to humanity’s inability to please God without God’s gracious intervention.

Cain was unable to offer what was pleasing to God on his own.

Our lesson from this thought is that human beings are unable to please God on their own. This has so many implications for our understanding of the world in general and evangelism in particular.

IV. SIN AND MAN’S HOPELESS BATTLE- , 23-24

Notice the next aspect of the History of Sin. Man’s battle against sin is hopeless. You would think that when God confronted Cain, that Cain would respond in repentance. Instead, Cain murders his brother Abel.

Then God asks Cain more questions. He asks, “Where is Abel your brother?” Then he asks, “What have you done?” You would think that Cain would have responded with repentance in temptation. However, Cain’s focus is on himself. Just notice Cain’s response. He says “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” He does not confess to murder and hatred. He worries about the punishment he faces. And even when Cain acknowledges the separation from God (verse 13), his focus is on the fear of being killed!

Is not this how depraved we are? When we commit murder, we are more concerned with the limits to our freedoms than we are about the fact that we have ended an image bearer’s life! And this aspect shows the root of the issue. Cain’s problem was not that he was a murderer, it was that he was a sinner. It goes beyond outward expressions (murder, adultery, stealing, idolatry, etc.) to the inward heart. This is precisely Jesus’s point in the Gospels. Jesus does this in . Our hopeless battle is not based in our behavior, it is founded in our nature.

The lesson we learn from this, then, is that we are in desperate need of complete transformation. Or, to put it the way Jesus did, “You must be born again!”

What is sad is that the rest of Scripture, and human history, is the unraveling story of how wickedly divisive, and infectiously wide-spread, sin truly is. But, even in the midst of this slimy swamp of sin, we see God’s grace.

V. SIN AND GOD’S GRACE- ,

We saw that God’s grace was displayed to Adam and Eve even after their heinous sin. God provided them clothing and still blessed them with children, working to the fulfillment of His promise in .

And even with the events that have transpired between Cain and Abel, and even Lamech, God’s grace is evident. First, the fact that God reached out to Cain in asking questions, and then God’s discussion of sin, is a point of remarkable grace. God put a mark on Cain (we have no idea what it was) and protected Cain. Then God blessed him with children, and God blessed Cain’s descendents with common grace (a term used to describe God’s grace to people outside of His family). He blessed with the wisdom to raise cattle (verse 20), the ability to play music and instruments (verse 21), and even working instruments (verse 22, the term typically applies to farming tools).

That deals with God’s common grace, and I am particularly grateful for this. The modern advancements in medicine and technology alone are reasons to praise God without ceasing. But God’s grace is seen in particular when God blesses Adam and Eve with another child, Seth. And after Seth has a son, Enosh, the author of Genesis presents a wonderful idea: people began to call upon the name of the LORD. God, in His wonderful and unimaginable grace, allows human beings, once in defying rebellion, to become His followers. That is, He finds the lost, He restores the broken, He adopts the orphan. God’s grace is seen even in the midst of sin! What a glorious truth this is! It broadens and expands our views of His sovereign care from passages like , does it not? God makes all things work together for good, even the sinful actions of ourselves and others. This lesson, then, is that God’s grace can and does override human sin.

The history of sin, then, offers us several lessons.

sin has severed our relationship with God

sin is the nature of rebellion. We are inherently rebellious

sin is the nature of rebellion. We are inherently rebellious

human beings are unable to please God on their own

human beings are unable to please God on their own

we are in desperate need of complete transformation

God’s grace can and does override human sin

God’s grace can and does override human sin