Sin Is Much Bigger Than We Think

Intro

If I put a single molecule of HIV in this water, would you drink it?

You wouldn't drink it, because just a drop of the virus infects everything.

The same is true of sin. In your heart, and in the world.

Adam sinned once, and it infected everything.

A little bit of an apology, because today is not a happy lesson.

Talking about Sin (last week, talked about temptation), but what about the effects of sin?

What is Sin? How would you define it?

Sin is not just “the bad things we do” (the act of sin) it is the cause of all the brokenness that is around us. (the curse of sin).

Sin is not just an act, it is a condition.

Everything wrong in the world, in our lives, is because of sin.

All human suffering is because of sin (not individual suffering to individual sin)

What are the effects of sin?

One word summary - “Sin ALIENATES us.”

What does it mean to be alienated?

(isolated, estranged, being cut off from something you should be a part of)

Goal for today’s lesson: that you would hate sin. That you would hate all of the alienation that sin brings to the world.

The more you hate sin, the more you should love Jesus. Because he is the one who can rescue you from sin.

Sin Alienates Us

From God (3:7-13; 22-24)

Genesis 3:6–13 ESV

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Sin (the act) is breaking God’s holy and perfect law, and because we are guilty / no longer righteous in his sight, that alienates us. Because God is holy, he cannot accept anything less than perfectly holy.

But there’s more going on here. Sin is law-breaking, but it is not only lawbreaking. Let’s look at some of the effects...

What did Adam and Eve do after they ate the forbidden fruit?

Sewed clothes together from leaves (v. 7) [Why?]

Lord made better garments (v. 21). Only he can cover our shame (through sacrifice of an innocent one).

Hid themselves from God (v. 8) [Why]

Sin Alienates us from God...by making us ashamed (v. 7-8)

What is shame? (painful feeling of humiliation or distress, because you did something wrong or foolish)

Guilt culture vs. shame cultures. We in america miss the shame aspect of sin.

Some of you - what’s separating you from God right now, is your own shame. You may believe that your guilt is gone because of Jesus, but its hard to believe because you still feel so much shame.

Unbelief due to shame - many can’t admit there is a God, because they are afraid of what he’s like.

Was hiding from God a smart move or a dumb move for Adam and Eve? Why? (He’s God!)

Sin Alienates us from God...by making us irrational (v. 8-13)

Hiding from God doesn’t work

V. 9 - “Where are you?” Not because God didn’t know. But he wanted to make sure Adam knew. (What he’s done, and how irrational he’s being)

Sin affects our thinking. We aren’t created to ‘think on our own’ apart from God.

That is why many philosophers, who claim to be rational, end up with these irrational conclusions. That is how some scientists, who study God’s creation, come up with Atheistic conclusions. They are thinking apart from God.

The truth is, the Christian worldview is the only rational worldview. It is the only one that can consistently account for all the big questions of life and death. Every other worldview collapses in on itself.

Our own life - Compartmentalizing our lives, as if God only cares about what you’re like at Church. Its irrational. He’s the Lord of all life!

Sin Alienates us from God…by causing Spiritual Death.

Kicked out of the garden (v. 22-24)

From Each other (3:16)

Genesis 3:14–16 ESV

14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Vs. 15 is the good news, we’ll talk about that next week.

Adam and Eve have not only damaged their relationship with God, but even with each other.

Re-read and Break down v. 16

What does God mean when he says “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband”

He’s saying, you’re going to get into fights.

The female is going to resist the male’s leadership, and in response, the male is going to over-react, and instead of leading, caring, and nurturing, he’s going to “rule.”

Sin alienates us from each other...by causing marital strife (v. 16)

Blame shifting in v. 12-13

We all know of, or have been influenced by, a broken marriage.

None of ya’ll are married. How does sin effect human relationships in your own life?

pride, lies, kicking friends out of cliques or clubs

This creates alienation in all of our friendships and relationships

Fights, ugly disagreements, theft, lies, abuse, slavery, abortion, any and every mistreatment of another human being is because of sin.

Sin Alienates us from each other. And we’re all guilty. We have all been sinned against, but we have also sinned.

From Creation (3:17-19)

Genesis 3:17–19 ESV

17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

What does God mean when he says “Cursed is the Ground?”

It is now difficult for Human beings and nature to work together

Natural Disasters (v. 17)

Doesn’t always equal judgement on individual nation, we can’t know for sure. But the existence alone is because of sin.

COVID-19, is because of this curse.

Work is difficult (v. 18) - “thorns and thistles.”

Work can hurt you - I’ve become aware of more and more farming accidents. Their machinery is very dangerous.

Human decay and (physical) death (v. 19)

So, the curse and effects of sin alienate us from everything and everyone.

From God.

From each other.

And from Creation.

Many of you are thinking: “Thanks for this positive, encouraging message.” Why are you telling us all of this?

Conclusion

Our need is even bigger than we thought, but its good that we know the diagnosis

Illustration: A doctor must know the disease before providing the cure.

We don’t treat cancer like we treat the cold.

We can’t use a band aid for a gunshot wound.

Sin is a heart condition. And the Gospel tells us, we need a heart transplant.

The choice that every human being is faced with…is...“New Heart…or die”

The condition is sin, and the only cure is Christ.

Not just for you, but for the whole world

Christ is not the solution to just one of our needs (our guilt). He is the solution to every need!

Shame, diseases, natural disasters, broken relationships.

God promised the solution in our text today, in vs. 15. But we will save that for next week.

Pray:

We would come to terms with the heart condition of sin

Hate sin more, and love you more

Remind us just how much we need the Gospel.

Thank you for your grace.

Amen.