It is interesting how different people's standards of right and wrong can be. While there is great diversity among personal beliefs, there are sins which are exceedingly sinful on a universal scale: murder, sexual molestation of children, forced slavery, and theft. My point is not about these sins in particular, but how there are certain actions the conscience of men deems wrong. The value of having God's Law held forth in the Bible is to instruct us concerning God's standard of righteousness according to which all men will be someday judged. Believe it or not, but this is the Bible's claim. It is for our benefit to know our errors before the Day of Judgment so we can submit a plea bargain and receive the Gospel, having repented and trusted in Christ.
It struck me this morning like never before how God chose a most simple thing - the denial of eating from a particular tree - as the only possible sin after Adam was created, We cannot know sin apart from the Law, and Adam was given one command: do not eat from the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden. It was that simple. There was no limitation of how much fruit he could eat from the other trees in the garden, but he was strictly forbidden from eating from a tree which would kill him! Undeterred, Adam sought to satisfy his fleshly appetites and ate from the tree with Eve his wife. This teaches us man from the very beginning was unable to curb his carnal desires. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, man had to sin. Adam was unable to stop himself from feeding his flesh and ignored something as simple as keeping to a divine diet given by God for his good. Adam sinned by eating what would kill him, and every sin since has only brought sorrow and death with it.
I do not believe it is a coincidence Jesus instituted the new covenant in His blood by eating bread and drinking of wine during the Passover meal. Jesus commanded all His disciples to eat and drink together - not to fill their bellies or quench their dry mouths - but to show they found their satisfaction in Christ alone. They were commanded not only to eat the Lord's Supper that night only but to remember Jesus, His sacrifice, and to proclaim His death until He returned through receiving Communion. The food and drink of Jesus was to do the will of the Father and to finish His work (John 4:34). Those who are followers of Christ are no longer to be slaves to our fleshly appetites, but to heed and obey God's Word. Jesus taught man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Adam made the mistake of following the dictates of self, and as Christians we can make the same mistake too. There is no possible way we can deny ourselves and follow Jesus in relationship unless we are born again. Adam's nature has led to separation from God and death every time, but being born again through faith in Christ makes us new creations called to be living sacrifices unto God.
People can maintain a high view of their own morality by simply not practicing what they consider to be "major" sins. We are all like gamblers in that sense; we prefer to remember when we have won or the potential of winning and do not fix our minds on how much we have lost. Our faults are easily forgotten. But how about in the little things? Have we ever eaten too much and strayed into gluttony? Have we ever enjoyed too much drink and found ourselves under the influence of alcohol? Have we feasted our eyes on what we know is wrong or uttered words which even we regretted later because they were sharp and vengeful? The truth is, we cannot help ourselves in the matter of taming our flesh. It must be crucified with Christ for us to experience the victory He has granted to all who trust in Him. Let us not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but to humble ourselves before God in repentance over what the world would term "little things" or "non-issues." It is only in this place of repentance we can be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God. Romans 12:1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
It struck me this morning like never before how God chose a most simple thing - the denial of eating from a particular tree - as the only possible sin after Adam was created, We cannot know sin apart from the Law, and Adam was given one command: do not eat from the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden. It was that simple. There was no limitation of how much fruit he could eat from the other trees in the garden, but he was strictly forbidden from eating from a tree which would kill him! Undeterred, Adam sought to satisfy his fleshly appetites and ate from the tree with Eve his wife. This teaches us man from the very beginning was unable to curb his carnal desires. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, man had to sin. Adam was unable to stop himself from feeding his flesh and ignored something as simple as keeping to a divine diet given by God for his good. Adam sinned by eating what would kill him, and every sin since has only brought sorrow and death with it.
I do not believe it is a coincidence Jesus instituted the new covenant in His blood by eating bread and drinking of wine during the Passover meal. Jesus commanded all His disciples to eat and drink together - not to fill their bellies or quench their dry mouths - but to show they found their satisfaction in Christ alone. They were commanded not only to eat the Lord's Supper that night only but to remember Jesus, His sacrifice, and to proclaim His death until He returned through receiving Communion. The food and drink of Jesus was to do the will of the Father and to finish His work (John 4:34). Those who are followers of Christ are no longer to be slaves to our fleshly appetites, but to heed and obey God's Word. Jesus taught man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Adam made the mistake of following the dictates of self, and as Christians we can make the same mistake too. There is no possible way we can deny ourselves and follow Jesus in relationship unless we are born again. Adam's nature has led to separation from God and death every time, but being born again through faith in Christ makes us new creations called to be living sacrifices unto God.
People can maintain a high view of their own morality by simply not practicing what they consider to be "major" sins. We are all like gamblers in that sense; we prefer to remember when we have won or the potential of winning and do not fix our minds on how much we have lost. Our faults are easily forgotten. But how about in the little things? Have we ever eaten too much and strayed into gluttony? Have we ever enjoyed too much drink and found ourselves under the influence of alcohol? Have we feasted our eyes on what we know is wrong or uttered words which even we regretted later because they were sharp and vengeful? The truth is, we cannot help ourselves in the matter of taming our flesh. It must be crucified with Christ for us to experience the victory He has granted to all who trust in Him. Let us not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but to humble ourselves before God in repentance over what the world would term "little things" or "non-issues." It is only in this place of repentance we can be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God. Romans 12:1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
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