What is the greatest disaster mankind has ever experienced?
Many of the headlines in our newspapers, on radio or television remind us that the world is not in order. It is easy to complain about the violence and the injustice, the chaos and failure in our society; but before we judge others, we should first inform ourselves about the real causes. The Bible says: Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)
God gave us just one single limitation.
Our ancestors, the first people (Adam and Eve), lived in great freedom. And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17) Thus God wanted to see if we were worthy of the confidence he placed in us, as well as the freedom he granted us. But the Devil tempted Eve into mistrusting the words of God and acting against them. 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. (Genesis 3:6)
“Sin entered the world” at this moment.
Through deliberate disobedience, Adam and Eve were separated from God. Suddenly there was a wall between God and Man. Instead of loving God, they were afraid of Him. 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. (Genesis 3:8) Instead of being safe, satisfied, and happy, they were now feeling guilty and frightened as a result of their sin.
The consequence was separation.
God said that we would lose access to Him as soon as we were disobedient and that’s exactly what happened. In this way we were separated from God at this awful moment and are therefore spiritually dead. Since then, physical death has also been the final result. But that’s not all: Adam and Eve passed on their broken and sinful nature to us. And so it is up to the present day. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12) Pay particular attention to the key word “all”. We are all included. We are sinners and we will die. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1. John 1:8) Our lives prove this and the Bible confirms it.
So, do we live in a manner pleasing to God?
Are you always honest, loving, and selfless – therefore totally sinless? God knows the answers to these questions – and you, if you are honest, do too. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Everyone is a sinner - from birth on, by nature, through our own decisions and our own actions. You also should face up to this fact and its consequences.
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