FoundationsSample

DAY 3: SIN

Now that we are familiar with who God is, and what His Word says, it’s important for us to understand where we fit into the story of faith. So let’s go right back to the start.

In the book of Genesis, we are introduced to Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God. From the outset, God’s heart with mankind was to be IN RELATIONSHIP with them. In Genesis 2, God gives them life, gives them purpose and gives them choice. Adam and Eve were given access to everything in the Garden of Eden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Despite God’s instruction, Adam and Eve fell into temptation and chose to disobey God by eating the fruit from this tree subsequently choosing their own desires before God’s instruction. This was the moment that sin entered the world.

The original word for sin in the Greek is‘Hamartia’which means 'to miss the mark'. This old archery term paints a picture of an archer, missing the bullseye, and falling short of his intended target. This is what sin is, when we miss the mark of God’s intended purpose and plan for our life.

This same picture is what we see back in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve determined that they could make better choices for themselves than God could, and they gravely missed the mark. By missing the mark, we create a gap between our choices and God’s standard for our life, and this is what sin does – it separates us from God who is Holy.

Despite the separation, God loves us so much, He still chooses to pursue us. The entire Old Testament is the story of our God who constantly pursues His people, only for the people to consistently choose to live in sin. This vicious cycle had to be broken and so God introduced a new way of doing relationship, called ‘Covenant’.

A covenant is essentially an agreement or promise made between two parties. God chooses to make a covenant between Himself and His people, that He would be their God, and they would be His people. This covenant in biblical times was known as a Suzerain-Vassal treaty. The Suzerain would be the King that offered protection and provision, and the Vassal would serve its King. If either party broke this treaty or sinned against the other, it would be punishable by death.

Unfortunately, the people continued to sin over and over again. So, to reconcile this sin, something needed to die. Every time the people sinned, they would have to bring an innocent animal without blemish and put it to death IN PLACE of their own life. But the people were drowning in sin; the debt they owed God was too great, and it became impossible to be made right with God. As the sin piled up, and the sacrifices increased, the people realised that they couldn’t carry the debt anymore. THEN IN STEPPED JESUS.

The reason why Jesus is the centrepiece of our faith is because He was the ONLY ONE who could clear the debt. God knew that our sacrifices wouldn’t be enough, so He sent the only One who lived a perfect and sinless life, to innocently die the death that we should have died. And because of His life and His blood, we are now made right with God. Jesus took our place; Jesus cleared the debt; and Jesus paid the price so that you and I can be in relationship with God – His original intended purpose.

Jesus changed EVERYTHING. He made a way when we couldn’t do it ourselves. We are not saved by anything that we do, but by what Jesus has already done. This is why the message of the gospel is different to any other religion or philosophy in the world. Every other faith will make you do good deeds to work off the debt of sin, but in Jesus our debt has been paid. There is only one way to the Father, and one way to eternal life. And that can only be found through Jesus.

PRAYER:
Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for me. I recognise that I’m a sinner and have fallen short of the mark. I am sorry for the way I have lived. And today I ask You to forgive me. From now on, I choose to turn away from my old life and I choose to turn to You. Today I make You the Lord and Saviour of my life. Help me to trust You and follow You for all the days of my life. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.