Sin: A Matter of Choice or Force?

Before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, God communed with them; but after they sinned, they were banished from the garden. Thus the consequence of sin is separation of man and God. The separation of man from his Maker inevitably exposes him to his adversary, Satan. Following the eviction of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, Satan took over the control of planet earth and the inhabitants thereof. Sickness, pain, and death are the direct and prolonged effects of sin, and these are used by Satan to afflict the natural man at will.

As stated in the Bible, the sin of Adam and Eve gave birth to the sinful nature; so by constitution man is sinful. Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Apart from separation of man from God, sin also exerts power over man through the law of sin and death, and this is the reason man has the propensity to commit sins. The account of sin in the book of Genesis shows that sin was a CHOICE made by man. But when the Lord Jesus came on the scene He hinted that sin is a FORCE. The Lord Jesus revealed this when He told the Jewish leaders of His time that there was no freedom from sin except by faith in Him.

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24).

And to underscore His assertion, in verse thirty four of John chapter eight, He likens the relationship between man and sin to what obtains in a slave-master relationship - Force. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the slave of sin.”

In the Garden of Eden, sin was a choice, but outside Eden (in the world) sin has become a law (Force), acting on the natural man. The Bible is replete with references to the depraved and helpless nature of man at the grip of sin. In 1 Kings 8:46, Scripture says “If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not),...” and the book of Job chapter fifteen, verse fourteen, says, “What is man that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” and then in verses fifteen and sixteen, it says, “Behold he (GOD) putteth no trust in His saints/angels, yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”

After the Lord Jesus Christ came to the world and atoned for the sins of Man, sin still remains a FORCE until the believer realizes his/her depravity and cry out for help. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish:” is the lamentation in Galatians 5:17.

What new converts realized at the time of regeneration is the vulgarity of their sins, hence their plead for mercy. After a while the new believer is bound to discover that sin is a force and then cry out for help before sanctification can take place.

In conclusion, the salvation of Man is two fold: one is forgiveness of sins, and the other is freedom from sinful nature. Without this two-fold experience, the believer cannot enjoy the reality of divine power in life and ministry.

What’s your take on this article? Is sin a choice or a force?

Source: http://faithfuljoel.com