What Is Sin And How Does It Affect Us?

First of all there is a God. The Bible is filled with evidences of His existence. The Bible is somewhat like a fencepost turtle, if you see a turtle on top of a fence post EVERYTHING about the situation points to the fact it didn't get up there by itself. SOMEONE put it there. When you repeatedly see something in the scriptures that ONLY the author could possibly know to be true at the time they were written the evidence says someone told him. That Someone, That Inspirer, is who we call God.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21 NKJV)

Plate tectonics, stars broadcasting, paths in the sea, zone of visibility, fresh water springs in the sea, biblical directions such as up, down and over, symbol consistency, and a long list of things in the Bible that could only have been known or influenced by a Supreme Being known as God. Even though the Bible is not a science book EVERY scientific statement in it has either been proven to be true or has not been proven to be false. The Bible's existence alone is evidence of the existence of God.

This God created all things. He created the heavens and the earth and everything in them in the order scientists say they came into existence. God created everything to house His most amazing creation of all, man.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NKJV)

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

The Bible says that all three Godhead Beings, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, worked together in the Creation.

For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. (1 John 5:7)

1 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”(John 4:24 NKJV)

The body made from dirt is NOT the man. The breath of life, the soul, is what makes up the man. The soul, the spirit, is what is in the "image" of God. Man has ALL the same powers God has, just in a much more limited scale. Man can love, hate, create, destroy, go back and forth in time, judge, and so on, just not to the degree God does.

Since God is a spirit with no discernible form He has no lungs. What did He breathe into man's nostrils? It was obviously a part of Himself. Since the soul of man is a part of God, the image of God it will never cease to exist, it will always exist somewhere.

In the first few chapters of Genesis we read how God placed man in a Garden where every possible need was met. God actually would visit man and the woman God created for Adam from his body, Adam & Eve, in the Garden. They had one on one fellowship with God.

Remember how man has all the same powers God has? God has the power of choice, He can choose to do things. To be in God's image they also had to have the power of choice as well. So God put a choice in the Garden so man could exercise his power of choice....

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17 NKJV)

What God was saying was, "Eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you die. Your choice." All they had to do was one simple thing, "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and live." That's it. A wide selection of trees to eat from and one forbidden tree.

Everything is going along splendidly and then Satan comes in for a visit. He tells her, "You'll not die, you'll just be like God and know the difference between good and evil." The next thing you know Eve, then Adam, have eaten of the tree. The result of their choice is that God has removed them from the Garden and put them on their own.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24 NKJV)

The Bible talks of two kinds of death. There is the physical death, the ending of life on earth, and there is spiritual death, separation from God. In the day that they ate of the forbidden tree they died physically by having no access to the tree of life and they separated themselves from God spiritually.

The Bible reveals there is absolutely no unrighteousness or imperfections in God. He cannot be in the presence of unrighteousness or imperfections of man also known as sins or iniquities.

Sin, iniquity, is ANY act against God, ANY act against your fellow man, God's creation, or ANY act against oneself. All three of these actions are ultimately against God.

2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 NKJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NKJV)

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 NKJV)

EVERYONE on Earth enjoys blessings from God to some degree no matter who they are or how evil or good they are according to our human scale. Hitler and other atrocious people enjoyed the warmth of the sun, food, shelter, someone who loved them, something. In the lake of fire, torment, Abraham told the Rich Man in torment that even the good things, memories, of his life were torture to him. He never again would experience them. He was totally removed from all of God's blessings.

25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ (Luke 16:25-26 NKJV)

The account indicates those in torment will be able to see what is going on in heaven and what they are missing while knowing there is no escape. The Rich Man wants Lazarus to go back from the dead and make sure his 5 brothers don't come there.

In Romans 1:18-31 there is a list of things that bring about the wrath of God. Once one these things are done they cannot be undone. Some translations say "whisperers," some say "gossips." Gossip is saying anything about someone that isn't true. It is also saying something about someone that IS true for the purpose of hurting someone. Take something that isn't yours one time, you are forever a thief. There is nothing one can do to undo it. Every cognizant person on Earth is guilty of doing one or more of the sins in the list.

What is the result?

32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:32 NKJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NKJV)

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:1-3 NKJV)

God has no obligation to forgive sins. There is nothing one can do to undo one's sins. Yet because God is pure love He has of His own free will graced mankind with yet another great tree of the knowledge of good and evil choice...

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (3:16 NKJV)

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16 NKJV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 NKJV)