Sin is Part of All of Us
In Chapter 1 (Your Life Begins), we saw that your soul is made up of three parts —your mind, emotions, and will. In the last chapter, we witnessed the fall of mankind into sin in the Garden of Eden. Satan’s DNA has now become part of each one of our souls, and the very essence of who you are and what you do now belongs to Satan.
For some of you, what you are about to read next will be difficult to believe, and it certainly wasn’t easy for me to write. As I begin to describe what God’s Word says about who we truly have become, you will probably think of individuals in your life — your grandparents, a family member, your pastor, priest, or Sunday school teacher — and be certain that what I am discussing doesn’t apply to them, or even to yourself.
In Romans, chapter 3, verse 23, God’s Word tells us “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NIV) The word “all” means just that, my friend, no exceptions. We are all in the same boat.
I read somewhere a good explanation of how every person is born with a sinful nature and becomes a sinner in thought, word, and deed. “What parent has to teach his or her child to be selfish, to covet what someone else has or to lie? Those actions come naturally from the child’s sinful nature. Instead, the parent must devote much time to teaching the child the importance of telling the truth, of sharing instead of being selfish, of obeying instead of rebelling, etc.”
As a parent and grandparent, I had never really thought about my children and grandchildren being born with a sinful nature. That explained a lot to me, and I finally found peace knowing that it wasn’t just my family that acted that way.
The Bible refers to the depravity of man, the satanic infestation, as the Flesh or the Old Man.
In 1 John 2:16 God’s Word says:
“16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father [God] but is of the world [Satan].” (NKJV)
Now let’s overlay the verses we read in the last chapter in the book of James, chapter 1:14-15.
“14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (NASB)
